Ages & Stages

  Not a lot is as inconvenient as your child telling you during a grocery store trip or dinner at a restaurant that they have to go to the bathroom. It would be so easy to tell them to go ahead and go alone. I don't let them, though. My husband or I accompany them at all times. I read about Matthew Cecchi over 10 years ago and his story has stuck with me since. Matthew was 9 years old and was followed into a restroom by a 29 year old man while his aunt waited outside for him. The man walked in, slit Matthew’s throat and walked out. Since I read his story, I have felt the need to be extra-cautious...

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by our partners at Pelican State Credit Union, who have been providing financial services to individuals and families in Louisiana for almost 60 years. I remember when I hit the lottery. At least, I hit the lottery according to 12 year-old me’s standards. I found out about the Accelerated Reader, or “AR,” program in school. It gave students a chance to earn prizes by reading books and taking tests on them. Anyone who reached 100 points was rewarded with a $100 savings bond! I saw that dollar sign and made it my goal to get 100 points. My friends would want to play video games, but I had books to read. If they only knew about...

My daughter’s sixth birthday party was a few weekends ago. We (I) like to celebrate usually with an at-home party, a meal’s-worth of food, homemade birthday cake, balloons, tablecloths, opening presents and some sort of entertainment for the kids/guests. It takes a lot of time and energy to execute. A lot of that time and energy is spent making it look like it didn’t take a lot of time and energy to execute. After it’s over, I’m usually exhausted. I may have mentioned it before, but I’m old. However, I can still remember going to birthday parties when I was a kid. Most of them were low-key, inviting neighborhood friends and friends from school (back then, they were one-in-the-same) to...

Before my son was born, when the question came up as to whether or not I would breastfeed him, the answer was always a resounding YES! Breastfeeding was something I very much wanted to do for him. (Ha! Parenting is SO easy before you actually have a baby.) Our son surprised us by coming almost six weeks early. I was still reading the pregnancy books and hadn't yet moved onto the "now-I-have-a-baby-what-the-heck-do-I-do?" books. Fortunately, he didn't have to spend any time in the NICU but as I worked through the shock that my baby was actually here, I also struggled to breastfeed. The nurses and the lactation consultants kept telling me "He's a preemie; it will take him a little longer to figure it out,...

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by St. Lillian Academy, which offers outpatient pediatric therapy beginning at age 3, full‐time education beginning at age 5 and thorough diagnostic services for infants, toddlers, children and youths, all at one campus. I don’t know where she would be without being at St. Lillian. Her inability to communicate like other children would have been a huge hindrance to her in most any other school environment. We know she is getting the best therapy and education possible at St. Lillian. - St. Lillian Parent St. Lillian Academy, a private Christian school, was founded by parents and professionals who believe that children with learning differences can thrive with specialized instruction, in a loving, safe and consistent environment. St. Lillian Academy gives the opportunity for children with exceptionalities...