Watching your child start school is so beautiful. And so stressful. And so terrifying. My oldest child is going into first grade this year, and I have one more who will head to kindergarten in 2020. Here are all of my suggestions for how to survive the first week of kindergarten, both from the perspective of the child and from a mother’s heart.
Continue readingTag: rest (Page 1 of 2)
You’re a stay at home parent, and your child is finally down for a nap. Now comes the panicky excitement like a game show you didn’t know you were on: What do you do with this alone time? Logic says to take a nap or eat something, but part of you wants to take a hot shower or eat a half gallon of ice cream. And if you’re like me, you spend the whole nap standing in the kitchen with an indecisive look on your face. Then, just like that, your kid wakes up. Damn! So quick, check out my list of what to do when your kid naps.
Continue readingFamily vacations can be so much fun! You get to see new places, do new things, and someone else does the dishes. But hauling your children away from the comforts and familiarities of home can be really daunting. We just came back from a vacation and I’ve compiled all of the best tricks so that you can enjoy your hotel stay with kids. Read on and add your favorites in the comments! Continue reading
Being active is an important thing for everyone, but it’s doubly effective when your children get to see you model a healthy life. Exercising when you have kids is great and all, but it’s not always possible or desirable to dump your children off at a gym daycare, or hire a babysitter so that you can go for a run. But have no fear! It’s totally possible to work out with kids. Here are all of my cheap, easy, effective ideas to help you break a sweat – and a smile – and get your kids involved, too! Continue reading
So you’re stuck at home with kids. It sounds like the plot of a horror movie. Maybe the kids are sick. Maybe you’re sick. Maybe the car croaked. Maybe you have to wait all day for a delivery or a service. Maybe you’re broke. Whatever the reason is, you’re stuck at home… with kids. But it doesn’t have to be a miserable nightmare! I’ve put together an extensive list of fun things to do together. So until you’re out of home quarantine, rest easy. I’ve got you taken care of. Continue reading
Sleep regression sucks. At any age. It’s always a dark curtain of despair in which well-meaning, loving parents turn into zombies, and wonderful children transform into shadows of themselves. A sleep regression can last just a few nights, or months. Sometimes there’s a clear explanation, and sometime it’s beyond mysterious. We’ve been through it multiple times with both of our kids, and I’m here to throw down every damn solution that I can think of. Because I remember: sleep regression sucks. Continue reading
There is so much that I want to teach my children. I’m not talking about specific facts, though those certainly have their place. I mean big worldly concepts, abstract things, life lessons that I want to lock into their minds and hearts while I’m still around. In mulling over this the other day, I came up with the three most valuable, most essential concepts that I want to pass on to my children. So here they are for my readers: three big life lessons I am teaching my kids. Continue reading
Bedsharing has been a lifesaver in our house, from saving my breastmilk supply to ensuring that everyone gets a decent amount of sleep. But I don’t feel like it’s mainstreamed into society well; with that, come a lot of secret society truths about bedsharing that only fellow bedsharers would understand. Here are a few of my favorites. Continue reading
We recently purchased the Sleep Number cSe for our family. Why is this significant? Because our toddler sleeps in bed with us and I nurse her throughout the night. Here’s a bedsharing mom’s review of the Sleep Number bed. Continue reading
There are about one hundred ways to get your toddler ready for bed. And I bet you know them all: from baths to massage to lullabies and stories, everyone has the routine which works for their little one.
But when you breastfeed (which means that you probably nurse to sleep, and also possibly bedshare), your ritual can look quite different. So I thought I’d give some perspective to the parenting posts of the world, and show you what bedtime looks like at our house. Read on for a bedtime routine for a bedsharing toddler. Continue reading