It’s no secret that drinking water is essential to our survival. But sometimes getting your kids to drink water is like pulling teeth. As parents we need to ensure our children get enough water during the day and that can be a bit of a challenge especially if they prefer sweet or flavorful drinks. Again …
We are getting down to the wire, and if you are like me, you are COMPLETELY out of ideas for what to do with that d*** Elf on the Shelf. I have taken to stealing ideas from my friends, and I’m not even sorry. So, what do you do when your idea well has run …
I love me some olive oil. Mix it with some seasoning and balsamic vinegar, and then dunk your thinly sliced crusty bread right in. OMG. I just drooled a little. You can also use it, and probably do, for spaghetti sauces, salad dressings, hummus, pesto, and even to roast those veggies. As far as flavoring …
Usually the goal of cleaning is to keep the creepy-crawlies out of your house. That’s the whole reason we put away our half-eaten food, sweep the floor, and clean the counters. Well, the goal is keeping the bugs out AND the fact that it’s just gross to leave out food and have piles of goo …
Those crazy youths. They are up to it again, and the stupid kids they are posting about it on TikTok. Have you heard the term “Devious Licking?” Well, I hadn’t until today, and let me say, if my kids pull this crap they are going to regret the day. Devious Licking is a little bit …
Am I the only one who struggles to get her kids to clean up ANYTHING? I’m talking about their laundry, their dishes at dinner, their towels in the bathroom, plates and trash in their rooms, and the list goes on. I have tried just about everything, and I usually just resort to cleaning it up …
TikTok for the life hack win!! I swear, I learn so much from the TikTok social media giant!! They are my life hack go-to. This simple hack can be used in a classroom to keep kids on task. It can even be used at home, as a reward for doing chores, helping, being nice, or …
I have a preteen son, and you know what that means. There are smells in this house that satan himself can’t even describe. The worst offender are the kid’s feet. OH. MY. Gosh. I mean, I have to remind him DAILY to put on deodorant, and that quells off the armpit stink, but his feet …
When I was a teenager, I swore I would never be one of those “old” people who didn’t understand the phrases and words that only the young people use. Well here I am, I few years past old, and I have no idea what my teenager is saying half the time. Writing for a pop …
There is a new challenge going around TikTok, and THIS one I can get behind — unlike some of the other more idiotic challenges that have gone viral. Ha! In this particular TikTok challenge you simply hold out your hand to your child, and then see what their reaction is. I could watch the results …
It’s that time of year when we all grab our suits and jump in the pool to avoid the scorching temps. But, the CDC has put out a warning about swimming with diarrhea — you shouldn’t do it. Their message is getting a little lost, though, because the graphic they used is so ridiculously funny. …
There is a trend going around TikTok that has people sticking cloves of garlic up their noses, and doctors are warning that it is a bad idea. Really? A doctor had to warn us of this. I learned not to stick things up my nose when I was like 2 years old. Ya know, I …
As the world starts to open back up, I have never been so aware of the amount of just-plain-courtesy that is lacking in society. Oh, don’t worry — I’ve had to get on to my kids PLENTY — and even my husband — as we seem to have forgotten what manners are and what they’re …
A teen is in the hospital, fighting for her life, because she set herself on fire after trying to recreate the Fire Challenge, which she saw on TikTok. Say it with me, “We Don’t Have To Try Everything We See On TikTok!” Some of these challenges aren’t fun and games y’all — they are REALLY …
Turns out, I have been finishing my texts wrong, and I don’t know whether to *shake my head*, *roll my eyes*, or just go with it. Now, I majored in English in college, so sometimes it’s really hard for me to not write like I’m submitting a thesis to one of my professors. That flows …
I’ve had to come to terms with something very recently. I am no longer “cool.” Maybe I’m old — or maybe I don’t keep up well enough with what the kids are into these days. My 13-year-old daughter informed me today, however, that I dress like a “mom.” Ouch. Arrow straight through the heart. LOL!! …
ICYMI, the ? emoji isn’t cool anymore??!!?? Gen Z. You’re so sweet and cute, but you’re killing me! Lawdy Bee! (That’s a southern expression, for all you not in the know. It means, “For Goodness Sakes” or “For Crying Outloud!”) When did I get so old?? It seems like just YESTERDAY, my generation was dictating …
Are you a boy mom? Do you know a pre-teen boy? ARE you a pre-teen boy? OMG! I have a 9-year-old son, and he drives me CRAZY with his hyperactive, constantly moving, overly dramatic, always talking antics — and I thought I was alone in my “suffering.” Ha! Turns out, apparently I’m not the only …
