{Guest Post by Regina Due} As parents, having a second baby is an exciting time where the dynamic of the family shifts. There may be more chaos and less time to think but we expect all of the sacrifices to be worthwhile when we see our children form a strong bond. Sometimes however, this bond does not come as naturally as we wish it to come, because sibling rivalry … [Read more...]
Make Dads Feel Special
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Old Spice (P&G). The opinions and text are all mine. Please view my disclosure. We need to make dads feel special, because dads matter. When I view my work as a stay-at-home as actual work, it gives me value and makes me feel validated in my sacrifice to focus on home. When I feel that I matter, I am … [Read more...]
How Dads Can Connect with Kids
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Old Spice (P&G). The opinions and text are all mine. Please view my disclosure. I do not know any dad who is interested in doing complicated Pinterest-projects with their kids, but I do know a lot of dads who want to be present and important in their child’s life. Since my husband is a military guy, we … [Read more...]
Peace of Mind with a New Baby
This post is sponsored by Owlet Baby Care. All opinions are my own. Please view my disclosure. It was our first night home, my first night to feed and rock him to sleep in our house, and his first night in the crib we spent so much time researching. Our new baby was finally home and he was finally asleep. After settling him into the crib, I just had to stare. My … [Read more...]
Quality Time for Moms and Daughters
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Disney Junior. All opinions are 100% mine. In a house with four kids, I do not often get to spend large chunks of one-on-one time with each child-unless one wakes up at night. The quality time I spend with each of my children happens in small doses throughout our days. I like that we can smile at each other, randomly … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Laid-Back Summer with Kids
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 Heather} I had no idea what being a real adult was like. I was merely playing, practicing for the major leagues before this year. This year was my turn up to bat and-spoiler alert-it wasn’t a fantastic … [Read more...]
How to Deal with Someone who Criticizes Your Parenting
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} It’s never fun to have to deal with someone who criticizes your parenting. It was an exhausting afternoon when an elderly friend questioned my parenting choices. She positioned … [Read more...]
The Seasons of Parenting
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 Heather} The truth is we ALL struggle. Yes, even the woman you bump into at the store who looks put together with her perfect children who are clearly not licking broccoli and appear to listen to … [Read more...]
Teaching Children to Care for Books
It can be nerve-wracking letting your child 'read' books since many pages get ripped, pulled out, and chewed. I tried my best to supervise my children when they were infants and toddlers to help eliminate the need for constant book repair. We keep the board books lower on the shelf so the younger ones can't reach the books with paper pages, but this does not always work out … [Read more...]
Teaching Kids Financial Responsibility
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 Heather} I remember feeling proud I wasn’t the mother who bought her kids something every time we went to the store. (Insert eye roll here.) Imagine my surprise, after a couple of years, when my … [Read more...]
How to Develop a Parenting Partnership
A parenting partnership has taken my husband and me a few years to create. Seeing eye-to-eye has not always been easy. He is a military guy, so we go from parenting together to him not parenting at all for stretches of time. Distance taught us how important it is to create a parenting partnership for our marriage and children. My husband deployed when our oldest was 6 months … [Read more...]
Lessons of a First-Time Stay-at-Home Mom
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 Grace Star} As a mom of two under 2, I remember sitting at my dining room table finally getting a chance to eat some lunch. Manny, my newborn, was taking one of his ten minute naps and Jack, my 19-month … [Read more...]
7 Tips to Encourage Reading and Writing Skills in Young Children
[Guest Post by Janis Cox] With 7 simple tips, you can encourage reading and writing skills in your children. Studies are showing that the earlier children are shown words, the earlier they will make the connection between symbols and language. Early squiggles from children are important – … [Read more...]
Why I Don’t Have Mom Guilt
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 Jaimi} This post contains affiliate links. Please view my disclosure. I get that many of you have deep mom guilt. This guilt about not finding a perfect balance every day, not being able to find joy … [Read more...]
Stop Trying to Make Christmas Perfect
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 Heather} As a young child, I did not have to think about how to make Christmas perfect. The magic I felt during the holiday season was wonderful. There was just this feeling in the air. It wasn't … [Read more...]