4 Steps to Increasing Your Tween’s Independence

For all the things the tweenage years bring, increased independence is probably my favorite. Sure, it’s the source of many arguments and personal anxiety-induced breakdowns, but it’s also a time of tremendous discovery for my adolescent. Increased independence provides our tweens with vitally important baby steps into the real world, where decision making and common […]

It’s Your Kids’ School’s Fault They’re So Tired and Crabby

A new study conducted by the Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center has linked later school start times to improved daytime functioning in adolescents. Researchers found that delaying school start times by only 25 minutes led to an average of 29 additional minutes of sleep for students and a 26 percent increase in students receiving eight or […]

I Feared My Parents – and Think That’s a Good Thing

I grew up fearing my kind and loving parents for one very simple reason: they meant business. While my parents gave me all the affection and support I could wish for, I guess you could classify my upbringing as old school. I wasn’t given many choices when it came to things like meals, bedtimes or […]

7 Easy Winter Slow Cooker Recipes Every Working Parent Needs

Baby, it’s frozageddon outside! We know just how much effort it takes to even get out of bed during these cold winter months, so I rounded up our favorite slow-cooker recipes that are sure to fill your family’s bellies and warm their hearts. Take a look at 7 easy slow cooker recipes every working parent […]

How Reading With My Son Made Me a Better Mother

I may blog for a living, but I was never much of a reader. In fact, my Facebook feed was about all the reading you’d find me making time for. Given the choice between a book and Us Weekly, I’d choose the Us Weekly every time because Ooo! Look at all the pretty pictures! I […]

Our Parents Didn’t Worry This Much

A couple of days ago I was on the phone with my best friend. Let’s just call her Gwen because that’s her name. Gwen has 6-year-old triplets while I just have the one 6-year-old (who feels like triplets) so naturally, the conversation turned to our kids. We talked about the funny/cute things our kids were […]

Boy Wonders: 10 Things I Wouldn’t Change About My Parents

It’s Boy Wonder again. I’m back writing because some people thought the last thing I wrote about 10 things I wished I could change my parents was harsh. It wasn’t really a big deal. All my friends want to change things about their parents and besides, I talk to my parents about this stuff all […]

I’m Actually a Pretty Good Mom

It’s easy at the end of a tough day to rush to my keyboard – fingers abuzz, eyeballs soaked with tears – and blog out every last parenting doubt, fear, and seemingly insurmountable challenge that I neither have the courage, nor the tenacity to tackle in that moment. I’ve blogged for advice, blogged for reassurance, […]

16 Simple Ways to Connect With Your Kids

As the mother of tween, I find myself bargaining with Father Time on the regular. In my futile attempt to negotiate the amount of time I have left with my growing boy, the diminishing number of seasons, vacations, and even weekends he has left at home remain at the forefront of my mind. My younger […]

7 Signs Your Kid Might Be Addicted to Video Games

“Mom, I love video games so much. I’m addicted!” touts my 6-year-old. “Now there’s something to proud of,” I silently mutter to myself. What my son doesn’t know is that video game addiction is a very real compulsion that often begins innocently enough. For all he knows, video games are nothing more than a fun […]