The Twitterverse is all up in arms about Can Opener Dad, John Roderick — who’s Twitter account has since been taken down. Apparently, John’s hungry nine-year-old daughter asked him to open a can of baked beans, and he saw it as a great opportunity to teach her a lesson — a SIX HOUR lesson — …
I first learned about these wrapping wars when my friend posted a picture on Facebook of the gift she was wrapping for her fiance. It. Was. Hilarious. She started by wrapping the thing all in duct tape. Have you ever tried to undo duct tape? Ha! You need scissors. But, she didn’t stop there. She …
You just walk into a big box store, and someone at the back of the store is having a nice conversation with their SO. That person happens to have COVID, and isn’t wearing a mask. Did he just infect everyone in the store? There is no simple answer to this. I mean, technically the opportunity …
My daughter, my first born, is thirteen years old. I didn’t think this was going to be any kind of big deal. She has always been a sweet and loving soul. She has cared for her brother, who has been like her best friend for eight wonderful years. She would hug and cuddle with Mom …
Good gosh. Anyone walking by outside my house right now would swear there are children inside being caned with bamboo rods. One might think an animal in the house is dying a tortuous death, and screeching in an agonizing deathly howl. Those outside would probably think we are tyrants who specialize in torment by acid. It’s …
Times are crazy right now, and teenage girls have decided they are ready to go back to basics. I never thought I would say this, but the hottest trend right now is ankle length prairie girl skirts and lacy eyelet blouses. That’s right, teenage girls have gone full little house on the prairie with the …
This is my rant for the week. I’ve kept quite as long as humanly possible. I’ve tried to just smile my way through, and not ruffle any feathers. It’s so much easier to just do all the things, instead of fight about them. But, I’ve had it. FAMILY: YOU ARE ALLOWED TO CHANGE THE TOILET …
You don’t have to tell me, I’m right there with you. Remote learning with the kids is hard work! I thought it would be this fun time of bonding with my kids, easily doing their assignments in the mornings, and then having the afternoons to hang out and do fun things. This is NOT at …
In 4 days, my daughter will be 13 years old. When the heck did that happen? It seems like just YESTERDAY we were going on her 3rd grade field trip together, then BOOM. I blinked, and she turned into a teenager. Is it weird that I feel like I’m losing my sweet little baby? I …
I love my kids with all of my heart. I really do. So don’t get the wrong impression from this post. I have a 3 year old son and a 1 year old daughter and they are truly my world. HOWEVER…they are sucking the life out of me. I remember when my son was born …
OMG! I am never going to be able to get this song out of my head! Y’all know the Pen Pineapple Apple Pen guy? If you don’t, just let me school you. You’re welcome in advance Now, this catchy song is — wait for it — a hand washing song. You knew it was coming! …
The kids are home and I’m about to lose it. Don’t get me wrong, I love my little hyperactive, feral children, but I’m about to lose my mind. If my son asks for ONE MORE extra meal, or my daughter proclaims AGAIN in that piercing, whiny voice, “I’m bored,” I’m going to lose a little …
At some point, we decided that Algebra was more important than theater. We decided that learning to read music was less important than learning about dead presidents and old wars. We decided that knowing how to use negative space in your drawing didn’t matter as much as knowing what a preposition was. And I think …
It’s getting to be about that time, when 100 days of school have passed and elementary students everywhere celebrate what is essentially the coolest school day of all. When I was a teacher, one of my students brought in 100 balloons for the 100th day of school, and I had to do the same thing …
When our kids are little and they need us to feed them and clothe them and burp them, it’s easy. We are their only means of survival. Our role as parent and caregiver is pretty much, “Do this or your kid will die.” Then, as they grow up a bit, we have to start letting …
I don’t know about you, but Christmas put quite a dent in my funds, and I’m going to use the month of January to get my life back on track. I’m calling it – “No Purchasing Extra Stuff” or NOPES. How does NOPES work? You don’t buy anything extra. No makeup, no clothes, no treats …
Once a month, I turn into a raging hormonal witch. This has been happening to me now for almost 30 years, and honestly I’m not sure there’s anything I can do about it. I’ve tried everything from medications to breathing and even having them shove a little device up in my hooha that was supposed …
Up until high school my kid was not allowed to use her phone during school hours. They had to put them in their lockers and if teachers saw them using them at all they were in big trouble. Now that she’s in high school, and they don’t even have lockers that’s all different. They can …
