Tiffany founded Femme Fatale Fitness to help women rediscover their inner and outer strength. Here, she talks about life with her eight year old son.
April 20, 2009
by heather
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April 14, 2009
by heather
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Recession Parenting
Kid Swap
During a play date a couple months ago, a mommy friend and I got to talking about the expense of childcare in this tough economy and ways to save. (I spent $200 to see an early movie and dinner recently
March 24, 2009
by heather
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Mommies Need Play Dates, Too
Last week, Mommy Friend Brenda suggested we take our kids for a picnic at New Pond Farm after preschool. Our sons are out at 11:45 am on Wednesdays and Daughter was happy to tag along. The temperature was pushing 60 degrees and while the rolling hills of grass were a murky shade of brown rather than green, the sun was shining brightly and the sky a sapphire blue.
We visited the cows, sheep and chickens then ran down to the pond for a picnic on the bench. Brenda’s son skirted the geese poo dotting the ground, Daughter stretched herself across the little bridge and watched the river flow its spring rush, while Son gathered pine branches to bring home. As for Brenda and I, well, we hashed out the usual mommy list of madness: daily schedules, summer planning, sleep woes, and the other bits of minutia from our long days at home. Our commiseration of the day: The early evening hours make for a long period of isolation while Husband works late and we manage dinner and bedtime routines when kids and mom are at their crankiest.
The truth is, mommies need play dates as much as our kids. We need to commiserate, compare notes, and come up with ideas to help each other out. My network of mommies is my “office” for the mommy job. Playgroups are the water cooler.
March 14, 2009
by heather
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Overscheduling Our Kids
I signed Daughter (3) and Son (5) up for soccer this Spring. Many of Son’s friends have already played a Spring/Fall season or two so we’re late to the game. But I’ve also heard that some of these same four year olds were in tears or unwilling to play last year. So balancing my fear that I’ve held Son back too long is my instinct that I waited until the right time when he was ready to join an organized sport. (And my memory of our attempt at a week long summer soccer camp when he was two. He refused to play, I hustled around the field with infant Daughter in Baby Bjorn, and we stopped going by the third day.)
Now, I’m also fretting about what summer camps to put them in. This has become the discussion of the month as we mommies feel the impending open ended days looming a few months from now.
What will I do with them all day?
I don’t want them to be bored!
I’ll go crazy!
March 5, 2009
by heather
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Real Mommy: Sitting When She Can
Jen, from Westport, CT, has three kids: A daughter (5), son (4) and son(3).
What time do your kids get up in the morning?
6:30 – that’s when they usually show up in my bed, staggered.
Did any sleep with you last night?
Probably. I don’t always notice until the second one comes in and wakes me up enough to notice how many people are in my bed.
What do you feed your kids when you can’t come up with anything else?
Fruit
What do they love most in their lunchbox?
Chicken roll-up with lettuce and mayo
If you have a short break, what’s the first thing you do for the house?
Laundry
For yourself?
Sit
March 4, 2009
by heather
2 Comments
Mommy on the Verge
Husband’s been out town for a week now and the kids and I are starting to fray at the edges.
Son wakes up and starts whining immediately, I whine back, and Daughter’s constipated on her sixth day of potty training (serious whining). My morning routine’s deteriorating within the first fifteen minutes vs the usual breakdown as we try to leave the house.
February 23, 2009
by heather
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Flying with Preschoolers
Awhile ago I wrote about traveling with toddlers. Well, as our kids have grown, it’s become easier and I’ve learned a few new tricks. Last week, I flew to Florida with Son (5) and Daughter (2) without Husband. While the vacation itself was kind of lame (we all got sick) the flying part went very well. Here’s what worked:
February 22, 2009
by heather
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Zingo and Other Great First Games for Kids
We’ve reached a milestone. My family can now play games together. Games that Mommy and Daddy actually enjoy a bit, too. It started with the gift of ThinkFun Zingo
And she was right. Two year old Daughter talks trash about how she’ll win and the rest of us will lose when she nails all the chips on her card. Son is very proud of winning and this game is both a concentration and confidence booster. I think the enjoyment lies somewhere between permission to yell loudly as you call out the image on your chip (T-Rex! Ghost!) and the tactile fun of handling the plastic chips (adults get some pokeresque satisfaction).
February 11, 2009
by heather
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Real Mommy: Sneaking Books in on the Side
Welcome to the first in a new series of Real Mommy profiles. I always find it helpful to learn how other moms do it and that I’m not alone with little limbs at night or finding creative ways to sneak in some mommy time.
Margaret has 9 and 6 year old boys and 4 year old girl.
What time do your kids get up in the morning?
My daughter is up by 6am. My middle one I have to drag out of bed by 7 or 7:30 for school.
Did any sleep with you last night?
Of course. I hate it but can’t seem to put my foot down because I know it won’t last forever and I will someday miss their warm little bodies next to me (okay, secretly I do love it). Probably won’t miss their little elbows and knees though.
What do you feed your kids when you can’t come up with anything else?
Chicken nuggets…only organic though because that makes them so much healthier, ha! Sometimes breakfast for dinner which is always a hit.
What do they love most in their lunchbox?
The food they buy from the snack bar.
February 4, 2009
by heather
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Should You Tell Young Kids About a Job Loss?
Last Fall when Husband was laid off, one of my primary goals was to “protect” the kids. I didn’t want them exposed to the stress and fear we were feeling or the safety of their family shaken. At two and four years old, they can’t quite grasp what a job loss means, so why bring it up?