Ages & Stages

Witching hour(s) should start with a B, I mean really, can I get an AMEN?!? At what age will there not be a witching hour(s)? When the clock strikes 5:00pm, our whole house vibe changes. It’s like the earth tilts off its axis. There is yelling, hair pulling, and crying and the kids are even worse! There is more energy in our house than a damn Red Bull! It is all I can do to get everyone fed, bathed and put to bed every night. So here’s what our house looks like… We do homework as soon as everyone gets in from the bus, with three school age kids, we have no choice. They have a snack while we tackle...

For those of you who are raising three-year-olds, you understand the dreaded “three-nager” phase. This phase comes with boundary testing and fierce independence. My youngest is a wild, free-spirited, little lady with a big personality and a ton of self-confidence! The more I think about it, I start to imagine what it would be like to live with the same unapologetic confidence as my toddler? There is nothing like confidence To prepare for a typical day, I lay out all of my children’s clothes the evening before to help our morning run smoothly. My youngest is used to this routine and rarely gives us trouble with getting ready. On one recent morning, I realized that Laurel hadn’t come out of her...

How to be a respectful parent without losing your sh*t? Well, I don’t have the answer to that, but read on if you would like to get a little closer to the answer. First, I’ll open with this TikTok gold that a lot of us can relate to: https://www.tiktok.com/@momthoughts/video/6986397679383268613?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgow5nkYGGYc%2Bm6gr70kQYlNuwZWT4jox3Z2KTMtNYnDRUgGEXqrLBZx2zecm%2F0SN5NvGgA%3D&checksum=594ed08dc57a31f7eabdf54253d857feaa5c8286335d9c5b5a109fee56571807&clips_cover_ab=v3&enable_clips=1&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAA6RNUT_xosbfhmQJoFfzXSboiI6sIKsxWqZPu3ywNiO9AyrUoPxVXY0_ZTRxdKYgZ&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=6986397679383268613&share_link_id=4C9A2099-DB57-46F3-91BA-9C990C62D3CD&source=h5_m&timestamp=1627441357&tt_from=sms&u_code=d9kf4h4aijk14a&user_id=6769390469007213574&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=sms&_r=1 Second, I’m going to explain the difference between respectful parenting and permissive parenting. Respectful parenting gets a bad rep because it is often confused with permissive parenting. Respectful parenting is treating your child as a human being and connecting with them. After all, you wouldn’t yell at or hit your other family members, co-workers, or friends. It is important to note that it does not entail not disciplining your child. Permissive parenting, on...

Motherhood is like being on an emotional rollercoaster ride that you can’t get off of. At times, you are counting down the minutes until bedtime, and at other times you want to wake them up because you miss them so much. With kids, some days feel like they last forever, but then the years fly by so quickly! We need to enjoy our time with them while we can! Trying to be the perfect parent is like brushing your teeth while chewing Oreos. It just isn’t going to happen. Thankfully, children don’t need a perfect mom. They just want a loving, caring one. Below is my list that all moms can probably relate to. You might be a Mommy….. If you realize you...

Both of my older girls have dropped their afternoon naps a little after their third birthday. As devastating as it can feel to lose that glorious time of uninterrupted nap time bliss, we have transitioned them to afternoon “rest time” which has worked really well overall. So, if your little one has stopped napping, take a deep breath, it’s going to be ok! Here are some tips for rest time magic: Set the expectation for rest time. Don’t start doing outings or running errands or letting them watch a show during that usual nap time. It will be hard at first, but if you set the expectations right away, they’ll adjust! Start small. It is unlikely that your child...