{Guest Post} Co-Sleeping. That word will either put a fond smile on your face or have you running for the hills. For me, personally, co-sleeping was one of the best things I did as a new mother. Because let's face it: being a new mom is no joke. Between the sheer exhaustion, pain, lack of sleep, midnight (or all night) feedings, diaper changes, … [Read more...]
Helping Kids Focus and Calm Down
This topic of helping our kids focus and calm down is always part of back to school season. We all want our children to thrive each year, and that means helping them learn to the best of their abilities. Actions and emotions of children – and adults – are effected by everything we do and eat. Sleep habits and healthy diet are have a huge impact on helping our kids focus and … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Get Siblings Excited about a New Baby
{Post by Tracy} Our first fur baby and princess pup Zoe was not excited about our twins joining the family. She saw the twins for the first time and looked so surprised. She seemed to think they were 2 little birds sitting on top of the changing table. I was worried she would not adjust to having 2 new babies at her house. Now they love each other. A couple of years later, … [Read more...]
Spend Less Time in the Kitchen for a Balanced Lunch for Kids
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Eckrich Deli Meat. Lunch is a meal of the day where my kids generally get free choice about what to eat. It helps me spend less time in the kitchen so I can sit with them and eat too. Only one child actually likes sandwiches, so we often do a deli tray-style lunch. Call it a kid’s version of a charcuterie board. I use this … [Read more...]
Best Mom Advice
This is a sponsored conversation written by myself on behalf of Luvs at Walmart. All text an opinions are my own. I heard it so many times, I almost started rolling my eyes. “What do you do all day?” As if house, kids, meals, cleaning, laundry and all the rest of the odds and ends of a stay-at home mom’s life just didn’t take up a day's worth of time. The blessing of … [Read more...]
Parenting Hack: 7 Ways to Prevent Summer Slide
This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Please view my disclosure for more info. Kids lose some of what they learned during the school year over the summer. Teachers call it the summer slide, and it happens every single year. Elementary school age children, on average, lose about two months' worth of math skills and one month's worth of reading and spelling over … [Read more...]
Filtering Distraction During Time with our Kids
{Guest Post by Lauren} When I think back to my childhood one of the clearest memories I have is setting up a pretend play grocery store in our kitchen. It’s so vivid in my mind. I can see all the items we pulled out from our mother’s pantry lined up. I see the real printable calculator on the kitchen table. I asked for it for Christmas. I’d pull open one of the … [Read more...]
Dog Care Chore Chart for Children (by age)
{Guest Post by Samantha Randall} Getting your child involved in your dog’s care and training is important for any parent and dog owner. There are a lot of different ways having a dog around improves the life of a child, many of which have been proven in studies. The key factor here is that the majority of those child and dog relationship benefits are dependent on the kid … [Read more...]
The Treasures We Teach Our Children
{Post by Lisa} Why do we focus so much on our failures? Seriously, though. How have feelings of guilt and shame served us? They don’t. Instead they hold us down like a heavy weight and makes us feel defeated. Focusing on the treasures we teach our children can help. Every day we set an example. Parenting is not about doing everything right all the time. We will … [Read more...]
We Have Each Other
My 17 month old did not sleep well, and as I mentioned, my 4-year-old son was up by 6:30am on most mornings. From the moment I get out of bed, it is move-move-move, until bedtime. Tonight I hit the wall. Single parenting is tough. I feel that I have no right to complain. My husband is not even gone for long. Two friends have had babies while their husbands were deployed, … [Read more...]
Teaching Kids to Help at Home
In the past, we had trouble getting our kids to do their chores. I have seen plenty of attitude. I even used screen time to bribe my children. Things started to change when I got sick and tired of doing everything for them. When they couldn’t find a belonging, they thought it was my responsibility to find it. I used to nag, but now I Coach them how to be organized. I was … [Read more...]
Tips for Tantrums
Welcome to Mom Motivation Mondays where weekly contributing writers share their motherhood experiences to encourage you to find the joy in being a mom. {This week: Post by Lisa} No parent is exempt from the wrath of a tantrum, and it’s not unusual to feel totally defeated. Tantrums are a typical behavior for toddlers and three-year old’s. I know how it feels to parent an … [Read more...]