Laurel and I have had brief conversations in the past about puberty and how babies are made, but this week, she came to me in earnest with questions and concerns. As a late bloomer, it’s hard for me to imagine that some of Laurel's 9-10 year old peers are already developing but it is, in fact, happening. Which of course is totally normal. We had a great conversation and I subsequently wanted to share 8 tips for talking to kids about puberty because I know these types of talks freak a lot of parents out.
I recently shared about ONE's new Girls & Women site; I'm honored to be part of such an incredible advisory board and I'll share more about this work in the fall. Meanwhile, I hope you'll read this piece I wrote on finding and celebrating voice through art. Writing the post helped me put words to my own stifled journey and why I feel it's crucial to give kids the chance to find their voice and passion.
Every spring when I (somewhat begrudgingly) tackle the challenge of sorting out Laurel's summer schedule, I'm reminded of what a shock it was to go from the year-round reliable awesomeness of day care to an elementary school schedule, particularly since Laurel wasn't exactly receptive to frequent changes and transitions (e.g., different camps on different weeks) after said reliable awesomeness.
Fourteen years ago today Jon and I got married. I have learned so much about myself and how to be in a partnership during these 14 years, but it wasn’t until last year that I learned about the power of compromise. I’m almost a little embarrassed to write that, but it’s true and I feel that the story of this revelation is worth sharing because compromise is a crucial part of making a marriage work. And I know lots of couples who struggle with it.
My friend Meagan Francis is a gifted writer and incredibly productive person. She is the mother of 5 children and has written 5 books, the latest being the e-book Beyond Baby. And what I love about this e-book is that it’s all about putting YOU back in focus following the baby years haze. Beyond Baby is divided into 40 weeks (get it?) of exercises that get you thinking and acting to better yourself, your shelter, your relationships, and your dreams.
Today's Lessons Learned essay (see submission guidelines here) comes via my sister Sharon. Thank you, Sharon, for sharing your heart with us today:
I don't know if my lesson will ever fully be learned but it will always be practiced. Eight months ago, I gave birth to my son. He defied all expectations and denied me of the Hallmark-type experiences that I had dreamed of.
I’m penning this Lessons Learned essay, inspired by National Siblings Day (today):
When I was deep in the trenches with regular visits to my therapist, one of the most helpful things we worked on involved the Enneagram. My therapist taught me about this personality system and it helped me understand my personality traits (I’m a #1 in the system) and also how those traits impact my reactions to other people’s behavior.
As much as I love being a resource provider, I’ve been wanting to integrate more personal voice into Boston Mamas for a while. I'll soon share how that will work in terms of community submissions (yay!); meanwhile, I wanted to share a personal post today. It's Violet's third birthday and though it has been a challenging and surprising three years in many ways, I have also learned so much. I'm sharing my thoughts in the form of a letter:
It's been a while since I've posted a Dear Boston Mamas query and I'm thrilled to do so today! Reader Debbie (mom of two, ages 4 and 6) wrote in to ask about chores; specifically, how to get her kids to do them, whether there should be allowance tied to chores, and what kinds of special privileges seem appropriate and will make doing chores feel like a positive milestone. Here are my thoughts; thanks for writing in Debbie!:
Friends, I'm completely bleary eyed after a whirlwind couple of days in Washington, D.C., followed by what very well may be the worst night of sleep in the history of my universe (Vi is sick and woke up every hour...aagggh). However, my (somewhat cloudy) mind is still spinning over the events of the last couple of days and I wanted to take a moment to share something with you.
In honor of Black History Month I wanted to share some resources to help inspire conversations and learning with your kids. Below is a roundup of books, printables, crafts, and interactive tools; if you've come across other great resources, I'd love to hear about them in the comments! Also, my friend Kelly Wickham, an incredibly smart writer and educator, will be be posting regularly about Black History Month; check her first post on Langston Hughes.
Holidays (national or somewhat arbitrary) offer fun inspiration for projects and lessons for kids. Yesterday was Penguin Awareness Day (though I'm happy to celebrate penguins any day of the year!) and I wanted to take this opportunity to shine a light on this fine bird with project, book, and design inspiration. If you have other ideas to share, feel free to do so in the comments below!
Today, Kate recommends a great local spot to inspire budding thespians in community-oriented fashion:
As a child, I tended to shy away from the spotlight, but my young daughter loves an audience. Whether singing in the school concert or performing her own song-and-dance routines in our living room, she enjoys showing off in front of a crowd. As a result, we love the offerings of the Watertown Children's Theater.
Given the holiday break + snow days, I haven't had a chance to sit down and set intentions for 2014. So yesterday I put a meeting (with myself!) in my calendar for a paper and pencil creative visioning session later this week. Want to join me? To get my/your wheels churning, I've rounded up some lovely back posts about tackling goals and setting personal and professional intentions with work and parenting. Let's do this thing!
I firmly believe in the importance of everyday play for kids (and adults, for that matter!). Not only do kids have plenty of years of traditional classroom work ahead of them, but so much can be learned from everyday play and exploration. (Case in point: I’ve had Laurel experimenting in the kitchen since toddlerhood; at 9 years old she can make dinner and bake chocolate cake from scratch...WIN!) Today I’m thrilled to share about the importance of everyday play via a sponsored editorial collaboration with Bright Horizons.