5 Parenting Pet Peeves

We all have pet peeves that drive us up the wall. Whether its things your husband does, your kids do, or complete strangers do, they make your blood boil and have you leaving the room- immediately.


I have some pretty heavy parenting pet peeves. I put this list together, not at all claiming to be a perfect mother, but to just get some things off my chest about what drives me up the wall that I see other parents do. I can think of 100 things that I do that I'm sure get on other parent's nerves, too (like let my kids speak freely of what's on their mind all the time).

I wrote this article for my column over at Parent Society, so as always, I'll start the article here and let you head over there to finish it! You can comment here or there, but let me know what your parenting pet peeves are!!

Enjoy!

5 Parenting Pet Peeves

Parenting is subjective. What works for one family may not work for another. There is no absolute right or wrong way to raise your child. With that said, every parent ends up developing a personal list of parenting pet peeves, things we see other parents do that just get under our skin. We don’t necessarily judge, especially if the child isn’t in danger, but we recognize practices or behavior that we wouldn’t do ourselves.

Here’s my personal list of parenting pet peeves:

1. Obese Children Eating Unhealthy Foods
I completely understand when a child has a sickness that causes them to gain weight, and I am sympathetic to those families. Considering that makes up only a small fraction of the number of obese children in the world, the rest of the obesity cases I blame on the parents. A child at the age of 3 or 4 does not know about nutrition and eats what he is given. This, in turn, makes obese children a parenting problem. If an adult wants to eat unhealthily and not exercise, then it is their right to do so; poisoning a child who doesn’t know better is just wrong, and a horrible parenting practice.

Teaching...

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I Was a Doubting Mother... and I Regret It!

I told you all the story the other day about how my kids both got accepted into the GATE program (Gifted And Talented Education) and The Girl's struggle with the school she'll be going to next year. What I didn't tell y'all was my struggle when it came to The Ginger's test results.

I wrote this story over at my column at Parent Society. As always, I will start the article off here for you and then let you finish it over there!

I Was a Doubting Mother... And I Regret It!

We mothers are supposed to be supportive of our children, to always think positively about them, and to encourage them to be their best.

I was a mother who fell short of that, and after the initial mom guilt passed, I vowed never to be a doubting mother again.

My Story
I have a daughter who is almost 11 years old and a son who is 8. My daughter is brilliant when it comes to school. She’s been on the honor roll every year so far, always does her homework, is responsible when it comes to school, and tries in every class. When her teacher talked to me about having her tested for the Gifted and Talented program, I honestly was not surprised at all. I gladly signed her permission form and smiled a little more that day.

My son is almost a direct opposite of my daughter. He dislikes school, hates doing homework, used to climb under the table and refuse to do his work while in class, and his grades are average. He has an amazing imagination, so I had just come to accept the fact that he was a free spirit and school would be more of a challenge for him. His teacher sat me down and told me that she wanted to have him tested for the Gifted and Talented program, as well.

As absolutely horrible as it sounds...

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The Most Important Thing You Can Teach Your Toddler

Today's post is found at my column over at Parent Society. It's one of the scariest things that happened to me when I was the mother of a toddler, and how we learned what the most important piece of information is that you could ever teach your child!

As always, I'll start it over here and let you finish it up at Parent Society! Enjoy!!


The Most Important Thing You Can Teach Your Toddler

When my daughter was 2 years old, I had one of the most scary situations occur that every mother fears. We were shopping at our local super center, and I told my husband I was running back to the sunglasses section, and to keep an eye on our daughter in the toy section. I was only gone for about three minutes, and when I returned to the toy section, my husband had a frantic look on his face.

“I can’t find her,” is all he could say.

What did he mean, he couldn’t find her? I was gone for three minutes and she was standing right next to him when I left. He said he was looking at the puzzles and he looked down and she was gone. It had only taken about 15 seconds for this to occur.

My mind raced as I ran through the toy aisles. No daughter. I started running toward the nearest exit when a voice came over the loud speaker:

“Would Morgan and Colin please come to register 29?”

That’s my name … and my husband’s name.

As I ran toward the registers with tears streaming down my face, I heard people around me say, “that must be Morgan,” as they cleared the aisle for me. I got to register 29, and there was my daughter — my beautiful 2-year-old. I ran to her and wrapped my arms around her.

There was an older woman standing there with her, along with the super center employees. “I spotted her walking...

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5 Easy Tips for a Healthier You

I'm sure more than a few of you made a New Year's Resolution to be more healthy. Here it is, the end of January, and if you are like me, some of that goal has fallen tot he wayside. Get back on track with some easy peasy tips!

Today's post is found over at my column on Parent Society. I'll start it here for y'all, and you can finish it up over there!!

