Encouragement

The new school year is dawning, and many of you may already be dreading the never-ending fight of getting your children to read.  As a teacher of middle school students, I heard the frustration from many parents who were seeking to help their children to find enjoyment in their reading.  If this describes you, don't fret!  There are several things that you can do to encourage your child to enjoy reading. 1. Talk with your children about their books.  Show them that you are interested in what they are reading and that what they are reading matters.  Some great questions include:  What do you like about the main character?  Is there anything in this book that you can relate to?...

It hit me while I was laying in bed one night, my baby girl doing what felt like cartwheels in my belly, my sleepy thoughts wandered until they landed on: uh, I’m going to be responsible for this little life in a matter of weeks. Maybe that should’ve sunk in earlier than 7 1/2 months pregnant, but y’know, everyone moves at their own pace. Initially responsibility brings to mind things like breastfeeding and colic and trying not to obsess too much over every little breath she takes. But after some time thinking (falling asleep is hard), I started to venture past the first few months of her life, on to the more substantial things that Jeremy and I will be responsible for as...

I’ve never been a competitive person. It’s actually a running joke in my family that I never really cared if I won a board game, or a softball game. This isn’t to say I didn’t want to do well in school, or in other endeavors, but I was never someone who really compared herself to others. Until I had a baby. When I was pregnant, reading about “What to Expect” and listening to people’s advice, I heard a lot of, “every baby goes at their own pace” and “don’t get caught up in numbers.” But when you are focusing on your baby’s development, there are a lot of numbers: height and weight percentiles, sitting up by this age, crawling by that...

I was really in no hurry to move my son out of the crib. I liked knowing that he was safe and secure and planned to keep him there as long as I could. As he got closer to two, though, he became more and more interested in climbing and after seeing him put his foot on top of the crib rail a few times, I started to think about transitioning him. I was nervous that I'd come in after naptime to find him playing on the floor one day, or that I'd hear a thump followed by wailing instead! Every kid is different and there’s no magic age to move them out of the crib–you just have to use your judgement...

I am a dancer.  Maybe not a very good one, but I'm a passionate one for sure.  There are very few things that I love more than dancing my heart out. Throughout my entire childhood (and most of my adulthood so far), I have spent hours upon hours dancing alone in my house.  Give me an hour and some hip hop music, and I can burn 1,000 calories, no problem.  Add an audience on top of that, and, well, basically all of my dreams have come true. My boys are my most hilarious dance partners.  I can turn on any song, shout "DANCE PARTY!!!" and they will stop whatever they are doing and come running.  We do this daily, and it has...