I Spy Bags
My five-year-old daughter, Llama, likes to collect tiny objects. She’s obsessed with buying the eggs out of store vending machines and collecting the miniscule trinkets…
Parenting
Parenting tips, advice, kid’s activities and how to manage a family.
Beer Fudge Cupcakes
Truth be told. I’ve never enjoyed chocolate cake. Maybe I’ve never had great ones. They are always too dry and not fudgy enough for my…
I Heart Common Core
All across the internet, I see stories of people bashing common core – saying that the math is ridiculous and obtuse. I’m here to publicly…
DIY Family Sign
I don’t know why, but I fell in love with the saying “Remember, as far as anyone knows we’re a nice, normal family.” Maybe because…
Whole Wheat Freezer Waffles
I’ve been looking for ways to simplify our morning routine while eating healthy. I’ve heard of other families making waffles in big batches and freezing…
Parenting Pinterest Fail
Ever see a spectacular idea on Pinterest and then had it implode on you? This is one of those stories…
DIY Personalized Menu Board
I like to menu plan. Scratch that. I don’t LIKE to menu plan, but I feel it is the only way I can keep myself…
Go-to Crock Pot Meals
In my house, weekday dinners are insane. If I don’t have something cooking by 5:30pm, my sanity starts to disappear on account of my son’s…
No Sew T-Shirt Superhero Cape
Looking for a fun, simple, yet entertainment-filled craft to do with your kiddos? Try these No-Sew T-Shirt Capes. Literally takes five minutes, but the fun…
Broken Arm Baby
“Wheee… Mommy, look at Dude!” I swiveled my chair around and saw my son trying to climb into my husband’s office chair. I picked him…
1 Minute Science Experiments
Looking for a very simple science experiment to do at home with your kids? Maybe you need some ideas for summer or a rainy day. These are the coolest science projects I found that are unique, magical and use only household items.
Toddler Hitting Sibling
Not more than 2 seconds after they hop in the car, the screaming begins.
“No, that’s not what happened Erik. My lunch is at 11:35am, not 11:30.”
I brace myself.
“NO SISSY! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT”
And then, WHAP!
He reaches his little arm across the space in the bucket seats between them and hits her.
“Erik, DON’T HIT ME!!!”
That’s when I intervene.
I don’t know how school bus drivers do it. How do you discipline 30 kids when you’re trying to keep safe and focus on not veering your large yellow, monstrosity off the road
I’m in a Toyota Highlander with only two children and I’m ready to lose my mind.
4 And 6 Year-Old Siblings Fighting
They’re driving you crazy. The yelling. The screaming. Here’s a quick way on how to stop sibling fighting in your home.
Grumpy Child Syndrome
It’s the fifth temper tantrum of the morning.
Your son is mad at you because you poured milk on his cereal when he only wanted it on the side.
Your daughter huffs past you in a little ball of rage because her brother is taking all the attention… AGAIN.
And you?
You are fed up.
Yelling At Child Doing Homework
“Noooo… I can’t do it. I don’t have the time!!”
Have you heard this from your child when she sits down to do homework? My gosh, it wrecks me.
I can feel her overwhelm and so relate to it.
I know what it feels like to have so much to do and what seems like no time to do it.
So, I jump in and try to help.
“It’s ok sweetie, let’s write down all the things you have to do to get it out of your head.”
“NO!” she pouts back, “That won’t help. I don’t know any of this and I have to get started now.”
What do you do with that? You see the problem, you know the steps to take to fix it and yet your child pushes you away like you couldn’t possibly know what she’s talking about or what she’s dealing with.
Appropriate Punishment For Talking Back
Vitriol.
Anger.
All seemingly directed at me.
But its not about me. And its not about you either when your child turns on you with the rage of emotions and backtalk.
Middle School Girl Drama
Every week, your daughter tells you of a new conflict with a particular friend at school. You are losing your mind and feel helpless. Here’s how to help your daughter deal with friend drama.
How To Get A Child To Clean Up After Themselves
Ever walk in your house and become immediately overwhelmed with the stuff lying around?
Its bad enough when you have a kitchen junk counter stacked with 3 layers deep with kid’s artwork, random books and those gadgets for your door that you don’t want to throw away but you don’t really know how to install.
