Back to School Books
For help with back to school transitions, consider these book recommendations from parent educator Hetti Wohlgemuth of Alphabet Soup 4 Parents:
In realizing that the first weeks of school are fast approaching (or have already started for some), and as a firm believer in bibliotherapy, I recently headed to the Lincoln Library children's section to ask about back to school books. I expect to browse through a half dozen titles and instead the librarians handed me a list of over 75 books! I perused the shelves and wanted to recommend four books as superb reading with your elementary school aged child during those trying back to school moments.
Now, the second of two
Today I'll be fielding two
Through my role here and as
One of the things that is so sweet about Laurel is that she is so people focused. When she was a toddler, if a friend at day care was crying, she would toddle over and pat them on the back to try to make them feel better. On Sunday she
During April vacation, I posted a series of ideas to help
Laurel's
Today, parent educator
When I'm hanging out with my mama friends, talk invariably turns to work -- whether it's current work, past work, or potential future work. And wherever you are on that spectrum, if you're in need of inspiration or some brainstorming help, consider investing a day exploring the options at the
Given that I spent the majority of my childhood free time toy-free and playing outside, I have always been concerned about curbing material excess in Laurel's life, and aware of how important it is for her (and us) to be active outdoors. I thus was happy and honored to be invited to be part of the National Wildlife Federation's Founding Mothers, a group of women writers who will work to mobilize families outdoors in partnership with the NWF's
Today, parent educator
This time last week I was at
Between recently watching the PBS
My friend
Apologies for my reduced posting this week, but, save a couple of brief
This past weekend I finally had a chance to view PBS’s program
Today, from parent educator
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Jennifer James is one of the first bloggers I met in real life, through the inaugural
November is
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Finding age appropriate ways to have tough conversations with kids can be challenging, and if you need help addressing the topic of cancer with your child,
Today, parent educator
So much of parenting is about modeling behavior. And though Laurel is a ways away from having her own phone, I know she is well aware of my phone and my behavior with it. And this is what the
Today,
I didn’t plan on this being sexual health education day, but it seemed only fitting to follow my
This past summer I responded to an invitation to submit an idea for an episode of
In light of September being National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, today,
Laurel has always been a creature of habit. Her within-day care class transitions always were hard so I thought I was ready for a challenging transition to kindergarten. Turns out I wasn’t prepared for the impassioned sobbing of “I don’t want to go to kindergarten, I want to stay home with you!” (both awake and even in her sleep one night), the magnitude of her distress at drop off, or heart wrenching comments such as “Mommy, you’re so smart you could teach me everything I need to know. PLEASE let me stay home with you.” Not surprisingly, we’ve been scrambling to cope; I wanted to share tactics that have been effective for us this week, plus some great suggestions I received from folks via
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My writing has taken me down memory lane recently, and I wanted to share two external posts that are relevant for parents, regarding the lessons we learn and pass on to our kids. I guest posted today at the
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In response to an invitation to submit an idea for an episode of
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This past Saturday was remarkable in that: a) Laurel happily attended a drop-off playgroup with a group of kids she largely was unfamiliar with (she tends to turn reticent around strangers, even little ones); and b) the playgroup essentially was organized and hosted by a 9-year-old (supervised, of course). This concept was fantastic for several reasons: it offered the families of the young guests a means for socialization and separation, it provided a way to teach an older kid about responsibility and earning money, and it gave me food for thought as I mull how we’ll handle the whole new ball game that will be kindergarten, with its vacation stretches and early school pick up days.
I’ve palpably felt the heat of fireworks in the blogosphere lately, no doubt due at least in part to reactions to a certain family reality show, the tension that can come from stratifying moms via
Last night I visited WGBH for a preview of
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being in on an
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Once upon a time I was financially savvy. My checkbook was perfectly balanced, I paid off my school loans well in advance, and I did my own taxes. Then as the years passed and Laurel entered our lives, it was all about divide and conquer; I focused on domestic jobs and Jon took over the finances. And then one day I realized I was an independent businesswoman absurdly paralyzed by the prospect of dealing with my finances.
I’m thrilled to introduce new contributing writer
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Today, parent educator
Planning a homebirth? Today,
Welcome to
Let go of mom guilt with 
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Today,
After posting about
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It’s been a crazy, crazy week, but apparently there’s always time to surf. Here’s what caught my eye around the web this week, in my 2nd edition of Love These Links!, where I share clever, resourceful, thought provoking, and/or hilarious links that I think would be of interest to the fabulous readers who peruse Boston Mamas. Enjoy!
My husband recently returned from 10 days in Mexico, and while I realize that many families are split up for far longer stretches, this was a big deal for us. Prior to Jon’s departure, I prepped myself by revisiting and gleaning ideas from the
Pursuant to my previous post on
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One of my favorite perks of traveling in creative circles is meeting truly inspired and amazing innovators, and I was honored when Melissa Massello and Meghan Udell - the savvy and stylish local brains behind
Opportunities can emerge in unexpected ways, and shortly after
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This Sunday is Grandparents Day, and whether grandparents are near or far, there are many simple yet meaningful ways to express your appreciation for these beloved family members. Here are my 10 favorite ways to honor grandparents, for this weekend and beyond.
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
In my unofficial role as green parenting guru, I was pleased to provide a guest column on
On a regular basis, I begrudge the absurd amount of time and energy we spend on grocery shopping. To get everything we need, we typically hit 3-4 stores, and I have talked to countless moms who share this inefficient routine. So when
I love conducting interviews via
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Following
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
Today,
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
A local reader recently
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Last week I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Melissa Kotlen Nagin, a certified lactation consultant and About.com’s
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
I realize that there’s a time and place for tighty whities, but
And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:
As joyful as it is to parent children as they become increasingly communicative and independent, those developments also can, at times, test even the most patient parents. For those who feel as if they’re running on fumes, head to Lynn Lyons and Christine Cook’s
Today,
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