Perspectives in Parenting

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Straight Outta Compton nor are we supporting/unsupporting this movie. We just wanted to play along and laugh a little. :) We like to capture all of motherhood: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Mostly the good. But every now and then it is fun to laugh at ourselves and this momma journey. We were inspired from the #straighoutta trend of memes happening right now and wanted to jump on that bandwagon. Here ya go... #straightoutta mommy style!   Want to play along? You can make your own right here. Be sure to tag us on Facebook or Instagram in it so we can see!  

I've written before about some of the things we've experienced as a transracial family in the deep south. I wish I could say that I always responded to these situations with grace, tact and an open mind, but that would be a lie. Sometimes strangers catch me on a bad day, and my response has been little more than a sharp glare and a big sigh of total annoyance. We all have experienced those moments where a stranger says something hurtful, offers their unsolicited advice, or challenges us as parents. What I am learning to embrace in motherhood is the fact that I can't change how other people act, I can only control how I react in these moments. I had an experience...

The waves can crash at any time these days.  In the middle of cooking chili or in the middle of a Friday Night Lights marathon with my husband or even mid-step on the stair climber at the gym.  The waves of anxiety and anticipation will overcome me.  This may sound like a serious issue, but don’t worry, it’s just typical middle-of-the-summer panic for a teacher.  This may surprise you, but we teachers get nervous before the start of every school year just like you and your child.  We, too, anticipate the unknown and ask some of the same questions your child ponders.  Do these sound familiar? “Who will be in my class?” “Will they like me?” “What will my day be like?” “Can I...

It's no secret that the Baton Rouge school system is...well....complicated. Parents of "typical" kids often struggle with the decision about whether to send their kids to public, private, magnet, charter, or home school. When your kid has special needs, there is a whole other layer of complexity added to this already complex space. And if you are anything like me, you sometimes doubt whether or not you know what the actual "right" decision is. This year since the kiddo is turning 4, our big "are we making the best decision?" dilemma has been preschool. I have a saying about our lives raising a special needs kid and maybe all parents feel this way: I feel like our lives are like an...

I’m a thief. It’s 11:47pm on Sunday night and I’m settling in to write. The weekend is over and I’m purposefully extending it a bit. I “steal” time. That’s what I call it. I only ever steal from the guilty – myself. I have two children, a husband and I work full-time. I’m tired. I know there are women out there that have more children and less husbands, who work longer hours for less money. I’m not complaining. I’m just tired. I think this is the way that it is until I decide to do less or be less. Or if someone would agree to potty-training already. I like to spend time with my husband (awake). I like to spend time with my...