Ages & Stages

I'm finishing my third straight summer of potty training. Woohoo!? (At least that's what I remember . . . I seem to have blocked out all recollections of potty training my eldest two years ago.)  Of all the parenting...

Much like trains, dinosaurs are a hot topic among toddlers and young children alike. I mistakenly called a pterodactyl a flying dinosaur, a rookie parenting mistake, and was swiftly corrected by my two-year-old. How does he know this? I...

I am terrible at sports. In fact, I stink at anything remotely athletic. As a kid, I did not find youth sports enjoyable. The idea of a friendly family game of softball or soccer literally makes my stomach hurt....

I recently graduated with my master's degree in Clinical Mental Health. During my practicum and internships, I had the privilege of working with teen clients. For several years prior, I was a volunteer mentor for at-risk teens and worked...

Nothing can fully prepare you to be a brand new mom. It’s really like the plot of a bad joke: you spend a few days in the hospital in a state of hormonal and sleep-deprived shock where they inundate you...

Hey, mama. I see you. You're sleep-deprived. Running on empty with a total of five hours of rest last night. You're already three cups of coffee deep this morning. I applaud you for waking up when your alarm went...

As the mother of an active and mischievous toddler, the majority of my days are spent taking care of him, feeding him, teaching him, and cleaning up his messes. I try to keep my house somewhat tidy, but if...

Sometimes I am simply underwhelmed (underwhelmed as in not impressed, not that I'm not overwhelmed like the rest of you). My life is not routine or boring, not for a second. I am a mother to three enthusiastically energetic...

As the mom of five children, I have been involved in multiple sports and activities. Hands down, youth football was the best sport we were ever involved in. Three of my sons played youth football from elementary school up...

My screaming child was definitely attracting the attention of many individuals. His kicking legs and flailing arm were drawing stares from concerned shoppers in the parking lot of a Walgreens somewhere between here and Denver. We had spent a week...

We’re continuing our celebration of World Breastfeeding Week 2019 The theme for this year is “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding.” Thanks to Lovelace Health System for sponsoring this World Breastfeeding Week Editorial Series.  I am a breastfeeding mom. But breastfeeding did not come easy. I am...

Time outs stopped working for us. Phases. Nothing pleasant comes to mind when I think of that word. Of course, I’m sure there are some lovely ones. I can almost remember them…I think. But mostly, when I say, “He’s going...

Toddlers are some of the most passionate beings you will ever meet. They have HUGE toddler emotions and opinions. They’re not afraid to share them with you either. I love that my daughter has her own opinions and that she’s...

Look at this picture. You've seen hundreds like it on social media. Adorable, right? Cute baby playing with her dog, the dog lying down nicely as she approaches . . .   Actually, this photo is far from innocent and safe. This...