Kids have bad days. And that’s okay. Often times we look at our kids and say things like, “It’s just a missing shoe.” Or, “I know you wanted oatmeal, but we are out of it.” And we dismiss the fact that, to them, these are real problems, and this is a chance for them to …
Tiktok is a new social media app that’s sort of a weird version Instagram stories was a bunch of teenagers making up dances to songs that used to be popular decades ago and also drawing on themselves. My big suggestion is to GET a tiktok account so you can monitor what your kids are doing. …
Pookah shell necklaces, friendship bracelets, parachute shorts, scrunchies, oversized t-shirts, Birkenstock’s, and a big messy bun on top of your head now makes you something called a VSCO girl. Which is crazy, because I just described the outfit I wore to school all four years of high school. The term Vsco girl actually originated on …
There’s a new product out on the market, and it’s HOT. Teens aren’t vaping, and they aren’t smoking. They’re all juuling, and here’s what you need to know. The Juul is one of the hottest e-cigs on the market, and teens everywhere are using them. They’re super discreet and easy to hide which makes them …
My daughter is starting high school next week, and I am so excited, nervous, happy and scared for her. There are a few things I want her to know before it starts though, so here goes. It’s harder to talk to you now than when you was just starting school. Because the topics are more …
It seems like yesterday my daughter was three years old. She turned 14 back in June, and I have to be honest… I have no idea if I am raising her the right way. My whole goal in life is to raise her to be a good, kind person. To help those in need, and …
White, peach, brown and black were the colors you used to color in a drawing of a person when I was a kid. And that was fine if you were one of those colors, but there are so many kids who just aren’t. Skin color is something we need to celebrate. Kids need to know …
Not very often will you hear me admit my husband was right. Only because, I am quite stubborn but seriously, this is one of those times my husband was right and how I wish I had listened to him. < Mark that one on the calendar. About a year ago our oldest son jumped on …
Teenagers are going to talk about sex. They’re going to kiss, they’re going to have boyfriends and girlfriends, some of them are going to have sex, but they will all talk about it. And there’s a whole new thing that exists now that did not exist when parents of teenagers were their age— sexting. I’m …
Teenagers? Are you even kidding me? I was in no way prepared for what it takes to be the mom of a teenager, and I had 13 years to prep for this. Side Note: My teenager walked in while I was reading this and said, “WHAT DID I DO?” Oh, kid… you don’t even know… …
When my daughter came to me and told me some of her friends were having sex, I wasn’t sure how to respond. They are, after all, only in the ninth grade. Sure we’ve had all the sex talks, and the puberty talks, and the safe sex talks, too. But I just thought I had more …
The other day I wrote about how much I love my teenage daughter. This isn’t anything new. I’ve been writing on this very site about how much I love her since she was six months old. Posting pictures on Facebook, talking about our life, and just doing what pretty much every other parent does. She’s …
It’s summer, and that means swimming. With swimming comes extra safety, and one of the most important things you need to about know this summer is dry drowning. First of all, you need to know that kids drowning outside the pool or lake is actually very rare, and can be prevented. There are two types …
Next year you are a high schooler. Next year is when they say school starts to “count.” Next year you go to school in the same building as some students who are legal adults. They’ll be able to vote and buy cigarettes, and I have to remember that you aren’t a baby anymore. I know …
Any time someone asks about cell phone use in teens and tweens on Facebook, everyone responds with how their kids don’t have their phones in their rooms, how they aren’t giving their kids phones until they are old enough to drive, or how their kids aren’t on insta-snapper-twatter and by golly they won’t be. And …
Talking to teens about their body and changes isn’t always a simple topic, but it’s an important one. If you’re looking for ways to help ease into the conversation, these simple tips can help. Being a teen isn’t easy. And what’s even more than that is that being a teen comes with a lot of …
Should you pierce a child’s ears if they don’t want you to? According to this open letter written by a former Claire’s employee Raylene Marks, if you don’t pierce a child’s ears when a parent asks you to, you can lose your job. When my daughter was four, she really wanted to get her ears …
Edible glitter is an actual thing. I don’t know about you guys, but with the holidays approaching my Pinterest boards are filling up with all kinds of yummy looking desserts.