5 Easy Tips for a Healthier You

Each January, millions of people set goals to lose weight or become healthier. We decide, in our perfect-on-paper plan, to start a cardio routine at the same time as a yoga routine, at the same time as switching out all of the junk food in the house for fresh fruit, at the same time as drinking more water, at the same time as cutting all sugar and caffeine from our diets. The result? We go from zero healthy habits during the holidays to four or more brand-new healthy habits now, and for most people, juggling all of these things means something gets dropped. For moms, this possibility is even greater because we are already juggling so many things with the house, family, kids, and more. We hardly ever make time for ourselves.

Instead of overwhelming yourself with a complete body and life makeover in this new year, I suggest implementing small, easy-to-follow healthy habits into your daily routine. Keeping these easy tips in mind will not only help you on your path to becoming healthier, but help you form good habits for the long term.

1. Avoid the Sit-and-Snack.

When people flip on the TV and grab a bag of chips, they end up on autopilot when it comes to eating. They don't even realize that they are eating handful after handful, and before they know it, the entire bag of chips is gone. If you are hungry and want a snack, stand at the kitchen counter while you eat, or walk around outside while you munch on an apple. Cutting out the snacking while you sit reprograms the brain to not have these urges anymore.

If you're a sit-and-snack type, you've probably noticed that you automatically crave snacks while you're watching TV. That's because you've trained your brain to want food when you're in front of the television. Rewiring isn't hard; you just have to stick with it. If Family Movie Night has always come with popcorn, and you want to keep this tradition for yourself as a treat, then section out a small portion of the popcorn into a personal bowl, and tell yourself that when that bowl is empty, you won't get more. Avoiding the sit-and-snack will cut calories from your diet, reprogram your brain away from an unhealthy eating practice to a healthy one, and create a healthier you.

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Recycling Kid's Toys

This time of year is perfect for cleaning out the old and bringing in the new... or just cleaning out the old. I started 'recycling' my kids' toys when they were each about 2 years old, and I found it so helpful; something every mom should try!

Today's post is found over at my column at Parent Society (click the logo to the right to see my other articles, as well). As always, I'll start it here and send you over there to finish it.

7 Steps to Getting Rid of (Oops... Recycling) Your Kids' Toys


After the holidays are said and done, most families are left with an abundance of toys — new and old. New Year’s resolutions are made to not only clean out and organize the home, but to also save money and not spend as much in the new year. Recycling your children’s toys helps you meet both of those goals.

I started recycling my kids’ toys when they were around 2 years old. It started after a birthday when one of my kids got entirely too spoiled by family members. While my daughter was occupied with her new noise makers and brain-building birthday gifts, I sneaked into her room with a huge plastic bin and rummaged through the toys I hadn’t seen her play with in a while. I quickly closed the container, shoved it into the top of a closet, and put a sticky note on it marked “March.” It honestly scared me to do this, as I thought she would immediately know some of her toys were missing and we’d have a terrible twos temper tantrum on our hands, but it was exactly the opposite.

She had no idea.

If there was a toy or two she noticed missing, I secretly removed it from the bin and promptly handed it to her, claiming I had found it stuffed under the couch. For the most part, that bin remained untouched in the top of the closet for about three months. That’s when I noticed she had quit playing with the toys she had received for her birthday, so just as I had done previously, I sneaked into her room with the bin, swapped out the toys in the bin for the ones she no longer played with, and put the bin in the top of the closet marked “June.”

Recycling my kid’s toys was officially born.

I kept an eye on which toys she played with out of this batch that had been hidden away for three months, and for the...

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5 Unique Holiday Traditions

Merry Christmas to everyone! Y'all know how special family is to me, and how my family doesn't always do things in a conventional manner. Today's post includes 5 Unique Holiday Traditions that I had as a child or that Hubby and I have started with our own kids, that we do every year. It's over at my column at Parent Society, but as always I'll start it here for you! Enjoy, and I hope everyone had a great holiday!

5 Unique Holiday Traditions

I know it's been said a thousand times, but this is my favorite time of year. From Halloween to the New Year, you'll generally find a smile on my face, a cup of spiced coffee or hot chocolate in my hand, and love in my heart. Having kids has made this time of year even more special, as I can look through their eyes at the beautiful Christmas tree, or that house with a million lights outside of it, or wonder with them what's under the wrapping paper of that present they are shaking. Having kids has made me a kid again during the holiday season.

From the first year our daughter was with us for Christmas (she was only 9 months old at the time), we started holiday traditions that we still carry to this day. Some of them came from our own childhoods, and some of them started brand-new with us as new parents. My kids (now ages 10 and 8) look forward to these holiday traditions every year.

1. Advent Calendar

The year I was pregnant with our first child, my husband's grandmother gave us a wooden advent calendar cabinet, filled with little baby booties, pacifiers, and candy. Each day in December, we opened the correctly numbered drawer and found a surprise waiting for us. Eleven years later...

