children
Children: Our most valuable natural resource.
Baby-Led Solids
Never feed the baby?! Come, again? Are you suggesting I starve my baby? Of course not, people! I'm talking about offering solids and allowing baby to feed himself. This is baby-led solids. It is also referred to as 'baby-led weaning', but in my humble opinion, the term 'weaning' tends to scare moms who have a breastfeeding goal of at least one year. Technically, the introduction of foods means that we are moving away from breastmilk consumption. However, breastmilk or formula should be baby's main source of nutrition for at least the first year of life. Meaning: baby should be getting enough breastmilk or formula, alone, so that if baby isn't really interested in solids for a while after six months, it's okay because they are still getting everything they need from the milk. So, I feel like 'baby-led solids' is a more breastfeeding friendly term.
By Ashley Lichenstein7 years ago in Families
Why Halloween is So Important in Our House
The 31st of October means different things to different people, in different parts of the world. "Halloween," "Samhain," "Dia de Muertos." In our house, despite the tendency towards masks and costumes, Halloween is a chance for us to be ourselves.
By Megan Paul7 years ago in Families
The Life of a Mom
Well, one thing I know for sure... It's not easy being a Mom of two young babies who are only 10 months apart. We have a routine. We definitely need a routine. First, We wake up in the morning, change diapers, get breakfast, then it's play time. My youngest normally naps around 10:30, while my oldest destroys the house I had just cleaned while they ate breakfast. I don't understand how she contains so much energy in such a tiny little body. Although I probably never will.
By Maddison Whitman7 years ago in Families
Fun, Screen-Free Activities for Kids
In today's society, screens are ubiquitous. And as adults, we are probably the biggest culprits of excessive screen time. But our kids are not far behind us. Many kids seem downright addicted to TV, video games, and even smart phones. So, here are some fun activity ideas that don't involve screens.
By Jen Ayer Drake7 years ago in Families
Life Times Two with Autism
My younger self had always wanted to be a mother. I loved babies; it just seemed fitting. I had all these expectations on which gender I preferred and how many I wanted, and things would just be perfect. I would tell people constantly, “I want four kids, all boys.” By the time my first came and staying with my uncle and his four boys for a short time, the disappointment of it being a girl wore off fast! Growing up with a lot of siblings, I knew I wanted my daughter to experience the sibling love, so shortly after we fell pregnant again. After a false miscarriage, the shock of our lives hit us; we were having twin boys. Pregnancy and the birth of our twins went without a hitch and they had developed no different from any other infant. When it came to the point where babies start to speak, there was a short-lived mental panic I had; other twin moms I knew were expressing how their twins were starting to talk and, well, mine hadn’t quite reached there yet. But as quick as the panic came was as quick as it had left because they started saying the words every mother wants to hear first, “ma.” Something wasn’t right, though; call it mother’s intuition but I started to be concerned. Yes, they were saying “ma,” but they weren’t saying it directly to me. They would only say it if my sister came around, and even then, it wasn’t frequent. My sister and I would joke that they think she’s their real mama and trust me, they still treat her like a Queen and me nothing more than a mere peasant. Past the laughter there was a concern brewing. Is there something wrong with the boys?
By Kay Mclean7 years ago in Families
