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!

The 2016 MPMK Gift Guides are Here!!

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How great would it be to get all of your Christmas shopping done ahead of time this year AND to feel confident your kids are going to love their gifts and keep returning to play with them again and again? I've got some HUGE news today friends! Drum roll please...   The 2016 Toy Gift Guides are here!   In case you're unfamiliar with our famous gift guide collection, this is not your average roundup of a few of our favorite things - Oh no. This is an incredibly extensive … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: How We Accidentally Became a No-Devices-For-Kids House

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My husband and I did something capital C crazy a few weeks ago, completely on a whim. No parental strategy, no thoughtful discussion weighing pros and cons. Nope, he just made a passing comment about how our kids’ screen time on their various mobile devices – a few hand-me-down iPhones and a Kindle received as a Christmas gift last year – drove him up the wall, and I agreed. So we rounded everything up and stashed them all away. It’s crazy to me that taking away mobile devices is a crazy … [Read more...]

Round-Up: 9 Best Educational Apps for Your Kids

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Image Credit: © Stephanie | Smart Kid and the Smart Phone | CC by 2.0 When it comes to screen time, I want only the best for my kids. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time to research the mountain of supposedly "educational" apps and websites available. Luckily, today we have an expert here to guide us all. She's a tech journalist as well as a mom and she's researched this topic.. A LOT. Psst - Don't miss her two recommendations below for websites that teach kids to code too! Hint: … [Read more...]

Quiet Time Activities Perfect for Getting Kids to Calm Down for Bed

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Image Credit: © Suzette Pauwels (text added) | 01.09.11 | CC by 2.0 Today I have something uber useful for you guys - a bedtime post from Jillian of A Mom with a Lesson Plan (a great site you really should check out if you're not already familiar). I've posted Jillian's game-changing, quiet-time-before-bedtime idea on MPMK's facebook wall a few times and have always gotten a huge response. Today she's here to expand on the idea and share her favorite pre-bedtime quiet activities broken … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: Competitive Sports for Kids? Not in Our House.

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Ah, kids and sports- who knew before becoming a parent they could become so all-consuming so early on?! If there's one thing I've learned, though, it's that there are flexible options to be found. For example, in the spring we are all in with Little League- my second grader will have 90 minute practices twice a week along with a game every Saturday that will take up several hours. Because I know this is coming, I like to keep a lighter schedule the rest of the year. That means we look … [Read more...]

Parent Hack: The Secrets to Streamlining Your Toddler’s Bedtime

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Image Credit: © Suzette – www.suzette.nu | jumping | CC by 2.0  I'm so excited to have our guest poster, Hadley, with us today because I know if there's one thing all parents universally struggle with- it's sleep! Hadley is a certified sleep consultant who works with exhausted moms and dads across North America and Europe to get their kids' sleep back on track.  The tips she provides below could not come at a better time for me, as we have seriously let our 2-year-old's bedtime routine … [Read more...]

A Perfect Way to Volunteer with Young Kids (And Help New Moms in Need!)

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We talk a lot here about doing our best to raise kids who aren't entitled. Yet, one of the things I struggle with most is finding good ways to get my young children involved in volunteering. From soup kitchens to neighborhood road clean-ups, there just aren't a lot of opportunities that my kids (ages 2, 6 and 7) are old enough for yet. If you find yourself in the same predicament, I've got some great news. Next week is Diaper Need Awareness Week (September 26 - 30, 2016) so we’ve … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: When You Know You’re Done

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Last night, we went to the tenth anniversary bash of some old friends. One of the other guests had her baby in tow, a classic Gerber baby but with no hair and no teeth. She was all drooling smiles and wide eyes and baby perfection. I rubbed her warm, silken little head and played peekaboo, and then I watched as she turned the full force of her attention to my husband. He smiled and wiggled his fingers and did all the things that come so naturally to the guys who have been there, done that, … [Read more...]

Back-to-School Must-Read: The “Me, Me, Me” Epidemic

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You guys know I've been a long time fan of positive parenting expert Amy McCready. My family has used her positive parenting eCourse for years and we've collaborated several times to offer free webinars on positive parenting topics like getting kids to listen without nagging or yelling (look for our next free webinar coming next month). Last year Amy released a brand new book: The Me, Me, Me Epidemic: A Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Capable, Grateful Kids in an Over-Entitled World I was … [Read more...]