Being a stay-at-home mom of small children is tough, especially when Dad works long hours! Here are some end-of-day time killers you’ll be glad to try. I became a new mom at a time in my life when we only had one car. It didn’t help that we also live in Arizona, where for at…
It is in fact possible to gently help your toddler fall asleep alone, in his or her own room, without a struggle or cry-it-out sleep training–even if your child is a long-term cosleeper! Here’s how we did it and how you can do the same. It’s not a secret: We don’t sleep train. Not in…
We all want sleep. I don’t begrudge you your eight hours, I promise. And I understand what it feels like to miss the uninterrupted nights you took for granted before you had kids. I also take it (given that you’re reading this) that you’re breastfeeding, and maybe even having milk supply issues, sleep frustrations, or…
I have spent probably hundreds (if not thousands) of hours in breastfeeding support groups online. Breastfeeding isn’t easy, and in the throes of new motherhood, moms come to places like these for advice. Don’t get me wrong: It is awesome to have a support network of people who have gone through–or are going through–what you’re…
I don’t think of myself as someone with a ton of discipline. Before motherhood, having “discipline” just meant doing my homework before watching TV, being judicious with my spending, or showing up to work on time. No big deal. Normal life stuff. But that was before. Back when I was just barely twenty-something, before weight…
My usual motto when I’m perusing my mom groups on Facebook is just keep scrolling. I know that people have a tendency to cling to their beliefs, which means a Facebook group full of moms (or anyone, for that matter) isn’t usually going to be the best arena for changing minds or hearts. So most…
I don’t advocate cry-it-out sleep training. Not graduated extinction or “gentle” variations of the Ferber method or what have you. I’m not worried about being “used as a pacifier,” and I don’t stress over elaborate routines and steps to get baby to “sleep through the night” as soon as possible. None of that. There. I…
I struggle with faith. I’m caught up in my brain, in numbers, in odds, in statistical likelihood and significance. What’s funny is I’m absolutely horrid at advanced math, but I’m good at statistics. Statistics are numbers that make sense. Math that means something. Numbers can be misleading, but ultimately they don’t lie. My oldest daughter,…
DISCLAIMER: This blog post is not intended as medical advice. I am not advocating that you disregard your pediatrician. But don’t be afraid to ask questions, be your own advocate, or get a second opinion if needed. That is the point of this post. When you’re a first-time mom, life is scary. You have a…
“When I have kids, they won’t be eating junk,” I said to myself. That was obviously before I had kids. Because we are all the best parents before we have kids, right? For a while, I actually did do a pretty good job keeping junk away from my oldest baby. Little Bo was exclusively breastfed,…
Not too long ago Little Bo turned three years old, and it was time to start thinking about preschool. Am I the only one who dreads the idea of preschool? I know it’s basically a rite of passage in our culture but…I’m just not interested. Yes, I want my child to learn things. Yes, I…
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