Real. Simple. Parenting.
Many moms swear by amber teething necklaces for their toddlers, claiming that the amber drastically reduces fussiness and pain associated with teething. Others say that the concept of amber makes no sense and that the jewelry is a waste of money. So what’s the fuss with amber teething necklaces, anyway?
I’ve been secretly dying to get my daughter a teething necklace and I finally did it! Now I’m here to share everything I’ve learned and observed. Continue reading
My son is an amazing child: he’s considerate, kind, and sensitive. And I knew early on that I would never spank or hit him. But he’s at an age where we need to have an effective, consistent way to correct him and teach him. I’m here to tell you: attachment parenting does not mean that you let your kids do whatever the hell they want. We have high expectations, we are consistent, and we mean what we say. But how we discipline our kids may look quite different from what you’re used to. We use what’s called “natural consequences.” And let me say, it works beautifully. Continue reading
Any healthy woman who has a low risk pregnancy can work towards a drug-free birth if that is what she desires. However, it does take time and effort to prepare yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally. Additionally, I really do think that all women need to have a mental plan on how they will deal with pain, even if they intend to have pain relief during labor.
I have had a natural birth in a hospital, and one in a birth center. Here are the biggest pieces of advice that I can give to any mother who is curious about pursuing a drug-free birth! Continue reading
I’ve had two kids, and two very different birth experiences. Looking back on my first child’s birth, I’m haunted by so many things I wish I had known. I knew I wanted a more fulfilling, enjoyable, rewarding experience with my daughter, and her birth gave me back the power and control I knew I deserved.
My second child’s birth was so different from my first. I feel like I redeemed myself from what I didn’t like the first time around, and having a midwife instead of a typical OB-in-a-hospital was a game changer. I wrote out my natural birth story originally as a letter to my daughter about her big day! (Proper nouns have been changed to protect privacy.) Warning, it’s a long post and just a teeny bit graphic. But just a teeny bit. Read on if you’d like to see what a real-life natural birth at a birth center can be like! Thanks for sharing my natural birth story with me.
As I dealt with morning sickness in my first trimester, I became super sensitive to smells. Due to hormone craziness, my skin and hair also changed and became very dry. Unfortunately these changes with my body also involved most of my bath products, so I had to force myself to pick new ones! (And sniffing tons of shampoos and body washes at the store when you are nauseous is not fun).
Here’s my list of products which are safe, effective, and not stinky. Feel free to comment your opinions and suggestions. I hope that this helps you as you go through this pregnancy!
Attachment parenting: it is the foundation for this entire website, and I have become quite passionate about its advocacy. I wanted my first article to be significant, so I am giving you my definition of this parenting style as well as some other things I have learned over the last few years.
real simple parenting
First, though, I have to tell you something – don’t obsess about finding a name to give your own parenting style. No one is going to stop you on the street and ask “what parenting philosophy do you follow?” I did not even know about attachment parenting until after my first child was born, and I had obsessively read and researched everything when I was pregnant. As cliché as it may sound, I guess you could say that attachment parenting found me. Not the other way around. It’s totally OK to not have a name for what you practice.
I also have a confession. I hate the name “attachment” parenting. I guess it is my educational background that makes me think of a parent hovering around their child, wiping their nose and keeping them from experiencing anything. In the teaching world, we call that “helicopter mom” – and it is definitely a derogatory term. So my initial impression was of a paranoid germaphobic mom and a clingy, emotionally unstable child.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
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