I homeschooled my boys for years and have always caught flack for it. However, the one group of people who rarely criticized my decision were other parents with school-aged children. More often than not, they seemed to feel compelled to offer an apologetic explanation for why they weren’t homeschooling their own kids. Why? Because they were well aware that we live in a world where … Continue reading Jiu-Jitsu for the Bullied
This article about decision fatigue gives a very interesting account of how we make decisions and why making a decision can be so mentally tiring. I’m glad to see it because the one thing that my kids do which is more likely to make me blow a gasket than anything else is ask questions from morning to night: “Can you make pancakes for breakfast?” “Can … Continue reading Why Moms Like Wine So Much!
The other day I was scolding my girls for their habit of changing their clothes multiple times a day. The laundry! Sophia replied, “if we were real princesses, we could do it.” “You’re not that kind of princess, honey,” I explained, “if you were that kind of princess, a maid would be doing the wash. Instead, the queen has to do it and she is … Continue reading The Laundry!
From Parenting Magazing – 7 Discipline Mistakes All Moms [And Dads!] Make: 1. We’re too negative. 2. We expect too much from our kids. 3. We model behavior we don’t want to see. 4. We intervene when our kids simply annoy us. 5. We’re all talk and no action. 6. We use time-out ineffectively. 7. We assume what works for one kid will work for … Continue reading Normal Mistakes – pass it on!
I did a little research about the going rate for the services I provide for a family our size in the area I live in and I also looked at Denver Concierge’s affordable maid service to have a comparison. So, here’s my version of one of those “how much does it cost to replace a stay-at-home-mom?” lists that comes out every year around Mother’s Day: Full time, … Continue reading My husband can’t afford me!
Quite a few people I know have toddlers, so I’ve been meaning to pass on how to make yogurt at home rather than pay ridiculous prices for organic, whole milk yogurt. It’s shockingly easy (and it’s not just for babies!). So . . . from the New York Times Curious Cook column: To make yogurt, first choose your starter yogurt. If no one offers you … Continue reading Making Whole Milk, Organic Yogurt
I’m pretty sure I’ve had this before, but it never got bad enough for me to seek treatment. It never occurred to me that it was a mom thing – I just figured I had done something to my hand. Who knew? The dangers of being a mommy! Continue reading Mommy Thumb?
Today I was reading through a fairly fluffy article offering advice to parents of teens. (Because with two teens in the house and a whole lot of future teens coming down the pipeline I need all the help I can get!) In the middle of this fluffy little article, I found the best parenting advice I’ve read all year. In the for-parents-of-teens version it goes: If … Continue reading The best parenting advice I’ve heard all year!
Interesting story in the NY Magazine this weekend about how praising kids harms and sometimes helps them. Much of the research about praise isn’t new to those of us to pay attention to such things, but for many people the reality of how praise can help and harm kids runs counter to what we’ve been taught to believe. The first thing that researchers have discovered … Continue reading All Praise the Kids?
OMG. I had an awful bad mom moment this morning. I signed my 13 year old up for a two day camp where he will learn to canoe. For whatever reason, I had it all set in my head that it was an overnight trip. So we packed PJs and a sleeping bag and headed out this morning to drop the boy off. On the … Continue reading My terrible mom moment of the day
The Upside Down World 