Mom's Timeout

I remember the first time my son pulled up in his crib and I was up until midnight that night lowering the mattress position. No need to take unnecessary chances, right? These days, we’re very patiently waiting for our next switch to a toddler bed and I assure you it’s only a matter of time. It’s […]

I’m not sure which is worse – losing the last few weeks of summer to getting ready to go back to school or waiting until a few days before and scrambling around to get everything together. I remember going back to school when I was younger. It was a lot of shopping and saying so long […]

Are you busy? I mean really busy – the kind of busy that results in you being over-worked and exhausted? It seems to be the norm these days. We just keep adding more and more to our to-do lists and then end up stressing ourselves out trying to get everything done. Some of us call […]

C’mon, admit it! You know you did. We’ve all, at one time or another, caught ourselves saying things like “I would never let my child get away with acting like that” or “I can’t believe she’s [fill in the blank with mom fail of choice]” It’s so easy to judge other moms, especially before we […]

Do you remember the nine months you carried your child in utero? What about the year or so you carried your baby who couldn’t quite walk yet? And what about all the time you carried your young child because that’s just what moms do. It’s amazing to think about, isn’t it? There’s is absolutely no […]

How many times did someone tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing as a new mom? Apparently, it’s pretty typical to start receiving loads of unsolicited advice as soon as you find out you’re expecting. I hit my threshold for it long before I even gave birth and it certainly didn’t stop there. After […]

Have you ever wondered what you would tell yourself if you could go back in time – you know, before you were the mama of a toddler? What would you have wanted to know way back then? I wish I would’ve realized just how much more toddlers can get into when they learn to walk. […]

Potty Training is hard. I think it’s one of the hardest things I’ve done as a parent. Potty training requires perseverance and, to a certain extent, it’s beyond your control. It’s messy, it’s time consuming, it’s scary for you and your kid…. There are tons of reasons why potty training is just the worst. That […]

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to parent a child on the Autism spectrum? I work with kids on the spectrum every day and I have tons of respect and admiration for their parents. There are lots of “normal” parenting things that have to be adjusted or just trashed when you have a child […]

Have you ever had a horrible mom day – the kind of day where you seriously want to curl up in a ball and you’re not sure that you’ll ever forgive yourself. Have you ever been so rushed that you overlooked something important your kids were trying to do for you and then felt guilty […]

Communicating with toddlers is hard work. Their verbal skills, while cute, aren’t the best. If your toddler is upset about anything, tired, or hungry… verbal communication pretty much goes out the window. As moms, we quickly learn not to expect a lot of explanation from our toddlers. I’ve quickly become used to troubleshooting my toddler’s issues […]

How did you end up at the point where you’re at now? Was it the plan all along to stay at home or to go back to work? Did you take a look at your finances? Did you read everything that you could possibly get your hands on? I know, at least around here, it […]

Yesterday, I went over the itinerary for our upcoming family vacation with my husband. He groaned as soon as I said the word itinerary. I have to admit, vacations really aren’t the same now that we have kids. I totally understand his exasperation. Before we had kids, my husband and I would take a weekend […]

I love the idea of taking my son out on dates. Fore one thing, it’s a great opportunity to squeeze in some time for just the two of us before the baby comes. Also, it gives me the chance to teach him about manners, being a gentleman, and treat him at the same time. Although […]

Watching our children grow is bittersweet. I love watching my son learn new things. I’m so proud of his growing independence. I miss that chubby little infant a lot though. I miss my little baby each time my son pulls away from a hug or opts not to hold my hand. I miss him when […]

We’re all aware of the gender stereotypes that surround little girls. Why is everything pink and purple? Why is it that little girls can’t play with Nerf guns unless they are purple with butterfly stickers? Gender stereotypes, that’s why. The same sort of stereotypes apply to boys and while not everyone is aware, moms of […]

Sunburn is the worst! The only thing worse than having a red lobster tan yourself is watching your child endure one. Despite taking precautions like wearing hats and sunscreen, children can still become sunburned after a long day out in the sunshine. For this reason, many experts recommend reapplying sunscreen whenever you are playing in […]

I have a picky eater. Oh, do I ever! My son refuses to eat just about anything aside from crackers and cereal. Okay, so that may be a tiny bit of an exaggeration because he does eat applesauce and yogurt, but really? We went out to dinner last night and we tried feeding him just […]

The toddler years are magical and stressful. Toddlerhood is a roller coaster of emotions stuffed into a minimally verbal little body. For us parents, it’s challenging and amazing at the same time. What’s the biggest hallmark of the toddler years? That would be the tantrums. A toddler can throw an epic tantrum like no one […]

Have you ever had someone walk up to you in a public place and tell you that your kids are awesome – maybe not in those exact words, but… you’re standing there questioning this person’s sanity because, at least at the moment, you’re not so sure about that? I know there have been days when […]