DC Metro Mom

Ah, the second trimester. Less fatigue (maybe), more excited phone calls and Facebook posts (perhaps), no more nausea (ideally), additional energy (I hope?)... you might even think about having sex again. Someday. 

It can be challenging to support your child sometimes if they are wired to be a little on the anxious or intense side. These periods of overwhelm often strike without warning. Sleepovers, tests, teams, all these can trigger anxiety or upset which can lead to worry, sleep problems, and general stress.

As parents, it can be hard to hold these emotions because it just feels like too much sometimes. Or, it could be that our own anxiety gets activated which can make it doubly hard to contain a set of charged feelings. But there are ways to tackle this very common problem.

Below is a mind - body toolkit to support kids with their intense feelings:

1. Images and imagery are wonderful tools to help children calm down and relax. Ask your            child to think of a picture of an animal or a place or something that helps her relax. You can remind your child to think of this image when they are feeling stressed.

Happy Mother's Day to all those wonderful mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers and caregivers!  You are simply the best!!!! 

I’ve always thought it was funny –interesting/funny AND funny/funny- that no one has written a book about baby books. It would be so helpful to compare and contrast all the pages upon pages of sleep training methods and scheduling advice. Have you ever met anyone who said, “Yes, I followed the ______ book and life with my infant has been easy ever since.” Me neither.   And I talk to a LOT of parents. It seems that most parents take a pinch of Ferber, a dollop of Weissbluth and a serving of Sears and sometimes still come out confused.

This is my crazy life.  Here are all of us, in front of the computer, being dorky!  This was when Walt was little, but you get the idea.  I have a house full of little crazy ones!  But I love it.  

Packing for vacation is always tough. In my pre-baby days, I agonized over choosing only two pairs of shoes and which sundress made me look the cutest. Now I agonize over which outfits are the cutest for my toddler, and whether I packed all of the nine zillion baby things that clearly they don’t sell anywhere else on Earth, so I must bring them with me (joke… smile now). Going to the beach is a particularly daunting packing task… there are so many variables!

When was the last time you had a heart-to-heart with a preschooler? Have you ever sat down and had a conversation with a three, four, or five-year-old? If you take the time and ask the right questions, you might be surprised by a child's depth and ability to express his or her thoughts.

In anticipation of Mother's Day, I asked twelve amazingly perceptive two, three, four and five-year-olds to answer the question (in one-on-one conversations), “Why Is Your Mommy Special?” Their answers are good reminders for parents to slow down and appreciate the small moments. Children just want your time and love (and an occasional treat). They don’t seem to care what you buy them or even how many places you take them to each weekend. What seems to matter most to these toddlers and preschoolers is spending some time playing and expressing love.

Does your child cry and scream when you drop off at daycare or school? How do you handle the goodbye drama and the parent guilt? Perhaps creating a goodbye routine will help.

A butterfly kiss, Eskimo kiss, mommy kiss, doggy kiss (no real licks involved), a hug and a promise to be back soon. This was the goodbye routine my son and I created when he was in preschool. Every day I would walk him to the classroom and wait in line until the teacher opened the door and individually greeted each child. Most children gave a quick hug and kiss before running into the classroom. My son, who is now in kindergarten, had to do “animal kisses” first (don’t ask). The first week it was really cute. Halfway through the year I started to get a little embarrassed, especially when the teacher pulled me aside to ask about this “unique” goodbye ritual. But, as the end of the year approached (and yes it continued to the very end), I decided to embrace and enjoy the over-indulgent goodbye show. My oldest had already banned all public displays of affection, so I knew it would only be a matter of time before I longed for animal kisses.

Life is so busy I know, so please don't look at this post as adding one more thing into your schedule. Instead, think of it as using the time you have wisely and with your whole heart. Time spent devoted to unstructured play is all about quality not quantity - Try it and see!

~ Jen Kogan

You would think that after 10+ years of motherhood, 3 children, and a history of happy classroom outings that I would be more relaxed about field trips. You would be wrong. I dread them. For the kids, it’s one big party full of excitement, escape from the confines of a classroom and a chance make new discoveries with their friends. It’s a learning experience, it’s enriching. I KNOW. Or should know.

I recently went to an event for Northern Virginia bloggers.  This wonderful event benefited the charity, Let Mommy Sleep.  Let Mommy Sleep supports Military Families in need.  The gathering brought together a number of mommy bloggers who had hit the scene in the past two years.  It was wild to see how many "new" blogs and parent websites had been created since I first started my original site, DC Metro Mommy back in 2008. 

Nice title…right? Well let’s face facts it is true. There are some wicked women out there and (shudder) some are even moms! Until I recently had my second child…I had sort of forgotten about the bitch factor that exists in Mommyland. I have lived in the area for 12 years, have two children and, thankfully, a large circle of friends that I cherish. I haven’t much thought about the ruthless shrews that made my life miserable when I was a new mom. While woman everywhere can be nasty and mean (as can men) I am specifically talking about bitchy moms with young children.

Are you a nursing mother about to head back to work after maternity leave? Is this the first time you have left your baby in the care of someone other than family? It is important to make sure the daycare provider or child care center you select is sensitive to your needs and wishes as a breastfeeding mother. A quality provider is experienced handling breast milk and is understanding of not only the baby’s needs, but your needs as well.