But then is all the stuff your kids leave laying in the living room or crammed onto the top of the family room game shelf.
How To Help Daughter With Mean Friends
Middle school was complete hell.
When my daughter entered sixth grade this year, I was terrified.
I didn’t want her to think it was her fault that other people were mean to her. I wanted her to know how to confront problems and the typical, stupid ways that people would react.
Ways that had nothing to do with her.
Girl drama is one of those things.
Failure As A Parent Quotes
It feels like all the behaviors your kids have are challenging.
But what if I told you those challenges are actually life skills that just need a little guidance?
This is how you can tell.
How To Speak Better With Our Family
It’s no secret that a strong family foundation is key to a happy and successful life. But perhaps when you try to have good communication…
How To Relax As A Mom
As moms, we’re so used to doing things for our kids that we find it hard to sit down and do something for ourselves. How…
What To Say To Your Child When Friends Are Mean
Mean kids. They’re everywhere.
Let’s face it. These kids who tease aren’t horrible human beings (although our mama bear senses want to say they are), they just lack social skills.
So if we want our kids to avoid these mean kids and seek out positive relationships, we as parents, need to teach them social skills.
How to Calm Down When Stressed
We all get into arguments with our kids that make us feel stressed and anxious. But how do we get out of that and move on to a solution with our kids? We give easy calm down strategies for your and your kids. You both will be able to cool down in no time flat!
These tips are perfect for parents and kids!
Easy DIY Outdoor Pillows for a Cute Porch
These simple DIY outdoor pillows take less than an hour to make.
Let’s do crafting therapy and give your porch some personality!
3 Simple Ways to Make Homework Fun
I’m going to be blunt.
Right now, your child’s homework time just plain sucks.
It does.
You dread it every night. “Hey, have you done your math homework yet?
“NO! I can’t do my homework. I don’t want to do it yet. Can’t I watch TV? I’ll do it after dinner.”
So much back and forth and back and forth. It’s become too much.
The question is, how do you make your child want to do homework?
How do you make homework less boring?
Podcast Episode 119: Finding your Authentic Self with Ryan Haddon
It can be hard finding your authentic self when we put so much energy into our family every day. It becomes so difficult to untangle where your identity ends and your identity as a parent begins (news flash- they are different)! We’re going to share 3 things you can do to have healthy boundaries with our kids and family and help you find your authentic self.
Is It Normal For Sisters To Fight
NO!! Give that back!”
“I’m looking at it right now, I’ll give it back in a little bit.”
“NOOO!!,” my son screams, “GIVE IT BACK NOW!!”
As usual, I grip the steering wheel and take a few deep breaths. My kids are fighting in the car… again.
Podcast Episode 86: Parenting on the Same Page with Amy McCready
It’s hard enough when you are trying to pick a place to go out to eat and no one is on the same page, but when you and your partner or co-parent aren’t on the same page…it can be downright agonizing! We discuss with Amy how parents can identify what the real issue is causing their parenting struggles and how to best get on the same page and become a united front.
5 Tips to Calm Your Anxiety
When you have anxiety, you feel like you’re all alone. But you’re not.
Here are 5 tips to cope with the anxiety we feel as moms.
Podcast Episode 028: Why Don’t Our Kids Listen Anymore?
Every day feels like a fight. Whether you ask your kids to pick up their shoes off the floor, to go get dressed for school, or simply to come join the family for dinner. It often feels like our kids simply don’t listen to us! But if we did just 3 simple things, we would see much different results.
Tween Mood Swings
You walk in the door from school. Your nine-year-old comes in after you.
Everything seems fine. She’s happy. All is well and good.
Then, you remind her that the dishwasher needs unloading.
Boom. It’s like something inside her detonates.
“Noooo… I don’t have time to do that. That’s so unfair. I can’t believe you’re making me do this!:
She glares at you, stomps over to the kitchen sink and starts crying.
WHA-ATT just happened? She was happy. I didn’t blame her. I just had a simple request.
Podcast 176: How to Stop the Yelling
Want to stop yelling at home? You’re not alone. Some of us grew up in ultra loud households where raised voices were just the normal…
Podcast Episode 112: What is Social Justice Parenting?
