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...
When I was pregnant, one of the best pieces of advice I received went something like: Come to terms with the fact that every parenting decision you ever make will be the wrong one.
I have come back to that idea over and over again in my six months as a mom. There is not one right way to do anything, much less how to raise a child. And I remind myself that people have been birthing kids and raising kids, since, say, the beginning of time. Since before we knew about SIDS. Before formula. Before car seats.
Here are two ways that I am trying to combat fear (and fear of failure):
1. Stop surrounding myself with information and advice that is not...
My husband took our 5-month-old son to the grocery store for the first time. And it went great. He wrapped Sam up in the Moby wrap with confidence (although it took 3 tries to get it right) and strolled down the aisles with a head full of hair and curious little eyes peeking out of the papoose. All the ladies smiled at the approach of a baby-wearing dad, making comments like, “Looks like you’ve got a helper today.” My husband would respond with chuckle, “Yep, I sure do,” as he placed a can of spaghetti sauce (the Hunt’s cans are $1!) into the cart. Husband and Sam whirred around the store together and left coming out under budget.
I’ll be...
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The Best Coffee in BR is Actually in Ascension
The Best Coffee in BR is Actually in Ascension
Like a lot of moms I'm often in need of caffeine on a regular basis and...
