Parenting

As we are getting ready to send our kids back to school after a wonderful summer break, I wanted to share a few things that we will do to support them and set them up for success this school year.

The reason time-outs are so effective at modifying childhood behavior is that they briefly take away the most important thing in young children’s lives: attention. Children yearn for the attention of their parents and for physical touch. Your attention and touch are more valued than any bottle, pacifier, lovey, or toy.

Toilet training does not have to be a mystery, and it doesn’t have to be a battle, either. With some basic tips, and most importantly, patience, you can successfully transition your child from diapers to using the toilet.

Becoming a mother is a wonderful, life-changing event. It’s exciting and it can be a lot of fun. But there are a lot of questions that come with caring for baby – this is true whether you’re a first-time mom or it’s been a few years since you last cared for an infant.

Safety isn’t something that a parent wants to think about, but the world can be a scary place, and it’s something that parents need to consider, unfortunately. No one wants to think about going out for a family outing and losing track of a child, or even worse, returning home without their child.

Un-perfect Mom but not unfit… I have never been ordinary, regular, or the same as everyone else. And I was ALWAYS proud of that!! To me, perfection is BORING! And that is most definitely not who or what I want to be.

So what do you do with grandparents, friends, or other family members who mean well but might step on your tender, new parent toes? Here are some tips for setting boundaries with family members after having a new baby.

I am going to age myself here, but I feel compelled to share another memory. When I was a kid, eight or nine years old, I was in a bowling league (at a second-hand-smoke-wafting bowling alley that now serves as a parking lot for a home improvement store) on the west side of Green Bay.

While we knew having another baby was a blessing, we could not deny the feeling of being overwhelmed… Grateful and overwhelmed all at the same time.

I realize I am in the thick of it, and most people would understand if I did not shower, cook, walk, eat, or do anything besides care for these tiny humans.