Over 15 years of parenting three kids, I’ve collected a wide range of parenting tools. I’ve got redirection. I’ve got positive reinforcement. I’ve got time-ins and time-outs. I’ve got my “I mean business” glare. I’ve got the whole kaboodle, right …
13 Ways Moving is Like Having a Baby
We’ve moved 13 times in 17 years, not including the year we spent living as nomads. Five of those moves were of the cross-country variety. All of them were the do-it-yourself variety. As much as I love to try out …
Digital Lynchings, Feminist Tyranny, and Other Travesties of Breastfeeding in Public
This week, my post “What’s So Hard about Covering up to Breastfeed in Public?” was linked—twice—in this Forbes article by Tara Haelle. Ms. Haelle’s article describes how an Illinois restaurant turned a breastfeeding in public incident into a positive for both the restaurant …
Identity Theft and Privacy Concerns for Mothers
Someone has stolen my identity. And the real kicker is, I know exactly who it is. This ragamuffin threesome has taken my name and replaced it with a handful of generalized nicknames. I’m no longer “Annie.” Now I am “MOM!” “MAMA!” …
10 Parenting Books to Match Your Mood
WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE TURNING INTO A NAGGING WITCH . . . If I Have to Tell You One More Time…: The Revolutionary Program That Gets Your Kids To Listen Without Nagging, Reminding, or Yelling by Amy McCready I …
Why You Should Never Make Assumptions Based on Appearances
These three stories illustrate why you should never make assumptions about people—especially parents—based on what you see or hear. 1) “The SuperSized Coke and a Pack of Smokes” When the kids were younger, I took them to morning swim lessons at our local pool. One morning, while …
10 Ways to Get Your Kids’ Attention Without Yelling
When our first child was a baby, I had plans to never yell at my kids. Not surprisingly, that parenting ideal jumped ship about the same time as “My kid’s never going to watch TV.” But I do try to only yell when necessary. …
10 Reasons You Need a Momcation
I recently took a trip all by myself. I had a meeting in San Diego for the magazine I work for, and I tacked on some extra days to visit friends, family, and my soul-mate, the ocean. At the Spokane airport, I …