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Technology Makes Me a Hypocrite, and How I’m Changing That

August 10 by Jessica Timmons

Screen Time for Kids - How technology makes me a hypocrite

Image Credit: © Tricia | found here | CC by 2.0 (edited) Every single time I stumble across an article or a post relating to “screen time” and kids, I devour it. First off, I want confirmation (that I rarely get, because everyone must be lying) that I’m not the only parent whose kids get waaaay more than the token thirty-minutes of approved screen time on any given day. It’s not constant, but yeah, I’ve been known to hand over my phone or a tablet so I can focus for an entire 45 minutes. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Jessica, Parenting Tagged With: kids and technology, mom texting, parenting, screen time

Kids’ Birthdays – How to Get Back to Simple

July 27 by Jessica Timmons

How to Get Back to Simple Birthdays - Such a great message here (sounds really fun too!).

In the seven years since we’ve been throwing kids’ birthday parties, the party landscape has lost its mind. I blame Pinterest. Last week was the big first birthday for our youngest, and let’s just say the theme was “simplicity.” It’s a good thing love isn’t measured in mix-your-own trail mix stands or chalkboard signs or carnival themes, because Em had none of that last Thursday. And spoiler – she didn’t care. She didn’t even care about the age-appropriate first birthday gift we gave her … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Jessica, Parenting Tagged With: kid party ideas, kids birthday ideas, parenting, simple birthday parties

Fair Warning – From One SAHM to Another

July 16 by Steph (MPMK Founder)

A Warning: From One SAHM to Another - such a true look at what it's really like to be a stay-at-home mom!

Image Credit: © www.suzette.nu | Raaf playing | CC by 2.0 We've got another parenting story sent in by a reader to share today! I'm so happy you guys are taking this idea and running with it, I can't even tell you. If you'd like to share something, I'd be honored to read it and maybe even post it here - just send me your submission here (more details here). Today Laura is writing about what she's learned during her transition to becoming a SAHM. Her words ring so very true and it's a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Parenting, Uncategorized Tagged With: parenting, SAHM, staying home with the kids, what is it like to be a Stay-at-Home-Mom?, what it's like to be a stay-at-home-mom

How to Have a Successful Family Night for EVERYONE

July 13 by Kristin

Tips for a Successful Family Game Night (or not game night) - My kiddos were being such poor losers during family game night, it was becoming no fun. These are some great tips that really helped us turn it around!

Do you guys do family night? I read in one of my favorite parenting books that it was an important thing to establish early on. You know, promotes communication, sibling and parent/child bonding, will make your kiddos confide in you more when they're older, yadda, yadda. So, we established family game night... And it was awful. There was SO MUCH whining and pouting, and lots of the general mayhem and misery that occurs when a preschooler looses an all-important game of Chutes & … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Kristin, Parenting Tagged With: family fun night, family night, family night for kids, how to create a family night, how to have family night with young kids, parenting, tips for family game night

YES – Four Kids is Crazy

July 5 by Jessica Timmons

YES - Four Kids is Crazy! What it's really like to have four kids - I LOVE this, especially the end... So TRUE!

Jessica is back today with her unique take on parenting as a mother of four and I'm so happy - I always connect with her posts. And, really, I feel like the name of this one could easily be "YES - Three Kids is Crazy" or "YES - {Fill-in-the-Blank} Kids is Crazy" because life as a parent is just general craziness. But I always love to hear about other parents' perspectives, and I find the experiences of parents who have more kids than the three I have to be especially fascinating. Before … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Jessica, Parenting, The grown ups (that's you!) Tagged With: family of six, parenting, parenting four kids, what it's like to have four kids

How Long Did You Wait to Take a Date Night Away From Baby?

June 11 by Jessica Timmons

How Long Do You Wait to Take a Date Night Away from Baby? - So funny (and true)!

Image Credit: © Christopher Michel | Date Night | cropped | CC by 2.0 Jessica is back today for another humorous glimpse into her life as a mom of four. This time she's tackling date-night with her signature wit (read to the end and you'll smile - I promise). I'm curious - how long did it take all of you to finally take a night away from baby? I think it was somewhere around 9 months with M, once he no longer breastfed right before bed maybe? It depends less on the parents and more on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Jessica, Parenting Tagged With: date night for parents, MPMK, parenting, when to start date nights

{Parenting} I Lied to the Pediatrician

May 27 by Jessica Timmons

Do you ever lie to your pediatrician? - I totally do sometimes :/. Such an interesting article!

Image Credit: © Eden, Janine and Jim| Doctor Aunt | CC by 2.0 We've all been there - cruising along, well into yet another well-check appointment for your child when your ped asks about "it". That child-rearing topic (sleep, discipline, vitamins, etc.) that you know you've either been slacking on a little or you just don't completely see eye-to-eye with doc on. So what do you do? Proudly come clean with a "you wanna tussle?" glint in your eye , fudge the truth a bit knowing you've got … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Jessica, Parenting, The grown ups (that's you!) Tagged With: family bed, lying to the pediatrician, MPMK, parenting, sleep training

Parenting: Talking to Kids About Death

April 12 by Jessica Timmons

Talking to young kids about death - I related to this post so much, very well written.

Image Credit: © Dylan Parker |Very Serious - DSC_2926 (Text added) | CC by 2.0 Happy Monday guys, hope your weekend was a good one. We spent ours trying out a new gymnastics class for the 4 year old (soon to be back-to-back with T-ball games for the 6 year old), new Sunday School classes for all three kids, and our first ever family bike ride with all five of us (including the newly 1-year-old in a trailer behind Dad). These new activities mark more than just a change in season for our … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Jessica, Parenting, The grown ups (that's you!) Tagged With: hard questions for parents, MPMK, parenting, talking to children about death, talking to young kids about death

{Parenting} What Am I Doing Wrong?

February 23 by Jessica Timmons

Has your child ever come to you and said they felt unloved (or worse, unworthy of love)? How did you react?

Image Credit: © Natesh Ramasamy | Why Am I in Such a Bad Mood? (text added) | CC by 2.0 I'm so very excited to introduce you to our newest contributor, Jessica, today. She is the mother of  four (yes, four!) little ones and when I read this piece she wrote about her latest pregnancy, I just couldn't help but beg her to come write for us. Jessica will be stopping by every few weeks to share the good/bad/ugly/funny/painful/surprising/amazing/akward parts of parenthood with her own unique voice … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Jessica, Parenting Tagged With: parenting, positive parenting, when your child feels unloveable

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