Today, Priya shares five rules to improve partner communication while reducing guilt, self-doubt, and distraction as a working parent:
Even though I get tremendous satisfaction from having a career, I am hardly immune from the feelings of self-doubt with which many working moms struggle. Do people think I am a bad mom for returning to my career (a 60+ hour a week one at that)? Do my kids love their (stay at home) dad more than me? Am I a bad mom?Today, Priya shares five rules to improve partner communication while reducing guilt, self-doubt, and distraction as a working parent:
Even though I get tremendous satisfaction from having a career, I am hardly immune from the feelings of self-doubt with which many working moms struggle. Do people think I am a bad mom for returning to my career (a 60+ hour a week one at that)? Do my kids love their (stay at home) dad more than me? Am I a bad mom?
Today, Judy (also of Talking Thirty) shares 5 tips to help you maintain friendships during motherhood:
My best girlfriends from high school and college have been there for me through so many of the ups and downs of life that I never anticipated that my recent transition into motherhood would have the potential to jeopardize these friendships. But like many new moms, I have found it challenging to maintain these relationships -- especially with friends who don't have children -- while juggling my everyday responsibilities at home and at work.
Today, PPLM Parent Education Program Manager Amy Cody shares a book recommendation for parents:
After hearing UMass/Amherst sociology professor Amy Schalet speak at a conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy, I was intrigued to read her book Not Under My Roof: Parents, Teens, and the Culture of Sex, which proved to be a fascinating and well-researched analysis of the contrasting ways parents in the Netherlands and the United States typically handle teen sexuality.
For Laurel's first few birthday parties, I assembled fun yet somewhat insane birthday parties -- inviting tons of people, making tons of food, and admittedly not being particularly mindful of the fact that Laurel is overwhelmed by large crowds and that I was putting a lot of unnecessary work on myself. I eventually smartened up, opting for smaller and simpler gatherings. And whether it's a function of my minimalist parenting mindset (as it turns out, birthdays offer an excellent opportunity to work on "do less" practices), the second child phenomenon, or the fact that I'm experiencing discord with one of my siblings, for Violet's birthday, I truly was happy with the idea of celebrating with just our immediate family of four.
Today, Kate shares a fantastic spot to eat (and play) with the kids:
My daughter is now six, which means that she is generally old enough to contentedly make it through a restaurant meal without complaint, provided that the food is not too complicated and the atmosphere not too fussy (crayons can help, too). Gone, happily, are the days when we would ask for the check not long after sitting down and have our meals packed to go before taking more than a bite or two.
Today, Carole Arsenault of Boston Baby Nurses shares 10 tips for negotiating bottle rejection:
Without a doubt, one of the most challenging transitions as a breastfeeding mom (aside from weaning!) can be when you return to work and need to get your baby to feed from a bottle while you're away. You'll want to prepare in several ways, such as pumping and storing milk and introducing a bottle before you go back. But what happens if your baby just refuses to eat from it? Here are 10 tips to help your baby take and get used to a bottle:
Today, Debbie (also of Two Adopt Two) shares tips for celebrating birthdays without birth parents:
Both my kids' birthdays fall during March. It's a fun month, but for our family it also has complications. I'm not talking about making dozens of cupcakes at the same time we're cleaning the kitchen for Passover. I'm talking about the meaning of a "birth" day. We adopted our kids five years ago as preschoolers, so they are celebrating their birth without their birth parents, and they know it.
Jon and I have always been a no-shoes household. Partially due to habit for me and also because I'm all about reducing the need to break out a broom or mop (and of course it's handy when you have orally fixated babies roaming around). Since we have hardwood floors that are freezing in the winter and cool the rest of the year round, slippers are a mainstay. I recently tossed my cheap (and admittedly frumpy) slippers and have been looking for a frump-free replacement. I queried on social media and also perused over a dozen online stores looking for inspiration. Though I hoped to include some under $20 picks, there definitely seems to be a correlation between price and frump factor. Here are 5 frump-free slipper options; some are a little spendy, but the cost per wear would probably work out well if you wear slippers daily.
