Parenting Is Hard Work

Even though I have been a parent for a relatively short time, almost three years to be exact, I am acutely aware of just how tough of a job it is. When I had my first baby, I learned that it was not easy to keep up with his needs let alone take care of myself and my home. As Dylan grew so did his needs, and taking care of him became even more challenging. At the same time, despite the challenges of raising a toddler there are also many rewards. Things like watching him master new pieces of playground … Continue reading

Buddhism For Mothers

A couple of days ago I started reading a very helpful parenting book. While this book has not helped me to solve any of my current toddler parenting dilemmas just yet, it has helped me to begin approaching them in a slightly different way. Before I launch into my description of the book and why I am enjoying it, I will offer up my favorite piece of parenting advice. That advice is to take what is useful and discard the rest. There is no one perfect parenting solution that will work for all families, so it is up to you … Continue reading

Getting Road Trip Ready

I just realized today that in just a couple of weeks, my husband, the boys, my parents, and I are going to embark on the biggest adventure that we as a family have ever had. In the past, I have pretty much been a seat of the pants type of girl when it comes to travel. I am not sure if that is such a wise approach to take on a road trip from Vermont to Florida that involves four adults and two kids, so I am beginning to do a little bit of planning. There once was a time … Continue reading

One Strategy For Addressing Defiant Toddler Behavior

When you are the parent of a toddler, you quickly realize that sometimes things that seem to make no sense actually do make sense upon further examination. That is how I felt when I recently learned about a new approach to addressing defiant toddler behavior. I’m a big fan of Dr. Laura Markham and her web site, Aha! Parenting. I enjoy reading the articles on the site, which advocates a gentle and peaceful style of parenting that I try very hard to emulate, albeit while gritting my teeth at times. The other day I was reading some of the articles, … Continue reading