Modern Parents Messy Kids

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Mindful Diapering is a Thing – Here’s How to Do It Right

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Image Credit: © Kristin Sloan | December 07, 2016 at 07:13PM | CC by 2.0 Mindfulness is everywhere these days, so it's really no surprise that it's even made its way to the changing table. But this isn't just a fad. It's a real way to use an interaction that happens multiple times a day to bond with your baby and to learn how he is communicating with you; his moods movements, expressions and - most importantly - his cues. Because every parent knows the more tuned in you are to your baby's … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: The Lessons that Sink In

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One of the big things about being a parent is this idea of modeling good behavior. I mean, we talk about expectations for behavior, and I think that’s important, but then we have to actually put them into practice. Things, like being kind and treating others as you'd like to be treated yourself, are a big deal in our house. Around the holidays, we also talk about giving and the idea that you can experience real joy when you give to others. You’d think that would be a hard concept for kids, … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: When Kids Call Your Bluff

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Sometimes, in my weaker moments, when my three year old (the one going on, like, sixteen) decides now is the time to assert her three feet of independence, I bluff. The trouble is, it’s starting to backfire. Here’s a recent example. “Okay, ready to go? We have to go pick up your bothers and sister at school!” This is an exciting event ninety percent of the time, and she usually hustles to grab shoes and whatever miscellaneous items must accompany her - and there are a lot - but lately, … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: We Suck at Bedtime

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Close to a million hits in less than half a second can’t be wrong - bedtimes are important for kids. And that’s a bit of problem around here, because we suck at bedtime. But we can’t be the only ones, right? I mean, with the exception of my one friend who, every single night, spends a good twenty minutes listening and chatting and reading and, you know, just killing the parenting game with one child while her husband does the same with the other - and then they switch - how many parents … [Read more...]

Back by Popular Demand!! Re-Boot Your Parenting in 1 Hour

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  I don't know if it's just me, but I find that the beginning of a new school year is a great time for a parenting re-boot. Summer's over and we're doing our best to return to our normal routines (and to work on any behavior issues that may have crept up as we've all indulged in lax routines over the past few months). It just seems like the perfect moment to step back and take stock of our parenting techniques (what's working and what's not) as we embark on another year. Which … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: Kids Are Gross

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Last spring, I was soaping up our two littlest in the tub when I felt a bumpy patch on the inside of our then five-year-old’s upper thigh. I took a closer look when I was toweling him off, and saw a group of little red bumps. They didn’t seem to bother him, so I made a mental note and we moved on. But the next time he was in the tub, I felt them again and this time, they were bigger - less like little bumps now, and more like raised, red, pimply-looking warts. Uh, gross. “What are … [Read more...]

Free Printable: First and Last Day of School Questionnaire

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Everyone's kids are back in school now right?! Great- I've got a freebie you'll love. The beauty of this is you don't have to do it on the very first day of school, anywhere in the first month or so will do, so the pressure is minimal! It's a questionnaire your kids fill out at the beginning of the school year and then again at the end of the year. Get the FREE Back-to-School Printable Now! It's such an easy keepsake! No taking pictures and printing them out, no props needed. Just get your … [Read more...]

Parenting Styles: When Kindergarten Nerves Become Kindergarten Anxiety

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On the first, second and third days of kindergarten, my just-turned-six-year-old was a champ. He marched right on in and emerged six hours later, triumphantly on day one, and then a little more wearily as the days passed. Then, on Thursday morning, as we waited for the bell to ring, his sister whacked him straight in the face with the tetherball. And the floodgates opened. “I don’t want to go to school,” he sobbed, wrapping his arms around my thighs. “I miss you too much, and it’s too … [Read more...]

Cleaning House: A Mom’s 12 Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement

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  Don't worry - this is not another book about ridding your life of all excess items. Rather, Cleaning House: A Mom's 12 Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement is a parenting book I first read about three years ago and continue to think about with regularity. As I was reflecting on what I wanted to do with my kids this summer, the book again came to mind as I was thinking about what kitchen skills we really need to start practicing more. Kay … [Read more...]