Tag Archives: parenting

6 Awesome Educational Kids Shows

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They say kids shouldn’t watch too much TV and I totally agree. Too much TV isn’t a good thing. That being said, there are some educational kids shows I’m okay with my son watching as much as he wants. Obviously, I’d prefer he do something active or enriching, but that isn’t always a possibility. There are also times where I need him to do something that’s a little more calm and relaxing and doesn’t have his little body and mind firing on all cylinders. In those moments, these educational kids shows are AMAZING. This post contains affiliate links. Making a purchase through one of these links will provide me with a small commission at no additional cost to you. Your … More…

How to Keep Kids Safe Around Dogs

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Choosing to have dogs in a home with children is a decision many parents make. And it is a great one! I cannot imagine my childhood without our lovable German Shepherds or our Siberian Husky mix who lived to be nearly 18 years old. They were my protectors, my playmates, and a source of constant entertainment in our home. Naturally, I want to provide my son with those same memories. But, if there is one thing I learned throughout all of those years with our dogs, it’s that they are animals. Animals who can and will act on instinct, usually to protect themselves. Even though we love and trust them, and they do us, it is critical to always be … More…

How You’ve Changed and Grown: A Letter to My Son

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My Dear, Sweet Boy, This week, you turned four. I know all parents say “the time has flown by” and “you’re getting so big,” etc. And all of that is true. But more than that, I’m just so amazed by how drastically you’ve changed and grown over this time and also how much we’ve changed and grown together. Especially in the past year. At the beginning of age three, you were struggling in daycare to the point where they decided that they could not manage to handle you. They thought you were autistic. I cried in the director’s office as she told me warning sign after warning sign that they saw in you and threw information at me. Shortly after, … More…

7 Ways to Make a Birthday Extra Special!

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It’s no secret that I love celebrating and everything that goes along with it. Planning and organizing an awesome birthday party? Yep. Making holidays extra special with holiday traditions? You bet. One thing I want to do is find little ways to show my son how important he is to us on his birthday. I’ve been thinking about this a lot as his birthday gets closer (three weeks!). I’ve been thinking about all the ways to make a birthday special, but without going crazy on cost or spending a ton of time I just don’t have. He’s getting older and hitting the point where he’ll begin to remember his birthdays and how we spend them. I want nothing more than … More…

An easy, healthy sweet treat kids will absolutely love!

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Summertime treats are a big hit in our house. To be honest, it doesn’t even have to be summer. Ice cream, popsicles, lemonade. You name it, we love it. What I don’t love is how sugary and unhealthy all of those treats are. Even the “healthy” versions are loaded with junk, and I don’t feel good giving them to my son on a regular basis. When my son recently discovered popsicles and began to constantly ask for them, I knew I had to find a simple, healthy alternative to the ones we bought at the store. So I decided to start making smoothie popsicles. They are the healthy sweet treat I had been looking for. He loves them and I … More…

How to make time with family a top priority

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Family is important. It’s one of the most important things in life. Yet we constantly find ourselves wishing we had more time because we don’t spend enough time with our families. Why is that? It sometimes seems like everything urgent in life rushes in and crowds out the important stuff. We struggle to make time with family a top priority. That’s why we have to schedule family time in order to protect it as one of our core priorities. I’ve always been very family focused. Even as a little girl, I could never imagine moving too far away from my close-knit community of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Anything less than twice weekly visits just seemed wrong. But as I … More…

I am Tired – A letter to my spirited child

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You, my dear boy, who are turning three today, are a force to be reckoned with. I just wish it wasn’t me that had to be the one doing the reckoning. You are a spirited child combined with a wicked array of genetic “gifts” that never seem to stop giving. You wear me and your daddy out. To be completely honest, there are some days that our first stress-free, relaxed breath of the day is when we confirm you have fallen asleep for the night. The only energy we have left is enough to maybe watch an old episode of The Office before taking a bedtime almost as early as you. You have big emotions in that little body; your … More…