Who could deny this face? And don’t judge our nutrition choices. You know you are.
There are few things that give me the “oogies” more than cutting cardboard. And by “oogies,” I mean that nails-on-chalkboard shiver that shoots up your spine and causes your head and shoulders to shudder with disgust. (The sound of someone hocking a loogie and/or vomiting are equally offensive to me. In fact, I nearly couldn’t type that without becoming ill. Excuse me…I’ll be right back.)
When my daughter approached me with an empty oversized cereal box the other day, and asked me to “cut a hole in it so she could pretend she was on television,” I immediately grabbed a knife and started hacking away. After all, it was an awesome idea, and the fact that she said “television” instead of …
(Image from http://blogs.villagevoice.com)
“Those are fake. Wonder how much she paid?”
“That’s nasty, she needs to put some clothes on.”
“Can you believe her? Barely divorced for two months, and already hooking up with some other guy!”
I’ll bet money you’ve made a comment like one of those above (or worse) in front of your kids. I know I have. Don’t think that’s true? Listen to yourself the next time you’re watching TV, listening to the radio, or scanning Facebook.
In this modern world, snark (making a snide remark) is king (or queen). After all, snark makes us sound clever. Who doesn’t want to sound clever? I can’t help but wonder, though, if our “snark society” isn’t only adding fuel to the bullying fire that’s ravaging our children. And moms, I think we’re more to blame than anyone.
Women are …
What’s one of the most loving things you can do for your children? Show yourself some love!
Today, I had to say something very difficult to my daughter. While I wholeheartedly believe it needed to be said, I could barely let the words escape my lips.
You see, my daughter has been going through somewhat of a “princess” phase lately. Despite our best efforts to divert her attention elsewhere, it’s hard to stop the pink train. So, we’ve decided to let her ride, but with our supervision and guidance along the way.
Lately, she’s been obsessed with wearing dresses. “Princesses don’t wear pants!” Ugh. This morning, she said something to me that made my heart break a little. Frustrated that she wasn’t able to put her necklace on “just right,” she sneered at me, “You’re not pretty! …
Awhile back, I shared my feelings of helplessness and frustration when my super strong-willed toddler threw the Mother of all Meltdowns. Since then, I’ve decided to really focus on identifying situations which might set her off again, and try to create a positive environment for her. Here are some things I tried, which have been fairly successful so far. I should preface these tips with this disclaimer: I am by no means a parenting expert. In fact, there are times when I’m so awkward in public with my kids that people probably don’t think they’re mine.
She loves helping me cook! Maybe she’ll take over on making meals someday.
1. Ask them to help. Chances are, they would love to help you with mundane tasks, like putting detergent in the washing machine, clearing the …
It’s hard to imagine that these gorgeous girls could ever go through an awkward period. But I sincerely hope they do.
Believe it or not, this is actually a prayer I’ve offered for my daughters. Strange? Maybe. Genius? Definitely.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wish for them to be permanently awkward (although I would love them no less). Rather, one of my greatest hopes for them is to suffer through a few awkward years, and survive. The key word there is survive. I don’t want them to be scarred, or cope with their awkwardness through immoral, illegal, or otherwise dangerous behavior.
Let’s face it, life is easier for pretty people. Right or wrong, those with symmetrical faces, straight teeth and lustrous hair seem to sail through life a bit more easily. Studies have even proven that …
I love spending all day with this gap-toothed smile. 🙂
Yesterday, I shared what was on my heart about the underbelly of being an at-home mom (The Downside of the Domestic Life). After some concerned questions from friends and community members who thought I was really struggling with my new role, I thought I’d share what I love about this gig (it far outweighs the bad, trust me).
To be honest, one reason I haven’t proclaimed my positive experiences from the mountain
tops (except this one day) is because I don’t want to rub it in the faces of my fellow moms (or dads) who don’t have the opportunity to do this, or who wish they’d done it when they had the chance. I’ve always been one to self deprecate,
