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. 

Guest Blog by Ariadne Allan Autor

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.

Our family has been visiting Medieval Times pretty regularly since 2006 when our oldest son developed an intense interest in all-things-knights.  And for a little boy who loves all-things-knights, there is no better place than a ringside seat at a Medieval Times banquet.  But it's an experience that grown-ups will enjoy too, with plenty of action, good food, fine displays of horsemanship, pageantry, and falconry.  The new show has returned to its roots, focusing more on the horsemanship and less on Hollywood lighting and smoke.  We also found it to be even more kid-friendly than previous shows, with a lighter story line that was more about the tournament between the knights than the punishment of a dark villan.  

Sign up here for your 5 minute block of time to have your child's silhouette hand-cut by artist Marie Cheek.

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!

Have you met our blogger Jen Kogan?  She is a mom and family therapist who helps parents because we all need a little help sometimes!

As a mom of 2, running my own business, and an avid lover of life and community.. I noticed something recently. I have NOT BEEN TAKING CARE OF MYSELF! AGH!

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.