Real Talk

We're the type of parents who call body parts by their anatomically-correct title. Elbow. Ankle. Penis. No big deal. When I was pregnant for my third child, my oldest asked when the baby was going to come out my "bagina." My grandmother thinks it's uncomfortably progressive and even questioned, "But what if they say it at school?!" Honestly, they wouldn't. Unless, of course, something were wrong with their penis or bagina. Because to them the term isn't taboo. It's not a punchline. They have no more reason to say one of those words to get a laugh than they would to say "ear" or "thumb."  It's only gotten us into trouble twice. Once, I whispered to my son in a...

While planning a trip to see my husband’s parents in Tennessee last fall, my mother-in-law offered to watch our three girls for a couple nights so Matt and I could go on a small getaway. I immediately started researching cheap flights out of Nashville to see what our options were. We would fly out super early and hit the ground running so we could make the most of our 48 hours. There were so many sights to see and activities to do. Who knew when we would get another chance to do something like this, so we needed to make it count. Then, we came to our senses. A 48 hour jet-set vacay sounded exciting, but unfortunately, it also sounded exhausting....

Our boys are 19 months apart. They get asked constantly if they're twins, and if I'm honest, we've probably raised them as such. They share clothes and a room and the same silly jokes. I have intentionally brainwashed them into believing that they are each other's best friend. Seriously - their room is decorated with "Best Buddies"-themed picture frames and a collage of the two of them together. At random times, my husband and I ask them to point to their best friend, and they always adorably point to each other. They are not allowed to argue. Certainly, they have their annoying spats, but it always comes back to the same lecture: That's your brother. He's your best friend. He...

As I am navigating parenting a teenager for the first time, I have realized that there are things that do not come as “common sense” to our children. Even though many of us grew up in a household that did not talk about things DOES NOT mean we need to continue that in our own households. When watching TV and overhearing discussions on the latest things going on in our world, it is a necessary place for me to have important discussions with my son. As you are all aware, in October of 2017, the #metoo movement spread viral as a hashtag on social media to help demonstrate the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace....

Sometimes you see them standing on a corner or waiting for a bus. Sometimes you see them on a basketball court or baseball field. This week, you saw them marching in the streets, walking out of classrooms and speaking eloquently on the news. As a teacher, I know what I should say about the missed instructional minutes or even the blatant disobedience of rules and order. To that, I say we lose instructional minutes all the time over things far less important than a student realizing they have rights and actually taking time out to exercise those rights. I have been an educator for almost 11 years now, and I don’t recall a time students made me more proud than this...