Dora the Explorer is banned from our house. Be it the theme song, stuffed animals, or pretend play, none of it is allowed. I went through too many years of the obsession every toddler and preschooler seems to have with this curious girl and her monkey. When my daughter was about 3 or 4, she …
Ahh, drunk shopping. Look, we’ve all be there, after a few glasses of wine, and a scroll through our Facebook wall, the ad for the perfect bra or mascara pops up, and ten minutes later we are entering in our paypal deets a few days later a package arrives and we are like, “Yaay drunk …
Today my daughter told me she didnʼt want to become a woman. It was 11 pm and I heard a shy tap at my door. Groggily, I said “come in” and was annoyed to see my 10 year old out of bed. After a short scolding about being up after bedtime, I asked her if …
Yesterday was St. Patrick’s day, and my Facebook feed was filled with leprechaun traps, leprechaun footprints and pots ‘o gold at the end of the rainbow. What? Are you kidding me? This is a holiday about green beer and shakin’ your shamrocks. Who the heck decided to turn this into another Pinterest holiday? I mean, …
I’m sure by now you’ve heard the story about the six year using her mom’s finger print to buy $250 worth of Pokémon paraphernalia off Amazon, right? A little Christmas gift to herself shall we say. It’s been making the rounds on Facebook via blog posts from several of the go to guys, and she’s …
I have a shameful admission to make: I don’t like Girl Scout Cookies. I think Samoas might be the Pumpkin Spice Latte of the cookie world. It’s not that it’s so good, you just can’t get it all year long. Does anyone really like Thin Mints, or do we all just pretend so we don’t look …
Look, sometimes you just don’t want to take your dang school pictures. You have to stand in line, watch the flash over and over again, and when it’s finally your turn you get about four seconds to say cheese and give ’em the pearly whites. But this little boy? Well… Not so much. He just …
Formula is being compared to tobacco use. He is calling for prescription formula and the ban of all marketing of formula such as advertisements, free samples and product placements. Oh, mama. This is such a crazy time where experts are now telling you what to feed your kids. Erik Assadourian, a man who has never …
“What did you throw away from your lunch today,” I ask my kids as a daily ritual when they get home from school. “I don’t like crackers anymore,” declares my daughter. “I only threw away the carrots and banana,” my son says, like it’s no big deal. This is a daily battle for us. Yes, …
Dear Mom of the child who just cut her own hair, Right now you’re super upset. I know you’re seeing your baby with that jagged homemade haircut cut with scissors that she’s not even supposed to be touching, and you’re reacting one of two ways. Either you’re resigned to what’s done is done, or you are …
Maybe I am crazy, but wasn’t the point of allowing girls into the boy scouts to integrate the troops? To make it more inclusive? I don’t understand why we are getting excited about all girl troops in the boy scouts. I don’t understand why this is even a thing. Why aren’t we integrating these troops? …
Earlier today, while driving home from story time at the library my kid was munching down on some raisins, and I hear from the back seat, “nose oh nose nose NOSE NOSE NOSE!!!” I pull over, and lo and behold guess who has shoved a raisin up her nose!? Well, crap I was in the …
I do this all the time in all sorts of different things. I don’t know if it’s a self-esteem issue of what, but every time something goes wrong, I blame myself. Then I dwell on what I could do better and try to fix it.
