Consistency may be the “secret sauce” in parenthood. Anything from helping children survive temper tantrums to helping your children eat more diverse foods, providing consistency with expectations and daily routines may be the very special thing we do that allows our children to thrive. Like most challenges in life, talking about and identifying the need for […]
Parenting
Easy Ways To Prepare Your Family For An Emergency
In the past I’ve hated preparing for emergencies. It made me nervous and like most people I procrastinated because I hated playing out a potential tragedy in my head. However it’s easy to say: I am really happy I made an emergency kit about 3 years ago. I really don’t regret the time or money […]
An Annual Interview: 20 Questions
Yesterday our 6 year-old asked if I’d snap a photo of this leaf. He suggested that it may in fact be the first orange leaf of fall. His need for the photo alerted me that autumn truly is upon us. Last year I started a few traditions when my oldest started Kindergarten. One was asking […]
Sprinklers
Just a photo. Couldn’t resist sharing this tonight as the moment washed over me and I realized that there’s something about children running in sprinklers that really makes it summertime. Every once and a while we get ridiculously indulgent moments hand-delivered by our children. I was lucky enough tonight…
Occupational Hazard Of A Mommy Blogger
First day back to work after vacation is brutal. I do my part to weigh costs and benefits with my personal work-life-balance all the time, I chew on my decisions daily. The focus on balance may be a true occupational hazard of being a mommy blogger. When one part of your career centers on writing […]
The Value of Play
As we transition to summertime we get to focus even more intently on play. Not as easy as it sounds. There’s a balance with having a routine and structure for your child while also facilitating some time for creative play. Unstructured play doesn’t get the voice it deserves in my opinion. Parents ask me about […]
Why You Should Make Sure The Helmet Fits
Buying the bike helmet isn’t enough, of course. We have to make sure our children actually wear them. We’ve gone through phases at our house (loathing to loving the helmet). The challenge isn’t often buying the helmet, it’s getting that helmet on every time and fitting it properly. I’ve learned the hard way– -after I […]
Ask About Guns
In my house we’re busy, working parents but we’ve certainly had lots of friends and relatives here at our house to play. No one has ever asked me if we had guns in the house. Last week my son visited a neighbor’s home and I didn’t ask before he went over. I’ve asked friends and relatives […]
Brothers And Sisters Who Fight
Lots of people ask me how my boys get along. I never know quite how to answer. They are pals most of the time, they play and invent and create games and fun together. But they also fight. I suppose I expect it as a mother but I admit that even as a pediatrician, ex […]