Recognition
Posted by Erin
The other day I was caught off-guard by my children. This wasn’t one of those moments when I wasn’t looking where I was going; it was a much more visceral thing. I was running late coming home from work, so my kids were already in the house. As I walked into the door, I got a glimpse of them sitting at the kitchen table doing homework, together. They looked so…well, grown-up isn’t the right term. It was more of a look of maturity. There was no whining. They weren’t arguing. They were just sitting in the same general vicinity, getting down to the business at hand. It was completely bizarre, and utterly stunning. It literally took my breath away, as [...]
History Lesson
Posted by Clair
My daughter has started her state history unit in school. I remember 2 years ago when my son had the same unit. It was fun to talk with him about the rich history of our state. But, what I am noticing is that although it may be the same teacher teaching the same unit, what I am getting out of it at home is quite different this time around.
My son told me all about the role we played in the Revolutionary War. He knew all sorts of tidbits of information regarding forts, weapons, military, etc. He could spout off facts like the state flower, [...]
You Can’t Un-Read That!
Posted by Martha
When my daughter started reading it was a sight to behold: you could see her eyes light up knowing that she now had the key to unlock every word put in front of her. They now have meaning, emotion and they can tell her anything she wants to know. And anything she doesn’t want to know too.
A few years have passed and, while it’s still magic, it has its terrifying moments. It’s hard to shelter a mind that can decode words. She is a voracious reader and has quickly surpassed her grade level which means more mature topics come up in books she is reading. I’ve had to explain the ugly things in life like war, hunger and poverty. I [...]
When Every Minute is Accounted For
Posted by G.I. Jane
Since becoming a mother my life has transformed into a living, breathing schedule. Every minute is accounted for, slots of time have specific activities assigned to them, routines have become critical to maintaining order and each action is pre-calculated.
Gone is a time when days were fluid and free; errands could be run at a moment’s notice, dinner plans could be made while walking out the door and “me” time was all the time.
Here are a few of my examples:
- Talks over dinner often include coordinating calendars;
- Trips to the gym require prior knowledge so one parent knows they are on deck;
- Going grocery shopping involves careful planning to occur during particular hours of the day, preferably after a meal and not too close [...]
Parenting Essentials April Newsletter
Posted by Auntie Em
Check out our April newsletter!
There Goes the Neighborhood
Posted by ErinWe moved recently, and one of the most wonderful parts of the new neighborhood is that it’s full of children. That’s also one of the downsides of the neighborhood. As soon as we arrived, I mean, as the moving truck was still outside, I saw signs that this neighborhood was kid-friendly. Bikes on the lawns, basketball nets, stray balls in random places. As the movers pulled away, the first curious kid wandered over. Since that first day here, not a day has gone by that we haven’t had a visitor, or that I haven’t had to retrieve my kids from random nearby homes to feed them, or put them to bed. One of the things I hadn’t realized is that [...]
He’s a Runaway
Posted by WardRecently, my older son, who is now eight, has been learning to deal with his emotions. He has a tendency to turn small episodes into large emotional outbursts. After talking to friends, I have discovered this is a normal developmental stage that he will outgrow, though not soon enough for me.
Last Saturday, after getting up, I suggested he clean his room and the basement to earn his allowance. After about a half an hour, I go down to the basement and find that he and his brother are playing with their vast Lego collection. I told them that this is not how you earn allowance, and no allowance will be given if the room is not cleaned.
That comment sent my older [...]
Changing Child Care is No Joke
Posted by G.I. Jane
Before I had a child, child care was just one more thing that came with the territory, a necessity for working parents. When I became pregnant, researching and finding child care suddenly became an overwhelming task, but without knowing exactly what to look for or expect it wasn’t real. It was like the empty crib in the nursery – I know what it’s for and it looks pretty but it was just furniture. When I had my daughter, dropping her off at child care became a scary reality. I had to leave my baby…with someone who was almost a [...]Reminders
Posted by ErinAs a single mom, I find myself bearing the majority of the child-rearing heavy-lifting. Occasionally (frequently), I find myself needing a little reminder that there are bigger and more important things in life than the minutiae of motherhood. In fact, I need this reminding so often that I’ve started a note on my iPhone. I thought I would share it, in the hopes that someone else (who is likely scrubbing milk out of the shag rug or cutting the crusts of the sandwiches once again) might benefit.
Children are our future: Yes, this is a song title. But it’s a song title for a reason. Society depends on the propagation of the species, and someone will need to cut the crusts [...]
Moving Day
Posted by Erin
There are few things in life that are more universally loathed than moving. Moving is one of those shared human experiences, regardless of nationality, creed, or political affiliation that brings us all together, in a mutual distaste for utility companies, broken furniture, and cardboard boxes. So it is with much sighing that I find myself moving, yet again. It’s interesting, if you think about it from a sociological perspective, that even though we know just dreadful moving is, that we continue to spend our weekends looking at houses.And that’s how I found myself wearing disposable booties, tromping through crazily decorated living rooms, avoiding yapping dogs, and peering [...]
