Raising Kids
It happened again today as I was driving my daughter to preschool - another toddler tantrum. It was a beautiful chorus of wails and screaming in the back of the minivan about leaving her Huggie and Stuffy at home. We didn't even need music, as she was providing it free of charge. And if you saw me a couple of years ago when [...]
How to Stop Your Child From Whining – Immediately
I sat at the kitchen table, looking across the room as he struggled with the button on his pants. Using both hands to firmly grasp the button and hole, he attempted several times to secure his pants around his waist. I wanted him to stop whining and saying that he "couldn't do it." No luck. It’s hard to sit back and watch [...]
MilSpouse LifeThe Blind Spots of Military Life You Didn’t See Coming
Five years ago, while stationed in North Carolina, we had orders to Iwakuni, Japan. Spoiler alert: We never went. Mentally, we prepared for months. When I was pregnant with our first child, I anxiously explored options for how we would handle the Iwakuni move with a newborn. Would I stay back and meet my husband later? [...]
Schedule / Routine5 Sample Daily Toddler Schedules From Real Moms
I regularly get questions from readers about how to create a good sample daily toddler schedule. While not every toddler is the same, I do think it’s very helpful to see what other moms are doing in their homes. Five stay-at-home moms were asked to share their schedules. So I use the word "real" intentionally because these are not [...]
Mom Life5 Hacks to Keep a Clean Home With Kids Who Love Messes
Inside: My all-time favorite ways to keep a tidy home even if your kids love to make messes. A huge thank you to Ruggable for sponsoring this post and sending a rug for review. A friend came over last week with her two year-old and infant. Over and over again she said to her toddler daughter, "See! This is why we can't have a nice [...]
How to Turn Your High Energy 3 Year-Old Into a Better Listener
Inside: A simple strategy when your 3 year is out of control, ignoring you and flat out not listening. Post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I was awake for only 15 minutes, and I was already dealing with my 3-year-old not listening. My daughter stood at [...]
50+ Open-Ended Toys That Will Keep Your Kids Busy for Hours
Inside: Inspire your child's imagination and creativity with these open-ended toys that last for years! Open-ended toys result in open-ended play, encouraging problem-solving, self-regulation, creativity and more. This post may contain affiliate links which means if you make a purchase I may earn a small commission. Updated Nov [...]
How to Stop a Power Struggle in Public without Bribing, Threatening or Yelling
I don’t know why a trip to the grocery store with my oldest always results in a public temper tantrum, but it does. For the longest time, he would exhibit something close to a mental breakdown over the kiddie shopping carts. Whomever invented those is the bane of my existence. My son is a strong-willed child, who struggles with [...]
Why Long Distance Best Friends Are Actually The Best Thing Ever
It happens every time we move. I experience some sort of existential crisis - where I question if my life has any meaning, purpose or value. You relate, right?! Because here you are in another brand new place where you know no one, you have no job, your stuff is all broken from the move, your mother is 3,000 miles away, and [...]
How to Calm 1 Year-Old Tantrums Down in Minutes
Within 10 seconds my son went from happy and content to a fiery ball of rage. This was his first 1 year-old tantrum, and I remember thinking, "We can't be into tantrums yet, can we?!" All I did was remove his food from the tray so he would stop throwing it on the floor. The back arching, kicking and screaming started immediately as he [...]
