People ask and tell new Moms all kinds of things. Some are well intended, some are just plain not. Before the verbal diarrhea leads you to say something snarky, or ask something nosey, please read this: Top 10 things to NEVER say to a new mom. 1. “Is your baby sleeping through the night yet?” Sleep schedules and requirements vary drastically from one baby to the next. Some babies get by with far less sleep than others. Some babies sleep through the night from day 1, some don’t sleep more than 1 hour at a time for the first couple years of life (*ahem* I have the latter). Besides this, babies go on…
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Dear Husband Across the Room
7:30 pm, my husband and I begin the bedtime routines with our 2 girls. Our 3-year-old brushes her teeth, takes a bath, then it’s jammies, stories, and songs. It’s typically the same most nights, with the occasional derailment. Ok, we always get derailed. She wants a carrot to munch on in bed, she has to go potty for the 10th time, she needs a different stuffed animal, she wants her other water bottle with the robots NOT the butterflies, she wants the soft sheets not the scratchy ones, the list goes on. I sing her to sleep in her big girl bed, give her a butterfly kiss, then I sneak…
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To the Mom in the Yoga Pants
I walked into the grocery store… I walked into the grocery store the other day while babywearing my 6 month old and walking hand-in-hand with my 3 year old. We made it to the store in one piece, easily braving the snowy parking lot, and went in the store. It was rejuvenating, after the sleepless night we had before, and the crazy departure from the home that took 2 hours. My 3 year old asked politely to get into the cart, my 6 month old on my chest was all smiles, and I even remembered my shopping list and bottles to return. I was feeling optimistic and relaxed. Within 3…
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It’s OK to Cry Over Spilled Milk
“Don’t cry over spilled milk.” It’s a familiar statement. We were told by our parents, they were told by their parents, and it just keeps going back. While the intention of this statement is debatably a good one, I still struggle with the idea. It’s OK to cry over spilled milk. Taken literally, let’s explore the statement. A child who recently learned to use a fork and sit at a table in a booster chair, spilled her glass of milk. As parents, we try to stay calm, and we clean up the mess. If we are teaching our children to be independent, we may ask them (even at an early age), to assist…
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I Want My Future Adult Daughter to Know 10 Things
My daughter is 3 years old. It’s an amazing age. Amazingly fun, amazingly tiring, amazingly inspiring, and amazingly confusing. I love this stage of life she is in, and I want her to hang onto all of her amazingness that she so fully embodies right now. So, to my 3 year old daughter when she is an adult…. Dear Future Adult Daughter, 1. Be Comfortable. I want you to be comfortable, just as you are now. I want you to wear the mismatched shoes, if they feel better. Wear them with a dress, wear them with whatever you want. You define your own style. Don’t wear the stiletto heals if they feel…
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You’ve Got Your Hands Full
When we become moms, our social calendars change. A riveting social experience for us sometimes includes a trip to the store with our kids. Being around other adults can be a rarity, so we thrive on those brief adult interactions. Multiple times a week I head into public with my 3 year old and my 5 month old. The most adventurous we get these days is a trip to the grocery store. On the morning of a grocery shopping day, I pack my husband a lunch, feed, water and let out the dogs/cat, change diapers, dress kids, brush my teeth and get dressed, unload the dishwasher, start the laundry, start…
