Are you losing friends on Facebook, but you don't know why? Maybe you're a "vaguebooker." Maybe you share way too much information. Or could it be that you post so frequently that people can't stand you clogging up their Facebook feed? Here, moms share the top ways to go from friend to unfriended.
We know the dangers of huffing and smoking, but who knew that our kids' safety could be in danger from a simple spice in the cupboard? Kids are actually dying from taking the "Cinnamon Challenge." What is it, why is it so dangerous, and what are moms doing to address it? Keep reading.
Raising a tween isn't easy. They aren't yet as independent as teenagers (though they want to be) and they're more independent than younger kids. Many preteens deal with this uncertain time with what one Circle of Mom member calls "the Door Slamming-Foot Stamping stage."
Having made it through raising one tween and in the midst of raising another, I had to laugh at the accuracy of this description. The tween attitude is definitely accompanied by door slamming, foot stomping, and — even more infuriating — eye rolling.
It's an attitude that invites battle seemingly out of nowhere. As Michelle V. says of her daughter, "All the simple responsibilities/tasks that she used to help out with or do are now a battle." She wants to know how to deal with this ever-increasing attitude.
Circle of Moms members have great advice on how to empathize with your tween's struggle to be independent of you, and how to let them know what's unacceptable behavior.
In honor of Take Your Child to Work Day, we asked moms to tell us what their kids think they really do at work all day. When I asked my younger kids, they had different perspectives on my job (a parenting writer).
While my 3-year-old said, "Mommy does typing on the computer all day," my 10-year-old was a little more . . . well . . . blunt. He said I "write stuff about how kids are supposed to act and what their parents should do about it." Close, but not quite!
The moms we asked had much funnier answers to share. These answers are bound to make you giggle.
While many things have changed since you were a teenager, many have stayed the same. One of them is acne or, if you prefer, zits and pimples, the embarrassing skin condition that plagues teens. Keep reading for five antiacne tips from Circle of Moms members whose kids have been there recently.
It's hard enough to make dinner for your family, but if the kids won't eat it, what do you do? Get them involved, of course! From spaghetti-and-meatball bird's nests to Sneaky Snake sandwiches, these are some easy, fun family dinners to make together.
The recent discovery that music can improve the health of preemies is a good reminder of how beneficial music can be for children. The connection between music and other types of learning is an especially good reason to encourage a love of music. Now you can do so on the go with these six great apps for teaching kids music and music appreciation.
A few weeks ago I wrote an article called The Common Discipline Mistakes Moms Make (and Regret). When the article was shared on the Circle of Moms Facebook page, there was some interesting feedback that I could so easily relate to as one of the mistake-making moms I was writing about.
One mom wanted to hear about the things parents are doing right. Another mom suggested it would be helpful to provide some answers about how to fix the discipline mistakes we are making.
Both comments really hit home. After all, we help our kids feel good about themselves by telling them what they are doing well, and if they are making mistakes, we give them strategies to help fix them. Don't moms deserve the same?
With that in mind, Circle of Moms members chime in to help us all learn to fix some of these common discipline mistakes.
With all three of my pregnancies, I had morning sickness so severe that I vomited 24/7 and needed IV rehydration and other medical interventions. This kind of severe morning sickness, known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), is more common than you might think.
Not all moms realize what they are experiencing is out of the norm, but those who have experienced it say that if you're sick enough to wonder, then you probably have HG.
Is It HG or Morning Sickness?
It's a misconception to say that HG is just severe morning sickness. Certainly morning sickness is miserable, but HG can be a life-threatening complication for both mother and baby.
The Hyperemesis Education & Research Foundation (more commonly known among HG patients and survivors as Help HER) provides a comparison chart on its website to help mothers understand the difference between morning sickness and HG.
When bloggers told us about the weird things their kids do, they revealed some seriously hilarious and strange behaviors — from licking grocery carts to constant quacking! Circle of Moms members describe their kids doing some pretty strange things, too. The good news is that as bizarre as some of these kid behaviors may seem, many of them are pretty normal.
Whether they're trying to remember routines, communicate clearly, or wait their turn for a toy, young children are problem solving and learning every day. If your child is struggling with one problem in particular, one of these excellent apps may help. Though all the apps in this list were originally designed to help kids with special needs, they're great for helping all children learn to navigate the complexities of their world.
Not too long ago I wrote about why I had to talk to my kids about sex offenders and how, even though it was a difficult conversation, it was one I should have had with my children a long time ago. The world our children are growing up in is very different than the world we grew up in.
Certainly, there are things kids need to know before they leave home, but there are also things they need to know about now to help protect themselves or not end up in a bad situation. Moms say that in order to help your child, there are some difficult conversations you need to have with them.
With all the rules and regulations governing today's school systems, it's sometimes hard for parents and teachers to have frank and honest conversations. It's hard on parents, but there are things teachers wish they could say to parents, too.
It's been a while since I've been behind the teacher's desk in the classroom, but in solidarity to my dedicated in-the-classroom teacher friends, I'm sharing some of the things we wish we could say to parents.
When kids hit the teen years, many moms start worrying about curfews. When should teens go to bed? When should they be home for the night? What are the consequences of not following through? But the biggest question of all is: how do you decide what's appropriate? Circle of Moms members say to some degree it depends on your child, but there are still key dos and don'ts to guide you when setting your teen's curfews.
Many moms don't always feel like there's time to deal with stress and grief because we need to stay strong for our children. As Circle of Moms Rebecca T. voices in the face of a number of recent losses: "How do you cope with your responsibilities as a mother, partner, and any other important roles you have (like work, etc.) and still deal with these kind of challenges?"
When my grandmother died a few weeks ago, I faced the same internal question. Though I know I was lucky to have her as long as I did, and my kids were so lucky to know their great-grandmother, it still hit me hard. What hit me even harder was the realization that as a mother, I wasn't sure how to make time to mourn.
Still, I did something that was unprecedented for me — I took time off to grieve. Here's what I learned about navigating grief while still being a mom to your kids.
If your child has read the Harry Potter series and is trying to cast spells on the cat, then it's time to dive into a new book! Here are 10 more beloved science fiction and fantasy books that make great follow-ups to the magical world of Harry Potter.
I have always been fairly frank with my kids. I started the difficult conversations about things like sex, sexuality, drugs, and peer pressure when they were very young. As they grew older, the conversations evolved and I felt confident that they were comfortable talking to me. So, I patted myself on the back, thinking I'd done my job well.
Last year, though, I was blindsided when someone in my family was sentenced on charges of possession of sexually explicit material. This was a difficult conversation I never thought to have with my kids — a conversation about child pornography and sexual predators.
With some girls starting their period as young as 9, moms need to start having the period conversation early. But it can be an awkward subject to discuss, let alone just bring up out of the blue! Here's some advice from Circle of Moms members on how to start talking to and preparing your daughter for her period.
We all know the really bad words, like those that would get us into seriously hot water at work. But there's another list to be aware of, too. Mom Cristina A. calls them "ugly words," while other moms call them "bad" or "potty" words. While they're not really curse words, many moms still think they're unacceptable. Keep reading to see which words make the list.
Whether it's due to divorce, finances, or health, a growing number of families are bringing generations together under one roof. It may sound like a good idea, but how do you make a multigenerational household work without hurt feelings and confused parenting roles?
Mom Rachel J. thinks living with her parents is ruining her marriage. She says her family has no privacy, her mother is always criticizing how she parents her son, and she doesn't know how to make it better. Other moms say the way to make it better for families living together is all about making some rules and setting boundaries.
