Modern Parents Messy Kids

We're all about finding ways to make family life better while keeping our sense of humor. Check out our famous MPMK Top Toy Awards, already viewed over 7,000,000 times!

Do You Know The “Right” Way to Hug Your Child?

by

One of the things I have loved, loved, LOVED about being momma to baby M are the pre-nap snuggles. My third baby is the only one who truly loves to snuggle with me. Even as infants, S and C would wiggle in my arms as I rocked and sang to them before nap. They weren't upset, they just wanted to look around - at the room, at the fan, even at me. They were never fully relaxed enough to snuggle up as I had envisioned they would. Eventually I came to terms with it, figuring that's just how … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: When You Get in the Car & Drive Away Without Me

by

Today's 'Parenting Styles' post could not resonate with me more. Our youngest son, M, will also have his first drop-off experience this fall... and I'm so anxious. Like you wouldn't think a mama going through it for the third time would be. The thing is, the baby of our family is used to being just that- the baby. He's used to being doted on and constantly surrounded by siblings and parents. This fall not only will his beloved sis (and best bud) be leaving him in the dust as she heads off … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: The Child Who Worries

by

I’ve written before about my oldest son – smart, athletic, a total slob – he’s an interesting little dude. He fits the mold of the first born in many ways, and maybe that’s also why he doesn’t handle stress particularly well. He’s nine, and he’s a worrier. And I’m not talking about school worries, or do-you-think-I’ll-be-able-to-get-my-grappling-tip-today worries. These are big-time worries, the kind that make kids grow up way too fast. My son tells me things like, “I’m worried that I’m … [Read more...]

27 Must-Know Tips for Happy Family Travels

by

If there's anyone that's qualified to write about how to travel with kids, it's our talented contributor Kaley. She's currently living in Vienna, Austria with her husband and two little girls and "on a mission to see as much of Europe as possible before heading back stateside". Her blog is full of gorgeous photographs of her family's travels to places like Berlin, Slovakia, and the Netherlands. She also shares lots of smart tricks she's learned along the way, including how to make a DIY … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: It’s Not Just About the Makeup

by

Our latest Parenting Styles post from our contributor Jessica is on a topic I haven't quite breached with my daughter, but likely will soon. So I'm so interested in her perspective as well as what you guys think! How do you convince a seven year old to enjoy being a kid? That it all goes by in the blink of an eye, that before she knows it, she’ll be a teenager, and then a college student, and then her 20s and 30s will blur past? Because my daughter wants to be older. … [Read more...]

Potty Training Know-How: Top 5 Dos and Don’ts

by

  I'm about to start potty training my youngest child. And I'd be lying if I said I was excited about it. All I remember from last time was the amount of stress involved. And cleaning up accidents. So many accidents. Before I started the process this time, I decided it would be wise to go back over my notes. (Yes, I kept notes. Nerd alert.) I realized even though this isn't my first rodeo, I can't just jump in blindly. So I took some time to think about what worked, and of … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: My Son is a Slob

by

I adored this latest submission in our 'Parenting Styles' series- because this is TOTALLY me!  It's taken a long, long, LONG time but I've finally realized that being such a big believer in teaching my kids to do for themselves means that it's not going to be done up to my standards. And that's ok. In fact it's as it should be. I've finally realized it, but living it and being cool with it is something I'm still working on. Every. Single. Day. The struggle is real people. Here's Jessica with … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: Preschool Deal-Breakers

by

Image Credit: © Jason Lander | Play date | CC by 2.0 It's that time of year again when parents of preschool-aged kids have to lock-in their decision about what kind of school their kids will (or won't) be attending next year. While our journey has been a lot different than today's contributor, (between them, my kids have attended play-based, religious, secular, outdoor, and montessori preschools). One thing I can definitely relate to is the surprise at having to wrestle with the decision … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: She’s Six. She’s Not Your Girlfriend.

by

I think you're really going to enjoy this installment of our column, Parenting Styles. It resonated so much with me and what I've experienced this year with both my 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. I've found that it can go both ways as far as unwanted attention and it's something parents don't seem to know how to address... Something happened a few weeks ago, and I’m still mulling it over. My daughter, a first grader, invited us to her classroom presentation, some goats and trolls … [Read more...]