The idea of bringing home a baby only like 24-48 hours after she’s introduced to the world made me panic for weeks before she was due. That’s just like 2 days (at most) of nurses helping me! Babies don’t come with a manual, but they really should. Since I’ve done this a couple of times …
Whoever thought up Elf On The Shelf was either the meanest most evil or caring most loving person on the planet. There is no in between. I get it, it’s Christmas time, and we all want to give our kids a magical time to remember, but Elf of The Shelf is just too much. I …
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (that’s basically the Bible for those parents out there raising little ones) children should now stay in rear facing seats as long as possible. But what does that mean? The new car seat rules say that parents should keep children’s car seats rear facing until at least the …
Baby stains are not fun. Whether it’s a stain from last night’s spaghetti throwing episode (starring your 12-month-old) or it’s the aftermath of an explosion (you know what I am talking about) the results are always the same; the stains are terribly hard to remove! So today I am going to share with you 5 …
Baby safety is one of those things that everyone can agree on. In that it’s important to keep babies safe.
HOW you should keep those babies safe? Well, that’s a different story,
Over the last few weeks I’ve become a mostly stay-at-home-dad. I’ve been working two, maybe three days a week while my wife is crushing it in her new, fancy accounting job. When my better half and I switched roles, I knew I’d keep busy. I’ve got rooms to clean, and endless stream of laundry to …
Excuse me a second while I take some medicine and blow my nose. I don’t know where you live, but it’s cold season here. It’s that season where you pile on some warm, comfy pajamas and curl up on the couch. Season 3 of Gilmore Girls isn’t going to watch itself. Maybe take an hour-long …
Tonight my daughter told me she hated me. She screamed it, in fact, before flipping her hair and marching upstairs to her bedroom. The door slammed and while part of me wanted to run after her and talk to her, I knew the best thing would be to give her time to cool down. My …
Raising a child is a darn frightening experience. Moms, have you even seen what those things look like coming out? Of course you haven’t. You’re up there enjoying your drugs and…I don’t know…iced coffee? I might be misremembering my children’s birth. I was really lightheaded during the first go-around. I don’t remember much but I …
We all know the things we say matter, but sometimes in the heat of it we say some things that are hard to take back. Today I was at the grocery store when I heard a fed-up mother yell at her kids to, “Shut the h*ll up.” I get it. We’ve all been frustrated and …
I remember long drives as a child that I would spend talking at my mother. Telling her stories. Jabbering away. Reading to her. I ran my mouth a lot. Now I’ve got my own (step) child and… Mom, if you read this, I’m so sorry. You were a great mom and now that I have …
Sometimes it seems like teenagers are physically attached to their cell phones, but for one family that attachment came at a tragic cost. Madison Coe, 14, of Lubbock, Texas, died Sunday morning while either plugging in her cell phone while taking a bath, or using her plugged-in cell phone in the bathtub. Her heartbroken family …
It’s July and by this point you’ve crafted, painted, planted, and probably taken the kids to at least a couple of snow cone stands. And it’s hot. So hot. So you’re a mom, staying home with the kids, in the heat, and because they’re bored they basically fight every single waking moment. That’s exactly what …
Babies breathe weird. Sometimes it is literally impossible to tell if they’re breathing at all. I, like most moms, have experienced that momentary freak out in the middle of the night while my face is shoved straight into baby’s bassinet to find out if she’s alive. Sometimes, when she takes a nap during the day, …
Words matter. That’s the big takeaway from the Michelle Carter conviction. While we parents were busy worrying about whether our children should watch 13 REASONS WHY, a series based off of a popular young adult book written by Jay Asher, the real life case of a young woman who convinced her boyfriend to commit suicide …
If you are a stepparent then you can completely understand what I mean when I say that being a stepparent isn’t something everyone can accomplish successfully. To be honest, I am not sure if I can even say that I am a successful stepmom, especially when I feel like I can always be better. In …
This is always a funny topic to me to hop on. It always seems to shock people when I tell them that I am a mom of 5 and only 36 and my oldest is 17. I am told quite often that I don’t look old enough to have that many kids… or that they …
Fidget spinners are awesome. But, let’s face it: pretty soon your kids are going to be tired of them and you’ll be stepping on them in the dark just like you do all their other discarded toys. It happens. Kids have an attention span equal to a gnat on speed and while fidget spinners might …
I’m at a slight monetary disadvantage this year for the festivities normally heaped on daddies for this day of honor. I have to dust off my powers of creativity, and get down and dirty with inexpensive ideas for my father and my husband. Forget the cliche tie that’s going to be thrown in a drawer …
They are old enough, however, for a few extra chores. And, quite frankly, I need the help around the house.
