Growing Up

  Each evening, I set my alarm for 5:15 the next morning. Do I need to get up at 5:15? Probably not. And I don't. I hit the snooze button. I annoy my sleeping husband in increments, each with a nine minute reprieve. Sometimes I don't get out of the bed until 6:00. There are *things* I have to do in the morning to start the day and it would be SO. MUCH. EASIER if I didn't have to rush to do them. And I don't. Have to, that is. But I totally wind up rushing - and sometimes, there is crying in my house before 7:00am. I don't have babies anymore. My children are seven and four. Full disclosure: Sometimes...

Ok, I lied. She isn't five. She's four and three quarters. But, she isn't sleep trained. In fact, she's never been one who understood the glorious allure of shut eye. Most days, I'd rather eat one of those world record hot peppers than deal with bedtime. And naps? Ha, not in this lifetime. This kid just plain hates sleep. I know I'm not alone. I've watched Super Nanny. I also know that I still have it pretty darn good in other departments, so I can't complain too much. But I'm still praying that any potential future child of mine will love bedtime. It all starts during the bedtime routine. Putting on jammies and brushing teeth is a threat-filled marathon with...

I know what you must be thinking: "Oh, come on! It's a parenting staple! I was told it a million times by my parents, and I'm fine. It taught me that they were in charge." And I'm right there with you. My husband and I never purposefully set out not to say it. We just never started. What we did intend, though, was to clearly explain our reasoning for what our kids must have seen as seemingly-arbitrary decisions. In doing so, I believe we won our kids' obedience, one that was built on trust and understanding, not just their place at the bottom of some pecking order in our home. And yes, it was (is) tiring. We went through the obnoxious...

 "When I'm 12 years old how old will the baby be?" I get several versions of this question on a daily basis from my six-year-old while he's staring at my tummy. He'll be a whopping seven years old when this baby is born. When I start doing the math, the age gap between my two little guys is going to be significant. It really didn't worry me until recently. A visit to my parents and a walk down memory lane in watching old childhood VHS's put things in perspective. I am the oldest of three, I have a brother three years younger than me and a sister that's ten years younger than me. To the outside world a hefty age reads two...

Dear Pre-Teen Son, You are now 12 years old – one year away from being a teenager. I was excited for you as a baby, toddler and even an elementary school kid but TEENAGER ... I am not ready. Since you recently came home to let your dad and me know that you have a girlfriend, it got me thinking and there is a lot I want to talk to you about when it comes to being a pre-teen. I am so excited for you to learn and grow more into the young man you are changing into, but there are some things that I want to make sure I tell you first. Hygiene is important. Look, I get it...