Education

Bedtime - that sacred part of the night where you can simultaneously squeeze the last bit of love into your children and taste the freedom that those next four hours bring. Sometimes attempting to lull my two squirmy, riled up toddlers (ages 3 and 1.5) into a drowsy state can be tricky. We have found that having a good rotating collection of bedtime books keeps them interested, along with the occasional use of silly voices (mostly done by Daddy) and song. Here is our go-to list of bedtime books we love:     A Night Night Prayer by Amy Parker and Marijan Ramljak - In one of our bedtime favorites, given to us by our best friends at the birth of our second child to ensure we wouldn't...

As a millennial, we lived in the golden age of family television. Friday nights consisted of popcorn and crowding around the television in our playroom to watch TGIF. Ahh...the nostalgia. The Family Matters and Boy Meets Worlds tended to stay pretty light in the early seasons as far as controversial, real life events were concerned. Aside from some "very special episodes" they didn't really dive into topics like race, sex, divorce, and adoption. Fast forward to today. My Friday nights with my own family don't differ as much; we still get popcorn and crowd around the television. But when we watch Modern Family, Blackish, and Fresh off the Boat, some interesting conversation results. I get these shows may have some...

With nearly $2 million in medical bills for my son already in his 10-year life span, I’ve learned a few things along the way about how to handle medical bills. I’ve learned what to pay, how not to pay what I really don’t owe, and how to resolve hanging issues out there regarding bills I thought my insurance should have covered.  The truth is that insurance companies are in the business of making money. This also includes pharmacies, doctor’s offices, lab services and any other kind of medical vendor. Less than scrupulous companies make money when you pay bills you don’t really owe. If you pay it, there is a small chance you will get it back after following a...

As my pregnancy comes to an end I’ve been going over the final preparations for baby’s arrival, including lining up daycare. Thinking about dropping off our infant reminded me of how terrifying it seemed to me with our son. Looking back I can see how much my perspective has changed over the last three years. I had the guilt that seems so common for moms to feel as they leave their baby to return to the workforce. I mean, I’m paying someone to experience all these milestones with my child while I’m at work?! It was a struggle, but over time it became routine and I got used to it. It’s hard to believe I’m even going to say this,...

Is there anything harder than finding the perfect childcare for our little ones? It's a question that plagues a lot of us from the second we see the positive sign on the stick. When I made the choice to go to work full-time when my first son was almost two years old, I had no idea what to look for or even what to ask. Five years later, with owning my own midsize daycare behind me, I had to go through the process all over again. I won't downplay that it is a scary and stressful process looking for a place that will fit well with your family, but here are some questions and information that you can use to...