I live in a state of “constant”. Most moms do. While I’m working on one task, I’m thinking about the next one or making a list for the next several. Speaking of which – I love lists. They give me the freedom to forget. Anyway… I work three days a week. On my way home I mentally walk through the evening’s to-do list: homework, the supper plan, whether or not the kids need baths, whether or not I need to do laundry, whether or not Chad or I have plans that evening. It helps me to be prepared when I … Read the rest
Category Archives: Parenting
My Three Very, VERY Different Children
I’ve talked before with friends about how I have to be three different moms, given that I have three very different kids. I was silly enough to think when I was pregnant with my third that I had it all down – although really, I hadn’t even potty-trained anyone yet, what was there to have down already? The thing is, it doesn’t matter. None of them are the same in any way about anything. Let me give you some examples.
Potty training
Grace took several attempts, but once she got it it was very quick, really she had it in … Read the rest
What is HAPPENING???
Lately I’ve felt that we’re in a pretty good place with parenting. We’re being consistent, we’re staying calm, we’re not reacting, we’re not engaging in their fits or boundary-challenging (ok, if you were with me Wednesday night, we hit a speed bump, but we made it to bedtime)… we’re in an upward trend. Here’s what I’m learning about upward trends: the kids don’t like it. They want to be the ones in control, not us. They want to see if we mean what we say. They want to see if they can find the right combination of buttons to push … Read the rest
My Momma Decrees
We’re sort of a house of one-liners. A friend of mine once said she pictured me walking around with flash cards I could just hold up as needed. Here are some of my favorites. My kids know them pretty well.
It’s my turn to eat.
Crying won’t make me change my mind.
If no one’s bleeding, you need to figure it out on your own.
If you didn’t throw up, go back to bed.
You won’t get in trouble for being mad, you will get in trouble for being disrespectful.
If you wipe your mouth (or nose) on your shirt … Read the rest
A Little Note from Grace
Don’t Compare!
Grace is extraordinarily left-brained. She loves to write, read, color, play the piano, sing, perform – if it is in any way artistic, she loves it and does it well.
Eli is extraordinarily right-brained. He loves to build things and take them apart, discover how something works and what it does (and if he can break it), replicate machinery he sees with Legos, and can do math like nobody’s business.
Everyone says you shouldn’t compare your children, but I have no other benchmark to use. My experience with reading is that Grace does it well and Eli hates it. My … Read the rest
Watch Out for Momma Bear
She’s somewhere inside us moms. She’s usually sleeping — but with one eye always open. She’s ready to wake up and spring into action at a moment’s notice and does not discriminate. She will attack anyone, anywhere, anytime. I don’t care if it’s your sweet 6 year-old at church…if I see her slap MY child one more time it’s going down. I’ll forgive once – chances are he deserved it. Twice – no sir.
And don’t be fooled. Momma Bear does NOT look like this:
No, no. Momma Bear looks like THIS.
Yesterday, Momma Bear came out at my
… Read the rest Survival Mode
You know what that means. You know how that feels. We’ve all been there. I was there last week. ALL week. We camped there. All three of my children had fevers for 5 days, 2 of those were when we got 12 inches of snow. So not only were they sick, we were home-bound.
I suppose the silver lining could be that they were all sick at the same time, and I didn’t have one sick kid a week for three weeks. But. It gets sort of tricky keeping track of three children’s fevers, cold medicine dosage and times, and … Read the rest
My New Catch Phrase
As I’ve mentioned several times, I’m currently reading Boundaries for Kids with my Life Group. It is, hands down, the best parenting book I’ve ever read. (I love Babywise too, but for today we’ll call that a sleeping book.) A common theme for this book is to validate your children’s emotions and feelings, but stay firm. Be consistent. Let your No be No. So my new catch phrase around the house is I’m not changing my mind.
Grace, I know you’re sad, and it’s ok to cry, but I’m not changing my mind.
Eli, I know you’re mad, and you … Read the rest
What Will I Miss?
Picture if you will, I’m dropping my kids off at school, on the phone with a friend, I shout “Good bye! I love you!” Then Ada shouts “Bye! I will miss you! Have a great day!” Then the other 2 shout back to both of us… and my friend on the phone is just laughing. I asked, “Don’t you miss this?” She said, “Honestly… no.” I don’t think I’ll miss the chaos of having a 5, 6, and 7 year-old.
But then when I dropped Ada off, she walked away doing her signature butt-wiggle waddle, waving without turning to look … Read the rest