Perspectives in Parenting

*TRIGGER WARNING: Eating Disorders* I was in the 8th grade at my very, VERY small private school in my ridiculously small town, when a classmate’s mother- a nurse- performed scoliosis checks for all nine (yes, NINE) of my classmates. At some point, she stepped out into the hall and announced, in front of a few of my classmates, that she needed to recheck the “chubby girl.” She was talking about me, and everyone instinctively knew it. I didn’t learn that she’d said that until later that day, but I vividly and painfully remember the mortification I felt at the time. If I could have folded in on myself and simply disappeared, I would have. In retrospect, I can recognize that an adult...

I have a confession to make. I often find myself daydreaming about being the perfect Pinterest Mom, with her on-point hair and outfit, seemingly having everything together. The one with the patience for Montessori-type activities, home-cooked well balanced nightly meals, and matching themed pajamas for the entire family. Yes, I can be crafty and over the top sometimes, but for the most part, I consider myself a “lazy” parent. Let me go on record saying that I love being a mom. My whole world has changed since having children. They have brought out both the best and worst in me and I’ve learned so much about what I’m truly capable of throughout this parenting journey. While I love my children...

Growing up, I wanted two kids. One boy and one girl. When I met my husband, he wanted three kids, and we agreed that was what we both wanted. Well you know, life and God had other plans. When we tried for our second child, we found out we were pregnant with twins. When I delivered the twins, I knew in my heart, I was not done. Three years later, we had our fourth baby. She was everything our family needed and more. We are truly complete with two boys and two girls. I have loved kids my entire life, I knew in Elementary school that I wanted to be a pediatrician (once I learned just how much education...

Hey there, party planning Mommy! I bet you try to make everything Pinterest worthy for your littles’ birthdays, don’t you? I bet you have spent too much money on party favors, balloons, and a piñata filled to the brim with candy? I bet you prepared a full spread of cute party-themed foods? I bet you stayed up late making balloon arches and various other DIY decorations after you helped with homework, made dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, and spent over an hour trying to get through the dreaded bedtime routine? But you didn’t mind, did you? You thought, this is the stuff they will remember. They are 100% going to love this! After the party is over, I bet your house...

Kids are awesome and draining and fun and tiring, but so are vacations and parties and a million other things. The recent hurricane reinforced a lot of things for me and provided some enlightenment, too. I know daycare/work are right for our family and I know that I sometimes envy that toddler mentality. Toddlers have it made. They get to go to bed early and have someone else do all of their cooking and cleaning. They can spend hours reading books and playing, but what I've really grown to notice and appreciate is the toddler's view of the world and their place in it. During our recent extended time at home, and without power, I witnessed so much joy and imagination....