The first few years of a child’s life are generally associated with fresh little nicknames: Terrible Twos, Threenagers, Effing Fours. But somewhere between those threes and those fours lies a dark, dark place confusing stage. All I can do is sit back and watch while this sweet little girl in a tutu is trying to figure
Tag: tantrums
“Before I married, I had six theories about raising children and no children. Now, I have six children and no theories.” -John Wilmot Oh, pre-kids self, you were so very naive! I know it’s been said a thousand times, but I cannot emphasize enough how actually raising children myself has taught me how very little I know
With so many ways to be a good parent, it’s easy to let doubt creep in about the effectiveness of your approach. I believe we should let parents raise their children as they feel is right for their family; if it works for you, it’s right for you. But what happens when you’re not sure
Sometimes being a mom feels so good. There are so many great hugs and kisses. There are so many kind words. There are even tender moments between siblings every once in a while too. Sometimes being a mom is so tough. I feel so totally out of control right now. There are so many things
“I don’t want to wear jeans! I want to wear a skirt! NOOOOOO! This one is wrong!” I know what the problem is: The skirt doesn’t flare out when she spins. “CP, that skirt looks beautiful. You look great. Mommy’s skirt doesn’t flare when I spin either. But you still look great.” *crumbles to the
Ever have that moment when you feel validated for the job you’re doing as a parent? Let’s face it, those moments can be few and far between, but this past weekend, I experienced one of them. I’m a stickler with my daughter about thankfulness about appreciating what she has; as an only child in our
According to my mother, who may or may not suffer from a severe case of “momnesia” (that is, forgetting everything difficult about being a mom with the passage of time,) I never threw a single tantrum as a child, and my brother threw exactly one. My husband, on the other hand, was somewhat of a
When you really think about it, the whole scenario is ridiculous — a recipe for disaster. You meet someone, and no matter how well you think you know him/her, even if you’ve been together for years before making it official, you still don’t know how s/he will react in every situation. You just hope his/her reaction
I’m convinced my sons are hell-bent on making me think I am losing my mind. You see, they have apparently made some sort of pact that says something along the lines of this: “We, as brothers, vow to show the outside world that we are sweet, loving, boys who listen to our mother and are