Welcome to moving season: the busiest time of year for moving into a new home as families try to get settled before the next school year begins. If you're moving your family and freaking out, don't. Because you've got this. Moving your family into a new home is just like childbirth: 1. You're over the moon with excitement. 2. Then the panic sets in. 3. You doubt if you're making the right decisions. There are so many decisions. 4. You make lists of what needs to get done. … [Read more...] about 19 Ways Moving is Like Childbirth #10yearsaparent
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Titles I Would Add to the Parenting Bookshelf #10yearsaparent
Ever since the Reading Rainbow song looped non-stop in my head as a child (you're welcome), I've been on the look out for titles that speak to me. I have a special soft spot for books of the how-to and self-help variety. I take great comfort in the idea that other people have been there, and I'm not alone in my quest for answers. I've noticed a few gaps on the parenting bookshelf. My inner librarian would like to see these titles the next time I'm browsing Barnes & Noble... Does it … [Read more...] about Titles I Would Add to the Parenting Bookshelf #10yearsaparent
The Only Parenting Advice You’ll Ever Need #10yearsaparent
There is so much information about parenting, sometimes I wonder what I could possibly add to the conversation. Especially since I realized that every parenting discussion can be boiled down to three things: Keep your eyes on your own paper. Do yourself a favor and stop worrying, judging, criticizing, analyzing, discussing other people's parenting. It's kind of like talking about the weather–a supreme waste of time and energy funneled into something that you can not control. Focus on … [Read more...] about The Only Parenting Advice You’ll Ever Need #10yearsaparent
Repeat After Me: I Am The Mother.
Dear mom searching Google for the answers, I know you. Because I was you. You can trust me when I tell you, there is no right answer. You have everything you need. You are the parent. Walk to a mirror, look yourself in the eye and repeat, I am the mother until you believe it. Chances are you feel like an impostor, like you have no credentials, no degree or certificate. Maybe you're doubting everything, maybe the anxiety and sleep deprivation have left you a little shakey. … [Read more...] about Repeat After Me: I Am The Mother.
Five Parenting Mistakes I Make Over and Over Again #10yearsaparent
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, parenting might indeed be driving me insane. I make these mistakes over and over again, and the results are always, well, the same. 1. Believing I'm capable of multi-tasking. Yesterday I was making dinner while sorting through piles of untouched mail, answering two children's repeated requests for help with homework, and formulating witty responses to a very large group text with high … [Read more...] about Five Parenting Mistakes I Make Over and Over Again #10yearsaparent
Why Parenting Is So Hard #10yearsaparent
Have you ever wondered why there is an army of mommy and daddy bloggers talking about how hard being a parent is? Is it because they have access to communication channels we've never had before? Because they have the freedom to talk about the hard stuff and brush off the sugar coating? Or is it because modern parenting is really harder for us than it was for our parents? Recently I had the opportunity to see award-winning journalist and author Jennifer Senior speak about her book All Joy and … [Read more...] about Why Parenting Is So Hard #10yearsaparent
Don’t Call Me Mommy #10yearsaparent
There's something about being called Mommy that makes me shudder. It's one of those unexplainable cringe-worthy things like nails on a chalkboard or forks scraping plates or the sound of Kim Kardashian's voice. Cloying. That's the best word that I have to describe it. Every night, I bow my head to thank the parenting gods that I went straight from Mama to Mom and skipped Mommy all together. My aversion is a mystery. I'm always hearing Mommy, Mommy, Mommy in the world of parenting, and it … [Read more...] about Don’t Call Me Mommy #10yearsaparent
Eight Ways Parenting is Like Working in Retail #10yearsaparent
Recently I was having a very circular argument with one of my children, trying to get him to use logic and reason instead of going into Hulk mode which includes a lot of stomping, yelling, and throwing of things. It dawned on me. This is exactly like trying to talk down a Crate and Barrel customer about the scratches on their nonstick All-Clad cookware or trying to explain the final sale policy to a shopper at A Pea in the Pod. I've worked my fair share of retail jobs, and meeting the … [Read more...] about Eight Ways Parenting is Like Working in Retail #10yearsaparent