Summer holidays are knocking at the door. People often wonder how I keep six kids occupied during the summer months when school is out. While my kids love spending some time at summer camp, I was sure to make our home an entertaining place for kids – particularly the backyard.
My cousin has two little girls, both with unique needs. One was born with spina bfida and because she uses a wheelchair, has a visible disability. The other daughter has a special need that’s not visible – Type 1 Diabetes. So, in other words, my cousin is a very busy mother!
Halloween is upon us and one of the common complaints you hear about this holiday is that some trick-or-treaters are too old to be knocking on doors looking for goodies. To this, I say: Get over it. I have to admit, I have a long history of being afraid of teenagers.
We all remember bringing home that first baby and making sure the entire house and anyone in it was perfectly silent as the baby slept. We put notes on the front door telling people not to knock, we turned phone ringers off and then spoke in hushed tones, if we even spoke at all.
I was recently invited to an event hosted by the folks from GoodNites to have a bigger conversation around bed-wetting. It’s actually a topic that really interests me because I had a kid who really struggled with this – and I mean well into puberty.
I have to be honest, I always saw myself as a baby kind of a mama. When my Biggies were babies, I remember being at the park and seeing school aged kids and thinking how weird it must be to parent such big kids.
Most parents say that there was a particular age and stage in their child’s life that they enjoyed most. I’ve always identified as a “baby” person. If there is a newborn in the room, before a minute passes, that babe will be in my arms. I’m quite sure that every time I smell a newborn, I immediately ovulate. Right now I have kids between the
That time of year has hit again and while we’re busy getting kids organized for back to school, I’m reminding myself of some goals that will help all of us survive the season (and the year!) in a happy and successful way. Family Calendar Get it organized early. Make sure all information for every family member is in one central location. Certainly Daddy-o and I
March is birthday month in my life. March brings birthdays for both me and Mabel’s Labels. I also have a daughter with a birthday this month. I recently had a parent ask if I had any birthday party activity suggestions.
Our family is going overseas for the holidays this year. I hate the thought of Santa having to turn up at our holiday destination because it means I have to lug oversized bags full of gifts both there and back. A family of eight has enough gear to drag around.
People often ask what it is like to feed half dozen kids. Feeding families can be a “thing” and many parents report that dinner time can be the most stressful time of the day.
Words are powerful. My dad was an English teacher and word junkie so we were always taught to use our words carefully. The lesson has stuck with me and I have found…
I have a busy house full of my kids, their friends, neighbourhood kids, and an assorted number of random drop-ins. I’d rather not sound like the meanest mommy on the block, so I have a few key phrases that allow me to say “NO WAY” to my kids, without using those exact words.
Every year, we host a big Victoria Day fireworks party. For my American friends – this means that yes, we celebrate the birthday of a long dead English Queen, but we’ll take our holidays where we can get them.
With such a big family, I’ve always told my kids that they can’t be on travelling sports teams. When my children have asked to try out for such teams, my response has consistently been, “There are enough kids in your own city that are good enough to play with you.”
It has been 10 years since my son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Back in those days, you got your diagnosis and you were sent on your way to deal with it. Very little information regarding treatment, agencies, education or help of any kind was provided. It was pretty much a “Yes, your son has autism… don’t hit yourself with the
I discovered yet another parenting “hot button” topic this week. In the past, I’ve been sucked into every controversial parenting topic possible. We’ve all beaten a dead horse talking about our stance on different types of vaccinations, circumcision, breastfeeding – the list goes on and on.
Despite the fact that Valentine’s Day can be a bit of a contrived holiday, kids love it! And with six kids in elementary school, it’s generally a very busy holiday in my household. I try to remember that it’s only a Hallmark holiday – there’s no point in letting it cause stress. So, I have a few easy tips to keep Valentine’s Day in perspective:
Summer holidays are knocking at the door. People often wonder how I keep six kids occupied during the summer months when school is out. While my kids love spending some time at summer camp, I was sure to make our home an entertaining place for kids – particularly the backyard.
My cousin has two little girls, both with unique needs. One was born with spina bfida and because she uses a wheelchair, has a visible disability. The other daughter has a special need that’s not visible – Type 1 Diabetes. So, in other words, my cousin is a very busy mother!
Halloween is upon us and one of the common complaints you hear about this holiday is that some trick-or-treaters are too old to be knocking on doors looking for goodies. To this, I say: Get over it. I have to admit, I have a long history of being afraid of teenagers.
We all remember bringing home that first baby and making sure the entire house and anyone in it was perfectly silent as the baby slept. We put notes on the front door telling people not to knock, we turned phone ringers off and then spoke in hushed tones, if we even spoke at all.
I was recently invited to an event hosted by the folks from GoodNites to have a bigger conversation around bed-wetting. It’s actually a topic that really interests me because I had a kid who really struggled with this – and I mean well into puberty.
I have to be honest, I always saw myself as a baby kind of a mama. When my Biggies were babies, I remember being at the park and seeing school aged kids and thinking how weird it must be to parent such big kids.
Most parents say that there was a particular age and stage in their child’s life that they enjoyed most. I’ve always identified as a “baby” person. If there is a newborn in the room, before a minute passes, that babe will be in my arms. I’m quite sure that every time I smell a newborn, I immediately ovulate. Right now I have kids between the
That time of year has hit again and while we’re busy getting kids organized for back to school, I’m reminding myself of some goals that will help all of us survive the season (and the year!) in a happy and successful way. Family Calendar Get it organized early. Make sure all information for every family member is in one central location. Certainly Daddy-o and I
March is birthday month in my life. March brings birthdays for both me and Mabel’s Labels. I also have a daughter with a birthday this month. I recently had a parent ask if I had any birthday party activity suggestions.
Our family is going overseas for the holidays this year. I hate the thought of Santa having to turn up at our holiday destination because it means I have to lug oversized bags full of gifts both there and back. A family of eight has enough gear to drag around.
People often ask what it is like to feed half dozen kids. Feeding families can be a “thing” and many parents report that dinner time can be the most stressful time of the day.
Words are powerful. My dad was an English teacher and word junkie so we were always taught to use our words carefully. The lesson has stuck with me and I have found…
I have a busy house full of my kids, their friends, neighbourhood kids, and an assorted number of random drop-ins. I’d rather not sound like the meanest mommy on the block, so I have a few key phrases that allow me to say “NO WAY” to my kids, without using those exact words.
Every year, we host a big Victoria Day fireworks party. For my American friends – this means that yes, we celebrate the birthday of a long dead English Queen, but we’ll take our holidays where we can get them.
With such a big family, I’ve always told my kids that they can’t be on travelling sports teams. When my children have asked to try out for such teams, my response has consistently been, “There are enough kids in your own city that are good enough to play with you.”
It has been 10 years since my son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Back in those days, you got your diagnosis and you were sent on your way to deal with it. Very little information regarding treatment, agencies, education or help of any kind was provided. It was pretty much a “Yes, your son has autism… don’t hit yourself with the
I discovered yet another parenting “hot button” topic this week. In the past, I’ve been sucked into every controversial parenting topic possible. We’ve all beaten a dead horse talking about our stance on different types of vaccinations, circumcision, breastfeeding – the list goes on and on.
Despite the fact that Valentine’s Day can be a bit of a contrived holiday, kids love it! And with six kids in elementary school, it’s generally a very busy holiday in my household. I try to remember that it’s only a Hallmark holiday – there’s no point in letting it cause stress. So, I have a few easy tips to keep Valentine’s Day in perspective:
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