When it comes to parenting, so many of us want to raise “good kids”. Kids who will be kind to others, who can problem solve, kids who truly understand and act out of compassion, and who understand inclusivity, justice, and equality. But there is often a space between raising “good kids” and raising pro-justice kids. That’s where the concept of Social Justice Parenting comes in.
Podcast Episode 61: How Logical Consequences are More Effective Than Punishments at Home
Too often, we fall into the trap of punishing our kids in the heat of the moment after something’s happened. But that hardly ever works. Here, we’ll discuss the difference between logical consequences and punishments, as well as how to make effective logical consequences that will have a positive impact on your discipline at home.
Podcast Episode #146: How to Parent Like a Spy with Christina Hillsberg
Have you ever thought that being a parent should carry some training? How about spy training? I mean, who doesn’t want to learn how to parent like a spy? Meet Christina Hillsberg, former CIA agent and author who shares how her training as a spy has influenced her parenting with her 5 kids.
Get Siblings to Bond: 3 Steps to Get Kids to Stop Fighting (without getting in the middle)
Want a simple method to get kids to stop fighting and start figuring out their problems like actual human beings? I swear it’s possible. Here we go.
Middle School Organization Checklist
It’s 6pm on a Thursday and I get a frantic text from a friend. Her daughter goes to the same school as mine.
“Hey, does your daughter have the math test from 2 months ago? The teacher is letting Celina retake it but she can’t find it.”
“Yeah, hold on, let me ask her.”
My daughter does have the test – which she doesn’t hand over right away because she wants to know exactly why she needs it, what it will be used for… third degree basically.
Satisfied with all my answers,she opens her binder to the math section, pulls out the test and hands it to me.
“Thanks,” my friend texts back, “I don’t know what Celina did with it.”
Podcast Episode 116: Six Coping Skills That Will Change Your Kids Lives
Do you wonder how to teach good coping skills to your kids? We talk with Janine Halloran, LMHC, about everything parents should and shouldn’t do when learning and teaching good coping skills to kids.
Need a hobby, Mama? This Cricut project will bring you crafting joy.
As a mom, I put hobbies on the backburner.
I didn’t know I was doing it at the time. It wasn’t a conscious decision.
Podcast Episode 72: How to Reclaim Your Joy as a Mom
We share our thoughts on motherhood, the ups and downs of it all, and 3 essential tips on how to reclaim your joy as a mom during those rough days in parenting.
Could this be why you’re so frustrated as a mom?
Do you feel like you’re too nice?
One of my students called me out for that my first year of teaching.
In her very astute, wise little fifth grade voice she told me, “Mrs. Crohn, you are too nice”
But wait… don’t you want to be nice? Isn’t that something to aim for?
Kind yes. But nice…nice is taking on the full responsibility of other people’s feelings and adapting your behavior to make others happy.
That’s what I was doing when an 11-year-old called me out.
Podcast Episode #98: Talking about the Birds and the Bees with Brittany McBride
Why do so many of us feel a little squeamish when we even think about talking with our kids about sex? But it doesn’t need to and we have the answers.
How To Stop Being A Yelling Mom
If you have hard time trying to stop yelling as a mom, please know you’re not alone. You’re not a horrible person – or parent….
Creating A Bare Bones Budget When You’re Not Making Much Money
In the midst of this strange season of social distancing and change, money may well be a scary topic for you. Maybe you’re like my family and you’re working through a big loss of income due to the pandemic? Maybe overwhelm and anxiety define your money situation in this season of uncertainty? Maybe you’ve decided to keep your head down and eyes closed, playing the “if I don’t look at it, then it can’t be real game” that our kids played when they were little?
Homework Helper Middle School
Dread your middle schooler’s homework every night? These tips for middle school parents will guide you in effective homework strategies.
There I was, sitting in my son’s 7th grade Parent-Teacher conferences, listening to the Literature teacher tell me the same thing I have heard for the past few years at every single conference…
“Your son is very bright, well-behaved, an absolutely pleasure in class. However, he doesn’t seem to get his homework done. And our first test of the year didn’t go very well for him.”