Dear Brand New Mom, Learning to understand your child’s cues is a skill you will work hard to develop over their lifetime. It starts when they are newborns and continues when they are teenagers. It didn’t dawn on me that this was a lifelong skill until I was faced with two tweens who have their own way of communicating. I don’t…
Tag: advice
Dear Brand New Mom: Keep it Simple
Dear Brand New Mom, Do you think that all this baby gear is OVERWHELMING!!? As you prepare for your new arrival, new parents are faced with decisions of “what do we need vs. want” coupled with “what can we afford”? The options seem endless. Then the baby arrives and you put all that stuff to use. Or do you? Do…
Dear Brand New Mom: What I Forgot
Dear Brand New Mom, I recently cared for my 4 month old nephew for an extended time period. Although I’ve had my own children, I was still a little nervous; would I remember what to do? Every baby is so different, would the tricks that worked on my kids work on him? How would the day go? It’s been over…
Dear Brand New Mom: You’ll become an expert too
Dear Brand New Mom, Did you ever wonder how the “experts” became experts? Whether it’s a parent with more experience, helping you navigate your way through this new baby experience, or a professional who has experience with many different children – they all started out where you are starting. From the beginning. The thing that’s important to remember is to…
Dear Brand New Mom: It’s OK to eat your words
Dear Brand New Mom, You’re starting to get used to the idea of being a mom, maybe you’ve figured a few things out – things that work for your baby, things that don’t. At a certain point, you’re willing to TRY ANYTHING to accomplish some task (get them to sleep, get errands done, get them to eat, get them to…
Dear Brand New Mom: trust your instincts
The best thing (and also the most challenging thing) about parenting is that there is not just one way to do it. Everyone is figuring it out as we go. What works for one family doesn’t work for another, and that’s ok!
The art of letting parents talk
The key to asking open-ended questions is that it doesn’t assume that the parent you’re talking to plans to do x,y or z the same way you do, or even the same way that many or most parents do. It leaves space for the idea that there are many right ways to parent, and shows that you respect that parent enough to hear them out, whatever their plans may be.
How to be a SAHM
by Shawna Gamache So you want to be a stay-at-home mom (or dad) Whether you’ve planned it forever, or are shocked to find yourself here, becoming a full-time parent is a big deal. It’s certainly the road less travelled by, and that can make it hard to find your way at first. I’m one of the millions of moms who…