LilSugar

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: Wispy Hair

babysugar — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0800

I lived for the luxe locks I sported during and immediately after my pregnancies. I paraded around like a supermodel, tossing my hair from side to side as if everyone in the world were mesmerized by my thick, shiny strands that seemed to grow by the second. I was even prepared for the postpartum hair loss many women experience once their pregnancy hormones subside.

What I wasn't prepared for was the wispy bangs that seemed to appear overnight around my face. I awoke one morning, about five months after delivering my son, and as I stood there blow drying my hair, I couldn't get the lion's mane of wisps to stay down. I tried different hair serums, headbands, and hats before I just gave into the baby-fine hair that seemed to stay with me for months. In fact, I would marvel in the fact that my tot was ready for his first haircut around the same time my wisps finally blended in with the rest of my hair!

What Makes a Woman a Mother?

LilSugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:30:29 -0800

Is the word "mother" a technically or socially defined word to you? Is a woman only a mother when she has physically given birth? Or does the title also apply to those who adopt, have legal custody, or even just a hand in raising a youngster? Is the word "mom" something a woman is biologically entitled to or one that is awarded when it comes from the mouth of a child? Is a woman a mother the moment she finds out she's pregnant? And does she remain one if she miscarries or her offspring predeceases her? Tell us what you believe makes a mother.

What Do You Splurge on For Your Tot?

babysugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0800

Nobody ever said having a baby was an inexpensive proposition. From everyday necessities like diapers and wipes to nursery gear, clothing, and food, the expenses add up - and they do so quickly! Trying to keep a new mama away from the adorable onesies or miniature shoes can be like keeping a caffeine fiend from a coffee shop. Though there are less expensive options for many of the popular products out there, some moms just feel the need to splurge on certain items.

While I stock my nursery with warehouse club-brand wipes and buy my children's pajamas at outlet stores, I can't help but use the savings on gorgeous sweaters that they most certainly don't need (and one actually refuses to wear for more than three minutes).

What do you splurge on for your lil one?

What Is Your Best Parenting Tip?

LilSugar — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:00:42 -0800

No parent has all the answers, but most moms and dads have a tip or two that they stand by and are willing to share. Some are tried and true methods while others are just logical thoughts that have yet to be proven. Whatever the case, we all learn from one another. What is your best parenting tip? Or what is a valuable one that someone passed on to you?

The Best Time to Start Solids

babysugar — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:00:20 -0800

Are you ready to make the switch? Moving your lil one to a diet that includes solid foods can be an exciting time. While many of today's parents were fed rice cereal almost from the get-go, doctors currently recommend holding off until tots are between four to six months old before bringing a spoon to their mouths.

Before introducing the baby cereal, most pediatricians look for wee ones to exhibit certain developmental milestones such as sitting up (with support), doubling their birth weight, and showing interest in food. Even if your hungry tyke is salivating when watching you eat at four months, some docs insist on maintaining an exclusive breastmilk or formula diet until they reach the half-year mark.

When did you start introducing solid foods?

Which Celebrity Couple Do You Wish Would Have Kids?

LilSugar — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:00:57 -0800

Tinseltown's kids grow up and the world watches. When talented rock star types come together they make some pretty incredible babies like Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani's pint sized trendsetters - Kingston, 3, and Zuma, 1. It's also pretty amazing to see what personalities evolve when two amazingly talented actors like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie decide to parent a large brood - Maddox, 8, Pax, 6, Zahara, 5, Shiloh, 3, and Vivienne and Knox, 1.

Which celebrity couple do you wish would have kids? My choice would be Pink and Carey Hart. The combination of their intelligence, candor, and genetics would make for one awesome child. Who do you choose?

What Was the First Baby Item You Purchased?

babysugar — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:00:03 -0800

Nine months is a long time to wait for a baby. From the moment the stick shows a pregnancy sign, mamas-to-be enter the magical world of babydom where they are surrounded by a bevy of onesies, rattles and nursery furniture that are just begging to be bought. Like kids in a candy store, pregnant women often can't keep their hands off of all of the goodies they see for the new addition to their family.

Deciding where to start is a fun dilemma to have. Some expectant moms run out to buy that first pair of baby booties as soon as the doctor confirms the pregnancy. Others wait to dive right into the gear and come home with the stroller they've been eyeing for some time.

Tell us, what was the first item you bought for your baby-to-be?

Does Your Child's School Make It Hard to Volunteer?

babysugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:00:00 -0800

Until they reach their pre-teen years, kids love to see their parents at their school. From book fairs and bake sales to auctions and snack delivery, schools are always turning to parents for a helping hand. Seventy-two percent of LilSugar readers said they volunteer at their lil one's school in one form or another. But how easy is it to actually do so?

While some schools are opting for a more family friendly atmosphere, others are overwrought with mommy cliques that seem to control the volunteer opportunities, doling them out like prized treats. Add a working mama's office schedule to the mix and she is likely to be turned off by the whole experience.

So tell mommy, do you find it difficult to volunteer at your tot's school?

Are Women Better Suited to Start Families in Their Teens?

babysugar — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:00:16 -0800

What's the perfect age to start a family? With teen pregnancy on the rise, and MTV highlighting the epidemic, you would think that the public has had enough talk about the subject. But a British novelist has an idea that is causing a bit of a stir.

Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall and An Experiment in Love, recently told an interviewer that societal norms are preventing women from birthing babies when they are physically able – in their teens. According to Mantel:

"There is this breed of women for whom society's timetable is completely wrong . . . Having sex and having babies is what young women are about, and their instincts are suppressed in the interests of society's timetable . . . I was perfectly capable of setting up and running a home when I was 14, and if, say, it had been ordered differently, I might have thought 'Now is the time to have a couple of children and when I am 30 I will go back and I'll get my PhD . . . But society isn't yet ordered with that kind of flexibility."

If society allowed it, would you have wanted to start your family in your teens?

What Was Your Baby's First Food?

LilSugar — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:15:50 -0800

Most moms assume that their baby's first taste of real food will be cereal once the pediatrician gives the go ahead, but in my experience this hasn't been the case. And the food wasn't an organic fruit or vegetable puree either.

The other night, my kids made chocolate chip cookies, and my 3-year-old took a warm one into the living room to eat. A few minutes after my son had finished his cookie, I noticed my baby was practically sucking the skin off of his fingers and had chocolate smeared across his mouth. Somehow while the two played, a piece of melted chocolate had exchanged hands and my 4-month-old was loving and licking every bit of it. I don't think this is all too uncommon since my daughter's first taste was tiramisu a friend gave her a taste of at a bridal shower, and my older son's was a lick of my daughter's lollipop. What was your child's first taste?