I’m in my bed, in the middle of the afternoon, with my covers pulled over my head. My body is chilled from the inside out, and I can’t stop coughing that barky, rough cough that just sounds painful. It feels like somebody is running a feather duster up and down my raw throat, choking me and …
I am laying in my nice, cozy bed. My blankets are pulled up and over my ears like I prefer, and the house is quiet with sleep. Unfortunately, I drank about a gallon of iced tea before bed, so my bladder is calling in the most urgent way. I sit up, sleep still rolling off …
It’s so easy to just go through the routine. “Great, Mother’s Day is today,” my husband thinks. “Better stop by Walgreens and pick up something quick and easy.” He rushes in and out, hardly even noticing what he has grabbed. It was in the appropriate aisle, so it will do. The kids begrudgingly get out …
It’s 2am. The entire house is asleep. The kids are tucked in their beds, Mom and Dad are snoring away in peaceful slumber, even the dog has made a cozy nest and is fast asleep. Night has fallen like a cozy blanket over the house, and the only sound is the air conditioner kicking on …
I went to the grocery store today and it didn’t matter which aisle I went down, I heard this low humming sound. At first I thought it was my cell phone. Nope, that was still at home on the kitchen counter along with my grocery list. Then, I looked for something in the shelves. Nope. …
Mother’s Day. Just saying the words invoke images of gifts made of crepe paper, frumpy bathrobes, stand mixers, flowery stationary, or maybe a box of chocolates, or grocery-store flowers. Not that I’m not appreciative. These are all great gifts, but let’s get real for a minute. There are some, shall we say, less traditional gifts …
My 16 year old daughter is obsessed with My Little Pony. The thing is, I actually enjoy it myself, because let’s face it: “Friendship is magic.” I feel like I know far more about My Little Pony now than I did when I was a kid. She’s taught me the different generations of ponies, like in the …
Who doesn’t love a good road trip?! In a car, with the windows down, hair blowing in the wind, music blaring, and the pristine country hurtling by at top speeds. Your friend, or maybe your significant other is driving, and you are in the passenger seat, head thumping to the music, LuLaRoe on your legs, …
I had this grand dream when my kids were toddlers. We were going to be so happy. They would start school, and things would run as smooth as clockwork. The kids were going to have chores, and appreciate pitching in to help the family. We were going to have delicious family meals every night, where …
We all have that friend who can’t cook even a simple meal. None of us are perfect, we all fall short. Heck, I don’t know how to ride a bike. But guess what? I don’t need to know how to ride a bike because I have a car. But if you’re on a camping trip …
My prom invitations might have been chiseled on stone tablets, we may have had dinosaurs in attendance, and it may have been in a dark, dank cave, but I remember what a big deal prom was. I get it. Prom is a rite of passage for most high-school students. I have one little question, however. …
You bring home this perfect, tiny, wrinkly human from the hospital, and you expect life to be easy. I mean, you know there will be sleepless nights, dirty bottles galore, and diapers that smell of toxic waste, but you’ve read all the books. You know how to raise this child. You got this! You’ve memorized …
I walk into the house, and my nostrils are immediately assaulted with the pungent combination of cheese, death, wet dog, and month-old expired milk. If this were a movie, my hair would be blown backwards with the stench coming at me like a wave on the wind. What is that?!? The most horrible thing any mom …