I kept my son’s baby book next to my bed as a reminder to fill out each and every milestone he accomplished. From his first smile, the first time he sat alone, his first steps, his first tooth, and more. I did my best to document each and every milestone. It was exhausting, and I’ll… Read more »
Posts Tagged: parent blogs
A Token Economy
“My mom never buys me anything,” my son shared with his friend during a recent playdate. I literally laughed out loud and thought to myself (oozing with sarcasm), “Right. I NEVER buy you ANYTHING.” As I went to open my mouth to “bump his words” and comment on how rough his life is, he finished… Read more »
Time Savers, Part 1: Drive Thrus
I need more time! Everyone has the same amount of time in a day, so it boils down to how we use our time. Sometimes I have learned to think smarter, not harder! I have learned a few time savers from my own experience as well talking to other people. In these next few posts… Read more »
When Change is Good
My daughter is spicy. She is feisty. She is perfectly perfect in my eyes. She is missing her two front teeth thanks to our coffee table and rocks a pixie! My daughter has been diagnosed with Loose Anagen Syndrome, thin hair that comes out easily, as well as Trichotillomania which is the irresistible urge to… Read more »
Lessons Learned from Road Tripping with Toddlers
Florida or bust! We were optimistic that our early departure would give us a head start to our destination. Also, that all of our stops would be short and sweet. Furthermore, we planned to drive through the night and arrive to sunny Florida in order to get an extra day of vacation and save a… Read more »
Affordable Mistakes
My son called me mean. It wasn’t the first time and will not be the last. He called me mean because I hid his tablet on him. We created a “behavior contract” at home and if he stays on green (the clip up/clip down behavior system his teacher uses) Monday through Thursday, then he can… Read more »
The Language of Love
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this self-diagnosed OCD momma is already obsessively searching and pinning cute Valentine’s cards, themed snacks, party games, and gifts for my family. Although my kiddos know that I love them dearly (I mean … I did tattoo their names on my side), I want to celebrate my love… Read more »
Food Fight!
Refusal to eat, negotiations, separate meals, tears? Does that sound like your mealtime? Dinner time may have been the most stressful time of day in our house before we implemented a few behavior strategies. Meals consisted of my son telling us he didn’t like the food that was on his plate … which he of… Read more »
Symbiosis: Relationship Advice from the Clownfish and the Sea Anemone
Originally posted at http://familyoptimized.com/symbiosis-clownfish-sea-anemone-relationships/ My wife and I dated for five years before we were married in 2013. That means we’ve been in a committed relationship for over eight years, but if I were honest with myself I can’t say that i’ve been committed to that relationship the entire time. I don’t mean that I… Read more »
Pets and Children: How Much to Supervise?
I had a very special relationship with our family dog growing up. She was my friend and confidant. That experience has given me as a dog trainer a lot of empathy for children who love their pets. However, often I see family dogs backing away from kids or not coming to them when called…. Read more »