It's not perfect. It's parenting.
Sometimes you need answers to the little everyday things that parents encounter. And sometimes, you just need someone to encourage you through all of the craziness and challenges of parenthood. Welcome to Parent-ish.
Category: Infant
7 ways to keep pools safe this summer
Summer is here! For me, it felt like summer would never come this year after such a cold winter, and the start of stay-at-home orders. But now, some city pools are opening and lakes and all types of fun water activities are an option!
Talking to kids about this phase of re-opening
As local authorities ease restrictions on businesses opening and people gathering, we all have questions about how to make smart decisions to keep our families safe. And if we grown-ups are scratching our heads, you can bet our kids have questions, too. As much as doctors wish we could provide all the answers, we just don’t have them. What we do have, though, are some helpful guidelines for making the best calls for your family.
Helping your child wear a mask
Since wearing a mask is currently required when social distancing isn't possible, it is important to help children understand why we're wearing masks and to help them feel as comfortable as possible. Below are some tips for you and your family to help your child with wearing a mask.
Tips for helping children understand the new normal
In many places, the coronavirus stay-at-home orders are being lifted and people may return to work and social events in phases. We as adults may understand the new rules, so it may be easy for us to flip that switch and attempt to return to normal. But for kids it may be more difficult. Children might need some help grasping the rules changing… again. Here are a few tips that can help guide your conversation with your children.
Gifts Moms really want for Mother’s Day
I never truly appreciated what my mother did for me until I became a mom myself. And now I know. Being a mother is the hardest, most beautiful and challenging role of all. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Birthdays in the time of COVID-19
My birthday is Nov. 27. It’s 1981, if you really want to know. Every year for my birthday growing up, my parents let me pick where we could go out to eat for dinner. I usually picked Oak Park Mall’s food court. It was the 80s and my parents had four kids, spaced two years apart. We rarely went out to eat. The mall and the food court was a favorite choice because that meant we could shop in the mall, too. We would come home for cake and ice cream and I would open presents from the family.
How parents can make a healthier environment for healthier kids (on Earth Day and every day)
This Earth Day, like a lot of days lately, looks different this year. With social distancing and other public safety measures in place, we won’t be spending time in community gardens, planting trees with neighbors, or gathering to celebrate. However, there is still a lot we can do to combat the effects of climate change right where we are.
Ways to curb frustration as a social-distancing parent
With the coronavirus pandemic, children are home all the time! Which is safe, but that means parents aren’t just parents - they are now teachers, caretakers, chefs, entertainers, housekeepers and everything else to their child. It’s a lot for anyone to manage.
Ideas to invigorate your kids’ social-distancing routine
Social distancing is hard, especially when you are a kid. Their entire world has been rocked and it is hard to understand why they can’t do the things that they were able to do just a few weeks ago. Recently, there was a Parent-ish blog about five things to consider when it comes to social distancing. Of those five items, the first one was structure. As a parent, you might have already put a routine or schedule in place, but maybe you are feeling a lull and want some ways to improve the experience for everyone in your home.
5 things to consider as a social-distancing parent
By this point, parents are all too familiar with the term “social distancing.” Although humans are social in nature, this tactic of social distancing appears to be our best combatant against the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease. Even though it is an effective strategy, social distancing comes with a new set of challenges. Those hurdles include parents being asked to work from home, the shutting down of schools and the combination of trying to balance these changes within the confines of our homes. Fortunately, with adversity comes great opportunity.
Rules of divorce: Easing the transition for your family
Every year, thousands of children experience the divorce of their parents. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, between 40 and 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce.
It’s okay to ask for help as a mom
I don’t really remember much from the first few weeks home as a new mom. The best way to describe it was like riding a rollercoaster. There were highs, lows...and days that felt like a blur. Part of the fun of riding a rollercoaster is having someone next to you to scream, laugh and throw your hands in the air with. I remember wishing I had others to lean on during the process and looking back, I was forgetting to ask.
Cold weather car seat safety
Statistics show that motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children in the United States. Most of these deaths, due to children either being unrestrained or improperly restrained, are preventable. As a rule, bulky clothing - like winter coats or buntings - should not be worn underneath the harness of a car seat. In a crash, fluffy padding immediately flattens out from the force, leaving extra space under the harness. This leaves the straps too loose to properly restrain the child, increasing the risk of injury. The same is true for adult passengers in a vehicle.
Are you a new mom feeling sad, tired or anxious? Here is a guide to help.
While many women experience the “baby blues” in the first two weeks after having a baby (worry, sadness and tiredness), these symptoms usually resolve on their own. However, Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) can be more serious. According to the CDC, about 1 in 9 women experience symptoms of depression and 1 in 7 women experience symptoms of anxiety during or following pregnancy.