Want to whip up a healthy lunch in a flash? This light and fresh kale salad is super easy and extremely delicious. Did I mention the homemade …[Read More...]
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Brooke Burke: I Dare You To Take This Test (ModernMom Report Card)
Are you making the grade? Are you willing to be held accountable for your actions? In honor of back to school, let’s give our children credit for developing new responsibilities and buckling down. We expect a lot from our children and rewards and consequences are a common topic of discussion. As we define our expectations of our children, have you ever considered …[Read More...]
15 Things You Should Give Up to Be a Happy Parent
You want to be a happy parent—but your countless responsibilities make this goal challenging! Don’t lose hope just yet. I have a list of 15 things that keep you from happy parenting. Read through them. Be honest with yourself. Then let them go. Allow yourself to be a happy parent for your child—and yourself! Here’s a list of 15 things you should give up—and then watch …[Read More...]
10 Things Happy Moms Do Differently
"Today's feminism isn't about women doing it all. It's about women NOT having to do it all." - Gloria Steinem I began buying into the myth of "doing it all" at an early age. In my 20s, I had my checklist life in mind: start a lucrative career right after college, meet someone and fall in love, get married by age 30, get my career to a successful enough point that I …[Read More...]
It’s Ok To Let Our Kids Settle For “Good Enough”
When it comes to my kids, one of the things that stresses me out is this whole idea of “specializing.” Since my daughter was four or five, I've watched as many of her friends have streamlined their focus on piano or guitar, on club soccer or volleyball teams, on ice skating or acting or singing or swimming or tennis or dance. The stakes seem to get really high really …[Read More...]
Back to School Safety Tips for Younger Kids
TGIS – Thank Goodness It’s (almost) September! Parents rejoice, children groan. No matter how you feel about the end of summer va-cay, it’s definitely time to start gearing up for the start of a new school year. So, in between shopping for endless supplies (do I really need to buy more glue sticks?!) and the latest must-have fashions, take a few minutes to review some back …[Read More...]
Learning About Strangers – Educating Our Children Without Scaring Them
What provoked this “talking to strangers” conversation with my children? It was months ago when a high risk pedophile moved about a mile from our family. The man charged had kidnapped a child and harmed him. As a community we were scared and upset. We started petitions to help tighten Vermont laws that allowed these offenders into our state and neighborhoods. They …[Read More...]
What My Special Needs Nephew Has Taught Me About Confidence
This post is sponsored by Mirum, but opinions expressed are my own. My nephew is one of the most inspirational kids I know. Well, actually, the most inspirational young man I know (he's 16). I only met Brandon 4 years ago when I reconnected with my birth family after 34 years. The day I met him I knew he was special. Unique in his own way, the fact that he is special …[Read More...]
10 Ways To Help Your Child Become A Better Writer
If your kids are like mine, they don't take well to their parents giving them advice on much of anything -- academics, athletics, you name it. In many ways, I am thankful for this. My kids are independent and have learned to do their homework on their own. But writing is a different story. But I had to step in recently to help my middle-schooler with a term paper that …[Read More...]
‘Digital Heroin’ and Kids: A Problem With Manageable Solutions
The Problem: Sitting on my friend’s porch this past weekend, I was thrilled my kids (ages 3.5 and 5) were playing outside soaking it up with a group of new kids. Since mine were the youngest of the bunch, I kept a safe distance until I saw a commotion. When I walked over to see why all ten kids were clambering up the play set, I noticed the two fourth grade girls had …[Read More...]
Kissing Kids on the Lips: Fine or Not?
I recently read an article that says that parents should not kiss their babies on the mouth, because it can be "sexual" or "stimulating." Well, look at this: Here is why I think this is fine. And not just me, plenty of other people think it's fine, too. People are hypocritical. In this article, a woman says that kissing …[Read More...]
Childhood Cancer – Fear Unlike Anything You’ve Ever Known
We partnered with Northwestern Mutual on this post. We had what many would see as the perfect life. Married with two young boys. A beautiful rural home with picturesque views and the calming peace that nature can bring to a person. The biggest nuisance we had to deal with was the morning sickness that I was experiencing after finding out only weeks earlier …[Read More...]
The Stranger You Know: How to Spot a Child Molester’s Tricks
Do you think you would be able to tell if a sexual predator was using deceptive “grooming techniques” to gain access to your child? In many instances, the red flags can practically be under our noses. Yet often, parents who learn that their child has been victimized will share the same reaction… “I had no idea… He was so nice… He didn’t look like a molester.” FACT #1 - …[Read More...]
Six Reasons to Have Six Kids
When people hear that I have six kids, the reaction is usually entertaining. Sure, there are some days when I wonder what I’ve gotten myself into, worry about the world they’ll inherit, and/or consider the environmental footprint of a family like mine. But most of the time I just celebrate how awesome it is to have six kids. Here are a few reasons why: 1. It’s …[Read More...]
Warning Signs During Late Pregnancy
As your body nears the end of your pregnancy, your mind will turn to the practical matters that need to be completed before your baby makes her arrival into your family. Preparing the nursery, the nesting instinct of cleaning your home and making lists of things to do and people to contact when your labor begins all help take your mind off the changes in your body and …[Read More...]
Bullies Don’t Take Summers Off
You’d think that once school ended, kids would get a break from bullying. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Bullies don’t take the summer off. In fact, many things that are hallmarks of summer are what can set up kids for being bullied which can take things from bad, to worse. Many places that kids hang out during the summer become a prime place for bullying: whether it …[Read More...]