My oldest kiddo is in third grade and my youngest is in kindergarten this year. I try to go in and help with their classes whenever I get a chance. I have learned that the most opportunities to do so happen in kindergarten and lessen every year after that. Because I have a flexible work …
Seeing the past, present and future in my 9-year-old
on Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Recently, my daughter and I were out to dinner in between her play practice and gymnastics class. Though we are very protective of our kids’ schedules and let them pick only one extra-curricular activity at a time, the school’s K-12 production of “The Wizard of Oz” has made us change our tune slightly since play …
25 Valentine’s gifts for kids under $20 from Amazon Prime
on Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Valentine’s gifts kids will love that don’t include candy or toys! Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. It helps support my …
Affirmations from kindergarten that we all need to hear
on Monday, February 4, 2019
Last week I was in my son’s kindergarten classroom at the end of the day to bring in cookies to celebrate his birthday with his classmates. He’s my second kiddo in this kindergarten class, so I’ve been in and out of it quite a few times. But last week I heard something I hadn’t heard …
Now is the time to live out your passion!
on Friday, February 1, 2019
When I share my story about my life and career path, I almost always share the first time I remember falling in love with writing. I was in third grade in Mrs. Beach’s class. I wrote a story for fun about how a cow got loose in my suburban neighborhood. And thus set in motion …
Why our children need validation
on Wednesday, January 30, 2019
A couple of months ago, I wrote an article for a publication about Social Security disability benefits for people who have the same bladder condition I do, interstitial cystitis. IC has no diagnostic test for it and is instead a diagnosis of elimination. While we have made much progress through the years, some patients are …
10 tips for planning a fun, simple kid’s birthday party
on Monday, January 21, 2019
My son’s birthday is next week. Boy that comes quick! We’ve been doing some birthday planning around here. I try to work ahead with my kiddos and ask them a month or two ahead of time what theme they have in mind (both have picked themes previously that didn’t have party supplies made commercially and …
How routines make our family happier
on Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Studies abound about the benefits kids glean from having predictable routines at various ages. For example, a 2016 study from The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology found that people who had predictable routines in childhood were more likely to have better time management skills and attention spans in adulthood. Another study back in 2014 in …
Mom brain overload
on Monday, December 10, 2018
I’ve heard of pregnancy brain and how sometimes your brain fails while you’re pregnant. And it’s true. It happened to me a couple of times. I’ve also heard of mommy brain and how sometimes your brain fails while you have babies and are sleep-deprived (and on into, well, forever!). But, there’s also what I call …
11 Parenting hacks to make your life easier
on Friday, December 7, 2018
Being a parent is challenging to the core. It is simultaneously the best and hardest thing you’ll ever do. When I was a kid, I thought my parents had it together, knew what they were doing and knew everything. Now that I’m a mom to of two, I realize that none of us know what …