My daughter is about to graduate from sixth grade. Shes transitioning from elementary school to middle school. Personally, I dont think this requires a whole lot of fanfare. Maybe there could be a class party, maybe the sixth graders might get a little extra space in the yearbook. Perhaps there could be some sort of assembly.On my last day of elementary school (in fifth grade), all of the fifth graders were given …
A Letter To My Son, About Being A Little Brother
To my sweet boy,Im just going to come out and say it: it sucks to be a younger sibling. I cant say I know how you feel, because as a firstborn, I have never been in your shoes. But I remember how I used to treat my little brother, and I wouldn’t have traded places with him for anything. As your mom, my heart breaks for you every time that your …
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 fast – weekend tournaments in Las …
Who Can’t Make A Simple Sheet Ghost Costume? (Me.)
One of the most important things I know about myself is that I am a creative person, but I am not a crafty person.
I Want a Third Child, Except, I Really Don’t
Something strange has been happening to me lately: I keep thinking I want to have another baby. Except, I dont.
My Daughter Thinks I’m Mooching Off “Daddy’s Money”
A few nights ago, I had an OMG moment with my daughter. Not OMG like, OMG, she did something horrible. This was more of an “OMG, is that what she really thinks?” kind of a thing.
My Son’s, Um, Interesting Idea Of Where Babies Come From
When my daughter was five, she starting asking questions about how babies are made. How does a baby get in a mommy’s tummy? How does a baby get out of a mommy’s tummy? I’d been to several parenting talks by various experts, who all gave the same advice: answer the question asked, and only the…
My Son is Bad at Sports
You hear all the time about how hard it is to be a girl in our society, and with all of the body image issues, the mean girls and the sexualization of just about everything, it surely is.
From Trader Joe’s to Spanx, 12 Small Things I’m Thankful For
I love Thanksgiving. Its definitely my favorite holiday of the year. Aside from the fact that the food is really good, I like it because a) it doesnt require me to buy gifts for anyone, and b) school, practices, games and activities are all canceled, which means that I dont have to drive carpool – anywhere – for four entire days. Ahhh.
Mom Guilt For All The Wrong Reasons
Aside from love, I think that guilt is probably the strongest, most universal emotion that parents experience. We feel guilty from the time our babies are born, about everything: for not breastfeeding long enough, for leaving them on a Saturday morning to go to the gym, for going back to work, for letting them watch TV, for keeping them in a wet diaper for too long, and on and on and on.