This post is sponsored by Always Discreet “These are the things that parenting books never tell you,” I said as I sat with friends, laughing over dinner before heading to the movies. As fellow moms of tweens and teens, our conversations tend to be about our kids even when we’re out together and away from…
Parenting
Feeling Left Out When Your Kids Play Video Games? Do these 3 things!
This post is sponsored by Best Buy When our kids were little, their holiday wish lists made sense because they were made up of things we understood but as they get older, items on their lists can suddenly feel like a foreign language. In the blink of an eye, Legos, Star Wars, ponies, and princesses…
Teaching Tough Topics: 5 Tips for Talking to Kids About Disabilities
This post is sponsored by Corning® Gorilla® Glass There’s nothing that pushes the limit of being human like an Ironman Triathlon. Consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a full marathon (26.2 miles) completed one right after the other in the course of a single day, any Ironman race is…
Try. Fail. Learn: The Importance of Being Fueled by Failure #LikeAGirl
This post is sponsored by Always #LikeAGirl Earlier this month Emily completed her high school applications, a process that felt like a precursor of what’s to come as she progresses through high school and looks to college. She attended open houses to learn about the options our public school system offers its students, deciding to…
How Amazon App Empowers Teens to Be Savvy Online Shoppers
This is a sponsored post with Amazon. Art supplies, books, barrettes for her ribbon barrette fundraising venture, and even a new pair of boots are some of the recent items Emily has asked me to purchase using our family’s Amazon account. As often as we use Amazon, this process isn’t seamless because I often forget…
3 Things Your Middle Schooler Needs to Know to Trick or Treat Without You
We’ve hit a Halloween milestone in our house. As a middle school mom, it’s the first year in forever I haven’t been in charge of planning a class Halloween party and one of my kids has decided they don’t want to trick or treat. “Meh,” said Thomas with a shrug of his shoulders a month…
How to Teach Kids to Make Good Decisions in Tough Situations
A rush of feet, a quick kiss goodbye, and my two middle schoolers were off to catch the bus. I closed the door and stood with my hand on it for a second, absorbing and appreciating the stillness that comes with an empty house while marveling at my big kids. Both kids in middle school…
The Importance of Teaching Our Girls to Embrace Failure
When I was in school and my teachers would look for someone to call on, I’d do my best to make myself invisible. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school I’d sit as still as possible, hoping I’d be overlooked to avoid the humiliation of being called on. Even though I was smart, the thought giving…
A Parent’s Guide to Digital Safety for Kids All Ages
This digital safety guide is a sponsored post Over the past ten years, technological advancements have dramatically impacted the way we live. When I first started blogging almost 10 years ago, the iPhone had been introduced just 6 months before. Apps and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook were in their infancy. Online safety…
8 Parent Hacks for Budget Friendly Kid Birthday Parties
There’s a lot to love about birthdays. Blowing out candles on the cake, fun with friends, and commemorating the beginning of another trip around the sun are worth celebrating but aren’t worth maxing out your credit card. According to Netflix, 60% of parents are more interested in saving money than time when it comes to…
