Browsing Category: Parenting

I Hate Potty Training – Let’s Be Honest, It’s Crappy

I Hate Potty Training - Let's Be Honest, It's Crappy

I have a list of blog posts I plan to write one day. When ideas pop in my head, I try to write them down. Sometimes I brainstorm blogs to write for the month. Either way, there’s a blog post that has been on my list forever. It was titled “How I potty trained my kid”. In some versions of the proposed title, I combined it with my interest in early childhood development, “How I potty trained my kid, and helped her learn to read” or “Additional skills learned while potty training”. Other times, I thought I could help other moms with titles like “I potty trained my kid and you can too” or “The no-stress way I potty trained my kid”. But the reality is, I hate potty training and it’s awful.

Every kid is different. I say this as a reminder to me and to you. The kid who is an amazing sleeper might refuse to eat anything other than mac and cheese or breadsticks. A great eater might decide not to walk until 18 months. The fabulous running, walking, talking kid might take forever to potty train. In the end, they all get there, but your life as a parent will vary quite a bit depending on which elements end up being a hurdle for your kid. Continue Reading

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Comment Child Development, Parenting, Rambling

Second Baby Answers – Our decision about baby #2

Second Baby Answers

(Photo credit: Becca Gutierrez with Rusty Metals Photography  // @RustyMetalsPhotography) 

I’ve written about this question a couple times. First I wondered when we should start thinking about a second baby, and then I went on a whole ramble about second baby questions and concerns. The reality is, that there is no right answer. I know that some people dream of having large families while others never want kids. Some people fall into second pregnancies while others struggle to conceive once. We were going to wait until Harley was three to even have the conversation, but I sorta jumped the gun with Dean, which ended up being a good thing.

I promise I’ll share more with you below, but the main thing that I took away from the conversation and reaching a conclusion about it is realizing how big the topic was becoming in my head. Did I want another baby? If so, when? And what about all the worries and concerns? Even when I was busy with other tasks, I’d find myself thinking about a baby, or not a baby, or the impact it would have on our family, and how much time did I have left, and what impact it would have on my body. Well, now we have a decision, and it feels like a weight has been lifted. Continue Reading

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Comment Parenting, Pregnancy

Develop a kid’s inner scientist – A week in LA with a toddler

A week in LA with a toddler

LA has never been my favorite city. Maybe it’s because I grew up in NYC and there’s some east coast vs west coast rivalry ingrained in me. Maybe it’s because it’s a driving city instead of a walking city. Or maybe it’s that ridiculous pollution that meant I always got sick on every visit I made there. I’d been to LA numerous times for work, and while I had found parts that I liked about it, it simply wasn’t my favorite place.

But the hubster’s best friend is from Iceland (the same one who went with us to Knysna), and he gave us a list of cities where we could rendezvous, and LA was the one we could drive to that seems intriguing. So we agreed to a week in LA to hang out, catch up, and maybe take in some of the sights. Of course our almost 3-year-old was along for the ride. I searched every guide I could find on the internet, claiming to have the best places in LA for a toddler. We went to most of them. So now, here’s MY guide on the best things to do for a week in LA with a toddler. Continue Reading

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Comment Parenting, USA

3 Tips for Reading to Your Kid

3 Tips for Reading to Your Kid

(Photo credit: Lauren Iwen with Lauren Iwen Photography // @LaurenIwen)

The benefits of reading to your kid for 10+ minutes every day abound. There’s been a ton of research into this topic, but one of the clearest indicators for me was this study into kids read to between ages 4-5. When parents read to these kids for 3-5 days per week it was equivalent to the child being 6 months older in development, and reading to them 6-7 days a week pushed that to being a year ahead in development. Children are more likely to succeed in school, be able to spell their names sooner and even count to 20 earlier. But, only a little over half of the population reads to their kids every day.

I know that we all set out with the best intentions. We want to give our kids the best chances in life, but sometimes it’s hard to know the best way to do that. Reading to your kid is guaranteed to help them, but how do you even start? Here are my top 3 tips for reading to your kid, but you can get even more advice with more detail for any age by signing up for my newsletter – you’ll get a free printable with more information and advice for reading to your kid at any age. Continue Reading

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Comment Child Development, Geek, Parenting

5 ways I’ve put my kid in danger in the car – You might have, too

5 ways I've put my kid in danger in the car - You might have, too

Two years ago, I joined up with #CarseatFullstop. I was inspired by Mandy’s passion for the project and wanted to help save a kid’s life. I figured that parents just didn’t know better. You know, like I obviously already did.

Harley always rode in a car seat. ALWAYS. But part of being in this campaign means that I’ve learned even more. I thought that I was always doing everything needed to keep Harley safe, but I was actually wrong. I’ve done a number of things that could have been catastrophic. I’m not telling you this as some form of guilty self-flagellation, but to hopefully help you to not make the same mistakes that I have. Continue Reading

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Comment Parenting, South Africa, USA