advice
It takes a village to raise a family; advice and tips to make the most of yours.
Being a Young Mother
Being a mother is amazing...However, it can be very hard, especially as a young mother. You have people who support you and people who shame you. Some people just avoid you altogether. If any of this sounds familiar, then you'll need to hear this.
By Jazmin Rodriguez8 years ago in Families
Meaningful Inexpensive Mother's Day Gifts
Mother's Day is closing in and you're trying to figure out what you want to do for your Mom, but you don't necessarily have massive amounts of funds to buy her something extravagant. Well, you came to the right place! I'm going to give you a couple of ideas for gifts that you could do for your Mother that will mean a lot to her but also save you some money. Now keep in mind this isn't JUST for Mother's Day; these ideas could also be for Father's Day, birthdays, Christmas, or practically any occasion.
By Samantha Sterling8 years ago in Families
10 Lessons I Learned After Breastfeeding
When I was a new mom, it was really tough for me in the beginning. I was alone the majority of the time at home while my husband was away at work, and that was so difficult for me. I was alone with my baby and I had no one else to help watch over her. However, nothing beats when I was breastfeeding.
By Jennifer Violet8 years ago in Families
Raising Your Pack, Your Way
You fight fires and battles every day. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. So why do you find it so hard to pick and choose the battles you fight with your kids? Because they are a little piece of you walking outside of your body! You don't like telling yourself no, so why would you tell your mini-me no, either? Truth is, we have to! In the South it's even harder to say no with that sweet, southern drawl we are all born with! Who can deny that, especially when your sweetie pie baby looks at you and says, "Mama, can I pwwease have some ice cream?" (emphasis on every vowel in that sentence). It will make your heart swoon! But here's the thing: we have to figure out how to get over ourselves and be parents instead of friends despite what society says for us to do. Ladies and gents, I'm here to give you some advice on raising your kids:
By Deidre Simpson8 years ago in Families
Places You Should Never Breastfeed
Breastfeeding is a natural thing that women do. Unfortunately, there's some stigma attached to breastfeeding in public exactly because it's something women do. Remember, America is a patriarchy fixated with controlling women's bodies. That translates into bullying women into breastfeeding in places you should never breastfeed, and then blaming them for breastfeeding there! Meanwhile, if men could breastfeed there'd be breastfeeding stations everywhere and it'd be a huge part of popular culture. Captain America would be breastfeeding in The Avengers:Infinity War and Chris Evans would be breastfeeding on The Late Show while promoting it. If Chris Evans wouldn't nurse his child in these places you shouldn't either.
By Lauren Skopkowski8 years ago in Families
Listening
When most people think of communication, their minds go to dialogue, arguably the most prevalent form of communication, and when they think of dialogues and everyday conversation they think of the act of speaking. Yet I believe the ability to speak clearly or effectively verbalize your thought is not the most important tool in the process of communicating. I believe that listening is the key to keen communication. The simple quote “We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak,” said by greek philosopher Epictetus, has been recited to crowds or classrooms of children an immeasurable number of times, primarily with the purpose to hush them and direct their attention to a speaker. However it would benefit them if the implication that listening is more important than speaking was taught and understood. Applying effort to the act of listening, and training yourself to be observant and attentive, can greatly improve your daily communication, and hone your wit as an additional bonus.
By Miakoda Natane8 years ago in Families
Six Tips to Help Strengthen Your Family's Bond
Between work, school, errands, and extracurricular activities, family life can be a whirlwind. Spending time to reconnect with your loved ones can help you enjoy a more meaningful and deeper relationship with your family. Here are six tips to help you strengthen your family's bond.
By Andrea Dawson8 years ago in Families
How to Raise a Child Without a Screen—and Not Die in the Process
There are multiple studies that will back me up on this topic. Screens for babies, toddler and kids in general are like cocaine or other addictive drugs. I won't get into the specifics of the scientific research here because it can be slow reading but I can provide the necessary information later on for those who are interested. I want to get into the specifics of raising a baby and toddler without those screens and not die in the attempt (I am only going to talk about my own personal experience which is why I won't get into the older child). I have a 17 month old boy—a very active one. Since he was born, I have always strictly limited his access to media screens—not an easy job. Today, if you go to a restaurant they are full of giant screens on the walls or tablets on the tables. Well-meaning friends will offer to hold your baby and show them videos so the child won’t fuss. Well, I for one, do not want a zombie as a son! I want to limit how much damage I do to him as a parent (every parent damages their kids to a greater or lesser extent—just ask some teenagers). So what I have noticed that we (my husband and I) do differently:
By Fernanda Brito-Muñoz8 years ago in Families
Why Having a Child Should Not Mean Giving up on Your Goals or Dreams
A lot of parents, future and present, fall into this mindset that once they are going to have, or had, their child, that all hope is lost for what they once dreamed and hoped for. Why is that? Simply put: because the parents like me and you immediately think small-minded and get afraid. We go right to "Awe, I need to be able to provide for my child right now" mode. Then, "right now" turns into "Awe, I'm not gonna be at this job for that long," and next thing you know, 10-15 years from now we're still there.
By hareem scott8 years ago in Families
Things I Have Learned in My Eight Months as a Father
Being a father has been one of the most wonderful and educational experiences of my life. I have learned so much in eight months and am continuing to learn. I thought that I would share some of my insights and observations with the world.
By James Howell8 years ago in Families
