A Letter to All Parenting Experts Who Don’t Actually Have Any Kids
I used to be somewhat of a parenting expert. Then my first child arrived and forced me into an early retirement. Many will presume to know what it takes to be a parent before actually becoming one....
Attention Moms: the pressure to lean in, both at work and at home, isn’t just in our heads.
Whether They Meet Them Or Not, Our Relatives Shape Our Kids
Even if the stories aren’t happy, love-conquers-all stories, they're important. These were real people’s stories – people we have ties with.
The F Word: a Discussion on the Power of Language With My 9-Year-Old
The consequence for the use of this language will depend upon the context, the cultural norms, and, let’s face it, the potential for parental embarrassment.
You could say we’re each experiencing a kind of “middle-age.” First there’s my son, Ryan. He’s nine. He’s in the middle years of his childhood, halfway to adulthood. He’s loving this time in his li...
I'm a Stay-At-Home-Mom With an Older Child, What's Next for Me?
This is a submission in our monthly contest. December’s theme is Growth. Growing up I always knew I was "going to be somebody and make something of myself." An obsessive overachiever, I was confide...
Five Workplace Strategies That Totally Work on Your Kids
Having spent years dealing with angry customers and clients, I've seen how some of the same tactics that put out fires in the workplace can help me at home.
I'm Going to Need You to Stop Screaming Now Please
Hi Baby! It's your Papa. How you doing? Not good? Yeah, I can tell. As for me, I’m… well, I’m frustrated. I have a simple request for you: Stop screaming.
Why the Grandparents Can Exercise Their Spoiling-Rights This Christmas
Grandparents love to spoil. It is as part of the job description – especially around the holidays.
This is a submission in our monthly contest. December’s theme is Growth. Change can be hard, especially for parents. A former neighbor (and at the time, soon-to-be mother of five) once explained th...
This is a submission in our monthly contest. December’s theme is Growth. When daughter A was a little I used to read her a book titled "Leo the Late Bloomer" by Robert Kraus. In the book, there is ...
Why I'm Teaching My Kids That "I'm Sorry" Is Not Enough
I now put it upon them to demonstrate, through actions rather than words, that they are regretful.
When Raising Kids Collides With the U-Curve
Knowing about the U-curve can help us let go of the shame and guilt we have for experiencing this dive in contentedness.
Take Back the Night: a Sleep Training Guide for Parents Who Failed the First Time Around
It’s moving day around here, and these kids are moving out of my bed come hell or high water. Here is how I plan to take back the night.
6 Unexpected Skills I Gained Because of Motherhood
This is a submission in our monthly contest. December’s theme is Growth. Some people think that when parents choose to stay at home with their kids, they automatically sacrifice their careers and t...
I want to give her the information she needs. Even if it is painful. Even if it is scary.
Money: There's No Magic Number When Kids Enter the Picture
Before my children came along, money wasn't a major source of stress. But things are different now.
Could Eye Contact With Your Baby Increase Communication Later On?
According to a new study gazing into our infant’s eyes can have a powerful effect on synchronizing our brain activity with theirs.
I Want My Children to Be Selfish
I believe in order for children to become truly unselfish and empathize with healthy boundaries, they have to do the work of tending to their own needs.
Watching My Toddler Grow Is Joyful and Painful
He’ll be three in a few months, and it seems like every day he’s older than the day before. That’s how growing works, obviously, but it’s more than that.
I filled two Hefty bags with the leftover makeup from my mother’s bathroom. Part of me was grateful she no longer needed it.
What It's Like to Parent From Behind Bars
It’s not every day you get to enter a prison and leave an hour later with an inmate’s story imprinted on your heart.
We're Santa-Agnostic, But the Season Still Has Plenty of Magic
There can only be so many years of innocent acceptance before your children have some tricky questions about the big man in red.
When Parenting Gets Tough, Find Someone to Channel
Putting things into perspective is, I have found, the best way to cope when parenting gets rough.