Today, Paige (also of Mudroom Boston and Make More, Buy Less) shares 5 awesome tips for decorating with mirrors:
When we moved into our house two summers ago, we were presented with an abundance of blank walls. Since the walls of our previous home had been covered with windows and built-ins, we hadn't had the space for a lot of art and other hanging decor. Knowing that we couldn't afford large scale art, I went on a bit of a mirror bender, trying to cover some of the blank space at a lesser cost.
So, what seems like a million years ago, I issued a call for writers. After I issue the call, I admittedly had a moment wondering what I would do if no one responded! Instead, the response was overwhelming -- I was truly honored by the interest, and so happy and inspired to learn about the amazing women who applied to write for Boston Mamas. What a group of rock stars! It took me longer than anticipated to go through the applications because I read every single word and looked at every single website of affiliation. But now, finally, I am so thrilled to announce the new crew!
Today, Jane (also of see jane blog) shares an awesomely compact and clever tech find:
I am obsessed with technology. At the heart of this obsession is my cell phone. Specifically: my iPhone. If you would have told me five years ago that I would put away my DSLR camera in place of my iPhone camera I would have cringed. I would have thought, {gasping} "never!" Yet, the reality is just this: most days I only carry my iPhone, and not just for my phone/email/apps, but because of the camera. I use that baby everyday, all day long -- usually to photograph my family. Which is why when I spotted the photojojo camera phone lenses, I had to order them immediately.
Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) recommends a small book with big meaning:
My children have many, many books. I read them all, but I have a few special favorites. The Ant and the Elephant is one of these. Bill Peet's lovely story speaks of the importance of kindness to all and also of the immense power that is contained in cooperation and goodwill.
Last year I engaged in a quest to find the perfect shade of red lipstick. After I found it (more on that in a second), I reserved the look for evenings, but recently started sporting a red lip periodically for day events. At BlissDom, I decided to rock the red lip every day since my makeup is pretty neutral and I feel more finished with a bold lip. And I was admittedly a little shocked by the result -- I received countless compliments (including people I didn't know stopping me in my tracks!), and also many comments such as "Oh, I could never do that," or "I have no idea how to find the right color." So today, I wanted to share my 5 steps to red lips. Really, I think anyone can pull this off and it looks spectacular!
One of the most stressful parts about Violet's recent state of plague was that for the better part of a week she refused bottles and pretty much all solid food, save occasional bites of cheese and blueberries. The logical part of my brain knew that she would eventually drink and eat again, but I was still concerned about dehydration and getting her some calories, particularly because she was so limp and sad and not herself during this time.
Today, Jennifer (also of Hey Girl Momma Go) shares 12 ideas for winter birthday parties (that go beyond the bouncy castle):
I actually don't mind indoor jumpy houses and long inflatable slides. I have even grown to appreciate the "fun" in large singing mice, cheesy pan pizza, and gobs of tickets that propel out of game machines like a crazy paper adrenaline rush. But as a parent who frequents the kid's birthday party circuit, it is refreshing to switch it up. Here are 12 ideas for kid's birthday parties that are great for the winter season (many are great the rest of the year too!).
It's sort of crazy how things come full circle. Two years ago at BlissDom (incidentally, where I'm headed off to shortly), I had several people tell me I should write a book -- a huge compliment. And at that conference, I actually thought of a book idea -- I was so excited about the idea that I drafted an outline on the plane ride home. But then I couldn't quite take the idea forward. It was a busy year -- I was traveling a lot, I got distracted by another book idea later that year (again, I outlined the concept during the ride home). And then I unexpectedly got pregnant. Which meant another busy year followed.
Last week I hopped onto a chat at The Motherhood about work/life balance. During the chat, I commented about self care being a major part of the balance equation, but that it's important not to stall out due to your own, or other people's, ambitious standards. That very morning, actually, I started a practice of giving myself the gift of at least 10 minutes of self care every day. (And yes, I put "10 minutes" as a recurring to-do in my Outlook since I love crossing off to-do items.) Tomorrow (Friday the 17th) at 1pm EST, I'll be hosting a live chat about the 10 minute challenge. Come share and garner inspiration for how to make self care doable! The chat is text based (similar to posting and commenting on status updates in Facebook); just be sure to create a login at The Motherhood in advance so you can hop right on at 1pm to chat in real time!