It’s amazing how four letters can change your life. Four letters have had a profound impact on the person I am today, the mother I am, and the wife. The letters are “CdLS” and they stand for a little heard of genetic condition called Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. Named after the Dutch pediatrician who first … Continue Reading →
About a week ago, my husband left with my nearly 3-year-old son to visit my in-laws in Maine. In the days and weeks leading up to their trip, I had serious reservations about my toddler leaving his very structured daily routine to go so far away. Anyone who has ever traveled with kids knows what vacation does to … Continue Reading →
America woke up with a collective pit in its stomach today, tears in its eyes, and endless unanswered questions. How could this happen? Why would a 20-year-old kill 26 people at a Newtown, Conn. elementary school, including 20 innocent children? Who’s to blame? A lack of gun control? Mental illness? A childhood gone awry? There … Continue Reading →
I love my kids’ babysitter. Once a week, she wrestles with my two-year-old son and plays trains with him as he talks endlessly about the adventures of Thomas the Train and Thomas’s best friend, Percy. She cuddles my special needs daughter like her own and takes extra time feeding her — a challenge since chewing isn’t … Continue Reading →
Earlier this summer, my husband and I and our two kids were at our community pool when my two-year-old son befriended a little boy. We’d brought a small plastic boat with us for my son and daughter to play with in the toddler pool and the other little boy really liked it. He was about … Continue Reading →
Attention, Peg Perego stroller owners: Hundreds of thousands of strollers are being recalled because babies can get trapped by the tray, raising the risk of strangulation. In 2004, a six-month-old boy from California died of strangulation in a Peg Perego stroller. And in 2006, a seven-month-old girl was nearly strangled. The company has acknowledged entrapment and strangulation can happen, … Continue Reading →
As the controversy over a Democratic strategist’s comment this week that Ann Romney, the wife of GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney and a mother to five boys, “has never worked a day in her life” continues to swirl, I think the point Hilary Rosen may have been trying to make was completely lost. For anyone who … Continue Reading →
In Oprah-ese, they’re called “aha” moments — moments in life where you learn something significant about yourself, or life, that you never realized before. As the parent of two toddlers, I have a different phrase for teachable moments: “L & L” moments, or “Live and learn.” I have many “L & L” moments. In fact, I have … Continue Reading →
As parents, we’ve all been there — those exhausting, sleepless first days after your baby is born. Your mind is mush. Getting out of your pajamas is a major accomplishment. Food is an afterthought. In between constant baby feedings, poopy diapers, and taking care of your other kids, cooking a meal is the last thing … Continue Reading →
Are you a bit befuddled when it comes to disciplining your kids? Do you have a toddler who throws balls at people’s heads no matter how many times you say “No”? A teenager who has attitude? A tween who knows everything and reminds you constantly? Help is on the way. The University of Michigan C.S. … Continue Reading →