As I get ready to send my oldest to Kindergarten this year, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve prepared him enough. There are SO many important concepts and skills to teach, academically, socially/emotionally, and functionally (life skills, hello!). Being a former elementary school teacher, I’m realizing after almost 10 years of having worked in the classroom, that parents (myself included) focus too much of their energy on the wrong things. It’s saddens me the expectations that are put on {Read More}
Activities for traveling with kids
March 19, 2019 by
Can you smell it?! I know I can. SPRING! It’s just around the corner….finally!! It has been a really long winter here in Chicago, so Spring Break couldn’t come soon enough. To say I’ve been pining for some sunshine is an understatement. Since many of you will be traveling in the coming weeks, hopefully to warmer destinations, I’ve put together a little list of activities that are perfect for kids to do in the car, on the airplane, waiting at a {Read More}
Prelude – Pregnancy (Part 1)
November 17, 2018 by
The pregnancy and birth of our third child wrecked me to my core. There, I said it. The honest truth. I haven’t shared much about this journey for many reasons. It requires me to be vulnerable, open, and transparent. I’ve always been nervous that once I tell her (our) story aloud to people, the circumstances would become permanent. Or, it would be insignificant and unworthy of telling. I’ve always been somewhat of a private person when it comes to life’s {Read More}
Incentive Charts for Kids
September 5, 2017 by
This is something I’ve had the intention of doing for quite some time, but always seemed to put off, because….well, summer got the best of us! With a 4 year old who is starting to test boundaries and sharpen his negotiating skills (especially at bedtime), it was starting to become more and more necessary to start an incentive system with him, as a way of motivating him to be more consistent with positive behaviors and become more responsible! I didn’t {Read More}
Book Review: The Danish Way of Parenting
March 8, 2017 by
Getting time to yourself as a parent isn’t something you take for granted. BUT, what to do with the pockets of alone time is the big question. Should I go for a run, take a nap, clean the house (not desired but necessary), have a glass of vino and catch up on Netflix, read a book, finish the project I started, or DO NOTHING? Usually, reading goes by the wayside because it requires FOCUS and I’m pretty tapped out mentally by the time I can actually {Read More}
Life with Kids: 10 realizations you have as a parent!
January 14, 2017 by
Soooo, before I became a parent, I had these hypothetical thoughts in my head of how life would play out once I had kids of my own. I mean, it wouldn’t be all that hard. My children would be these stellar little creatures and I would be the fun, easy going, patient-all-the-time mom. Yup, that’s right….parenthood would be this grand, daring adventure! Well, I guess you could say it’s a daring adventure. But, in a different kind of way. You see, {Read More}
