Well, it's happened with the second child: That moment when a total stranger interrupts my reading aloud to voice the opinion that the child is too young to understand what I'm reading. Here's how I described this phenomenon when my first child was 4 years old: I must say, I got far less flak from … Continue reading Our kids understand books because we read them books!
baby
Seventh Generation Coconut Care Baby Lotion review
I received a free sample of Seventh Generation Coconut Care Baby Lotion to review. This is an honest review of my family's experience with this product, which we probably wouldn't have tried if we hadn't been offered a free sample. Seventh Generation Coconut Care Baby Lotion is a gentle moisturizing lotion made without mineral oil, … Continue reading Seventh Generation Coconut Care Baby Lotion review
The Silliest Baby Toy
There are some things here on Earth that just defy rational explanation. Here, for example, is a toy that we received as a gift when our first child was born in 2004. His little sister played with it, too, but lost interest after infancy. I recently found it at the bottom of a toy basket … Continue reading The Silliest Baby Toy
Diaper Changing Duties: What’s Fair?
Our daughter Lydia is 21 months old. Since she was born, almost all of her diaper changes at home (rather than childcare) have been my job. I also launder the cloth diapers myself. Unfair, right? Daniel is just as responsible as I am for the existence of this messy little human, so he should take … Continue reading Diaper Changing Duties: What’s Fair?
My Father Taught Me How to Be a Working Mother
When I was born, my mother quit her paying job so she could be home with me. When my kids were born, I took 12 weeks off and then returned to my job. It's my father, not my mother, who has been my role model for balancing parenthood with employment.
Seder and Holy Week: Family Traditions, Old and New
My children's ethnicity is five-eighths Yiddish, but our religion is Episcopal. Here's how the Jewish holiday of Passover connects us to both our family and our faith.
Miracle Salve GIVEAWAY!!
UPDATE: The winners have been announced (at the end of the article) but please read about this wonderful healing product and consider buying some for yourself. Miracle Salve, made by Kerry's Herbals, is a wonderful product that I've been using for a decade. I now have the opportunity to share it! Seven lucky readers will … Continue reading Miracle Salve GIVEAWAY!!
A Day as Mama and Data Manager
Welcome to the March 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Day in the Life This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have given us a special glimpse into their everyday. *** There are three main things I do … Continue reading A Day as Mama and Data Manager
How to Get Kids to Behave in Church
Welcome to the February 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Do It Yourself This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants are teaching us how to make something useful or try something new. *** By the time my first … Continue reading How to Get Kids to Behave in Church
Four Weeks of Pesco-Vegetarian Dinners (winter, with a baby)
A pesco-vegetarian is someone who eats no meat except fish. That’s what we do when we’re at home and most of the time when we eat in other places. Our 8-month-old daughter, Lydia, is abstaining from cow's milk until after her first birthday, because I have some family history of dairy allergies that may have … Continue reading Four Weeks of Pesco-Vegetarian Dinners (winter, with a baby)
The 4-Day Laundry Plan (How to use cloth diapers and have a job without losing your mind)
Welcome to the January 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Household Chores This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories, tips, and tricks on tackling household chores. Please read to the end to find a list … Continue reading The 4-Day Laundry Plan (How to use cloth diapers and have a job without losing your mind)
Easy Dental Health Tip for New Moms
When you're taking care of a little baby, it can be hard to get around to doing basic things like brushing your teeth--you seem to always have your hands full, and then when you finally get a moment, you forget or you're too tired! One thing I have learned is that I am more likely to do something if I can reach it quickly when I get a moment to set down the baby. It feels like a big deal to go do something several rooms away or on another floor of the house. Keeping supplies near me makes me more likely to use them.
Cloth Diapers: What Works for Our Family
Our first child was already out of diapers when I wrote about why we use cloth diapers and all the details of our cloth diapering equipment and procedures. Some of the specific products we'd used were no longer being made even when I wrote the articles, and others have changed or become unavailable since then. … Continue reading Cloth Diapers: What Works for Our Family
Why I’m Sleeping in the Dining Room
Welcome to the September 2014 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Home Tour This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have opened up their doors and given us a photo-rich glimpse into how they arrange their living spaces. *** … Continue reading Why I’m Sleeping in the Dining Room
This regular bra works as a nursing bra!
I bought all my nursing bras from Target, and I hate them all. Target makes great nursing camisoles (with shelf bra) which I was wearing all the time on maternity leave earlier this summer and will wear as undershirts when the weather gets colder; if you are small-busted, they have adequate support and are very … Continue reading This regular bra works as a nursing bra!
9 Things I Forgot to Bring After Maternity Leave
Lydia is three months old now, and I went back to working outside the home last week, back to the same job I had while I was pregnant. In fact, I still do basically the same work as I did when Nicholas was a baby nine years ago (although we have moved office buildings since then), and Lydia is going to the same conveniently-located home childcare as Nicholas did, so my daily routine is very much the same as it was then. You'd think that would make it easy to remember what stuff I needed to bring to use at work and what stuff I needed to pack for the baby. Apparently, it wasn't easy, because by noon on my first day I'd made a list of SEVEN things to bring the next day . . . and I'd already noticed the most important forgotten item when I arrived at childcare . . . and when I picked up Lydia, her sitter informed me of yet another thing she needed! That's NINE things I forgot!
Simple Tip to Ease Confusion with a Ring Sling
I love carrying my baby in a ring sling. (Mine is a Maya Wrap.) It is very comfortable, balances baby's weight well, and can be adjusted very precisely to fit anything from a tiny baby to a big toddler, awake or asleep, in several positions. One problem, though, is that it can be difficult to … Continue reading Simple Tip to Ease Confusion with a Ring Sling
Refreshing Herbal Iced Tea from Loose Leaves
In this hot weather, it's important to drink plenty of water...but plain water gets boring. Soft drinks and juices are expensive and bad for your teeth, unless they are sugar-free and sweetened with weird chemicals. Here is a calorie-free, caffeine-free drink that tastes great without any sweetener and even has health benefits! I make herbal … Continue reading Refreshing Herbal Iced Tea from Loose Leaves
What to do if your baby spits up blood
Well, of course you should call your doctor if you see any trace of blood--either red streaks or dark brown grainy-looking stuff--in your baby's spit-up. Blood in the digestive tract can be a symptom of something terribly wrong that needs immediate treatment. But while you are waiting for that call back from the doctor, I … Continue reading What to do if your baby spits up blood
My kid doesn’t have to wear a coat.
I'm an easily chilled sort of person. I like to feel warm and cozy, and being cold upsets me. In any given weather conditions, I'm usually wearing at least as many garments as the average person, often more. My son Nicholas seems to feel warm most of the time. He's often quite calm and comfortable … Continue reading My kid doesn’t have to wear a coat.
The Earthling's Handbook 