Perspectives in Parenting

I work full time. My kid goes to daycare. More often than not when people ask who is watching Sam during the day, and I tell them he’s in daycare, they give me this weird look that is mixed with sadness, pity, disappointment, skepticism. I’m serious. It’s uncomfortable. We put Sam in daycare when he was 7 months old (my teacher husband kept him during summer break). I dreaded it. Everyone made it sound like daycare would be awful, expensive, full of germs, and cause severe separation anxiety (on my part). And the waiting lists! I’d be lucky to get a spot—but, ultimately, unlucky to be a working mom. Against my expectations, Sam did great in daycare his first week. He...

I'm a researcher and planner by nature. I genuinely enjoy it! I like being prepared and informed and knowing as much as I can before something comes my way. So of course when I found I was pregnant, it was ON. I consumed every article and blog post I could get my hands on like a crazy person. "How to Survive Your First Trimester" turned into "Breastfeeding Basics" and then to "What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag" and "What You Need to Know About Labor & Delivery". I was ready and waiting for labor. I knew that there were things I couldn't prepare for, but I honestly felt like there wasn't much that was going to be able...

It was a typical Sunday afternoon. The sun was shining, the TV was blasting Disney tunes, the house smelled of Pine Sol as I cleaned the house, and my boys were playing contently in their rooms. Or so I thought. I walked into my 3 year old's room to instruct him to pick up his toys so I could vacuum his room. Upon entering, I could see his stout little body standing amidst his toys (the millions of toys) doing something inexplicably horrible. I won't go into detail, but it involved a bodily function. On his toys.  And on the carpet. And wherever else it may have sprayed in his startled state of mind when I shrieked. I asked him why he...

Knots are in my stomach as I sit at my mother’s kitchen table frantically texting my programmer, checking my website, and watching the clock. We’re supposed to go to dinner in 15 minutes. My business is supposed to launch in 10 minutes. They have no idea how nervous I am. This is me. Chasing my dream and scared to death. I’m taking a leap of faith that this is the path I’m supposed to go down. There are so many things I don’t know. Am I going to fail? How will I deal with the financial impact if it doesn’t work? How will I deal with the embarrassment of a failed business venture? What will I tell people? I’m...

Every mom knows that mornings + kids = organized (sometimes) chaos. Today, several of our contributors give you a peek into their morning routines. Kristen: I am not good at mornings. At the getting out of bed part that is. I usually have to be forced by either my husband or my son. And while our mornings are never really the same, we have found something of a routine. Our alarm goes off at 5, but we snooze until 5:30—unless our other alarm has gone off and is crying (which is usually between 5 and 6 am).  I get out of bed, put on my robe, and head to Sam’s room.  My husband gets up, feeds the dog and cats, and takes a shower....