LilSugar

Has Parenthood Brought You Closer Together?

babysugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:30:00 -0800

Magical as they are, the first few weeks of parenting are no cake walk. They are wonderful and full of life changing moments but the shift from couplehood to parent life is drastic and a never-ending learning process. For many moms and dads, the addition of a new family member takes a toll on the romance, making it tough to maintain the closeness in the relationship. Others are finding quite the opposite effect. And by others, I mean married parents. According to a new study, children boost happiness for married parents. Unmarried parents? They don't fare as well. The research found:

Single, separated, and cohabiting people, by contrast, report negative experiences.

Evidence suggests that couples who are married are "ready" to have children where those who are not, may not have been prepared for the lifestyle change. Are you and your partner happier since becoming parents? And, are you married?

New York Mom Hits the Weed to Cope With Work and Wee One

LilSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:38 -0700

The word stoner doesn't necessarily conjure up the image of a working woman with a kid, but some mothers find that smoking a bowl allows them to find better balance between career and child. A recent article in Marie Claire included an interview with mama Rachel Murphy, who routinely inhales after she puts her young daughter to bed. In order to secure an insurance policy, the New Yorker had to resort to chugging Ready Clean, which her husband was none to thrilled about. The story said:

The white-knuckle experience became a major source of tension in her marriage, Murphy concedes, so she stopped smoking for a while. But it didn't last. "I'm sorry, but I have a stressful job, I have a baby. I need to unwind somehow, and I don't really like to drink," she grumbles. So, while hanging out with married friends, most of whom are also parents, Murphy will occasionally join in when one pulls out a baggie and starts prepping a bowl. "I got kind of uptight," she says of her weed-free phase. "And my husband was like, 'Actually, I liked you better when you smoked.'"

While some people prefer their children smoke instead of drink and 54 percent of lilsugar readers said parents' bad habits were less offensive when they weren't around their kids - what's your opinion of mommies indulging in marijuana?
Source: Flickr User dana.ocker

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: Confidence

LilSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:00:30 -0700

I wish I could bottle my daughter's confidence. That way when she grows into a tween or teen that doubts herself, I would have it to hand back to her. She recently informed me that she's trying out for her school's talent show. When I asked if she'd be performing with friends or by herself, she told me she's going to do a "solo in front of thousands of people."

Whether or not she makes the cut or bails because of stage fright at the tryouts really doesn't matter. It was just priceless to watch my five-year-old who didn't know anyone when she started kindergarten last month decide if she should sing or play guitar because she's "good at both." My girl isn't a vocalist and has never had a music lesson, but no matter how off-key she is while belting out her homemade tune - I will beam with pride because my child completely believes in herself.

We want to hear your shocking, funny, embarrassing, and insightful pregnancy and motherhood stories. Join our Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me? group over in our LilSugar community and share your tales and tips.

The Boob Tube's Best Fall Mom Shows, Will You Tune In?

LilSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:30:31 -0700

Motherhood is hot and television will be cashing in on it this Fall when a bunch of new shows focused on matriarchs hit the small screen. We've discussed TV producers' inability to capture parenthood in the past, but this season's crop of sitcoms and dramas looks promising. Take a look at what the networks are putting together and tell us which ones you will watch.

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Foolish Ways People Prep For Parenthood

LilSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:00:46 -0700

Nothing prepares you for parenthood. Ready or not, they place the newborn babe in your arms and you fall in love. Moms and dads understand this, but not everyone else does. Schools use various projects to prep students on the responsibilities of raising children, but none come close. Even couples test out their skills in ways they feel are comparable and are usually shocked by the real deal. Check out the reasons why none of the common practices come close.

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Would You Want to Hold Your Baby Before Birth?

LilSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:00:29 -0700

Holding baby for the first time is a memory that forever sticks in a mother's mind. While it normally happens at the hospital or home after birth, one man is hoping to help parents-to-be have a hands on experience before their infant arrives. A model maker at London's Royal College of Arts uses ultrasound images and high tech machinery to create models of growing fetuses to encourage bonding for future moms and dads during the prenatal phase. Would you be interested in his concept?

When Times Get Tough Do You Think Back to the Past?

LilSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:00:20 -0700

Last night TLC aired, Jon & Kate Plus 8: The First 10 Years, a retrospective about the couple and their children. While last week's Big Announcement was a tearjerker, this special was equally sad. It was not because it focused on the demise of Jon and Kate's marriage and the breakup of the family, but because it showcased their happiest times with home videos, clips of the honeymooners in Disney World and welcoming the twins and sextuplets. It featured footage of them purchasing houses and making them homes filled with memories. There were scenes of the tensome laughing, vacationing, bonding and the parents in love. It was hard to watch without thinking about how much Jon and Kate are giving up in order to move on. While they will not be making public comments as they deal with their separation, do you think fewer parents would divorce if they stopped to remember the past and all the reasons they initially fell in love and what they accomplished in creating their children?

Will Parenthood Be the New Thirtysomething?

LilSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:21:49 -0700

There aren't many parenting shows on the networks these days that resonate with real life moms and dads. Sitcoms like Notes From the Underbelly and In the Motherhood were just too over the top. But, now it looks like one hour long show in NBC's Fall lineup may break the cycle of canceled shows. Based on 1989's popular movie, Parenthood, about the trials and tribulations of the Buckman family, a television version by the same name will be an updated and modern look at the Braverman siblings and how each character handles the stage of child planning or rearing they are in. Will you tune in?

Are You Still a Child Until Your Parents Pass?

LilSugar — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Some people believe that they never really grow up until their parents die. Even as adults raising their own offspring, they can seek advice in mom or dad. But, it is in their absence that they need to become independent of those ties. Do you find this to be true?

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Are You a Happily Married Mommy?

babysugar — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:00:42 -0700

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage. And then they lived happily ever after, right? Research professor Scott Stanley says no. His new report reveals that out of 218 couples, a shocking 90 percent of those couples saw a demise in their marital bliss after having a child. Sound depressing? The silver lining to that black cloud is that the childless are also apparently experiencing "diminished martial quality." To see what else the study says, read more.

The difference, he says, is this:

Having a baby accelerates the deterioration, especially seen during periods of adjustment right after the birth of a child.

I feel much better knowing I am doomed to misery. But really, what can we learn from this? Should couples forgo children if they want to keep their blithe relationship? I'm starting to think all of those Tinseltown parents are onto something... marriage after baby. If people marry each other after having gone through the growing pains of parenting, the bar is set lower from the beginning so maybe the misery is lessened all together. Can we get Brad and Angelina to give us some input on this one?

Tell mommy, was your relationship with your partner better sans children or now with a family?
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