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Unconventional Parenting Techniques Every Parent Should Know

Y'all know I'm not a 'normal' mom. I'm not sure who is nowadays. Some of the things that make me an unconventional parent have worked perfectly for my family, but have gotten a lot of eyebrow raises over the years.

Today's post is found over at my Parent Society column. As always, I'll start it here for you, then let you finish it up over there!

4 Unconventional Parenting Techniques Every Parent Should Know


I've always known I am an unconventional mother. I'm an artist, a writer, I'm covered in tattoos, and the louder the hair color, the happier I am. While I've known that I'm different, I've never realized how unique my parenting is until I talk to other moms. My kids are now 10 and 8, but even when they were toddlers I would get eyebrow raises when I explained some of the things I let my children do or say. I even had one mom tell me years ago that she felt sorry for me when my kids got older because they'd be unruly and I'd never be able to control them. I guess the joke's on her, because presently speaking, my kids are pretty well-behaved.

I've made notes over the years of things that my husband and I allowed in our house that other parents usually don't allow in their houses. These are the things that we now embrace, that I believe hold some small part of a key to why my kids are so unique themselves, and have amazing personalities.

1. Speaking their mind.

I'm pretty open to my children telling me exactly what they are thinking or feeling. Before we sit down for a family meeting, we create a Safe Zone. Whatever a child says in this Safe Zone they can not be punished for. We don't allow swearing, but if they can portray how they feel or what they are thinking, and explain why, then it's allowed. When topics are presented, we all listen with an open heart, and try not to judge or have our feelings hurt. If something hurtful is said, we try our best to put our emotions aside and deal with the subject in a way that makes everyone happy. In the past, I've had my children tell me that they hated me at the moment because of such-and-such reason, and understanding why they felt that way, I allowed them to tell me they hated me. They needed to get it out, and it's exactly how they were feeling, so why stifle that or tell them that their feelings were wrong? I know deep down they loved me, and they hated whatever decision I had made, but after they got out everything they needed, we talked and I shared my side of things. I have always felt that keeping an open line of communication with my children has made our family a strong unit.

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5 Ways to Add Magic to Your Child's Life

Y'all know I love movies like 'Practical Magic' and 'The Good Witch' series. I love the feeling they give- optimism, togetherness, and magic. I love magic. Each day, I try and do things with my kids that add magic to their lives; just those little things that cause them to smile, to feel good about themselves and their home life, and put them at ease.


Today's post is found over at Parent Society, where I have a weekly column. I'll start it for you here, so enjoy!

5 Ways to Add Magic To Your Child's Life

The world is a scary place. Turning on the television to watch the news bombards people with death, fear, and sadness. Kids are being exposed to so much more nowadays than I was as a child, and I'm seeing a growing trend of children accepting more violence and hate and becoming numb to it all.

That has to change -- immediately.

Innocence needs to be instilled back into our children; an innocence that comes with magic. Not so much the pulling a rabbit out of a hat actual magic, but the feeling that comes with watching a magician pull that bouquet of flowers out from behind someone's ear, or the innocent adrenaline rush of seeing someone get sawed in half during a magic trick -- not fear instilled by watching a person in a horror movie actually get sawed in half by the killer. Magic makes children healthily question their surroundings, gives a feeling of joy and wonderment, and lightens the mood created by this daunting world.

My kids and I live by magic. Every chance I get to create smiles on my kids' faces and bring some innocence back into their lives, I do it. My kids are 10 and 8, and I try my best to keep them every bit of their actual ages.

Here are some of the things I do for my kids, and we do as a family, to add magic to our lives:

1. Give them things to believe in.
I'm not necessarily speaking religious icons, but if that's what works for your family, then go for it. I'm talking the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus. I have heard so many parents out there say that they aren't participating in passing these age-old beliefs down to their kids because it's lying to them and they don't want to lie to their children. That's hogwash, I say. Kids talk, and how difficult is it to explain to a child why one of their friends said their parents told them Santa isn't real? Very difficult for this mom, as I've had to do that before.

I'm trying to keep the innocence alive in my kids, by allowing them to believe in fantasy things, and when they get old enough, and ask me for the truth, I will tell them. But these are things children should believe in...

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4 Reasons I Refuse to Cut Sugar From My Kids' Diets

With Halloween now in the past, and the kids loaded up on sugar-filled candy, instead of telling my kids 'no', I'm telling them 'slow down'. Many pediatricians and nutritionists step up and say that we parents should cut sugar from our kids' diets.

I say Bollocks.

Keep sugar in your kids' diets. I do. Today's post is over at Parent Society. Here's the beginning, so enjoy!

4 Reasons I Refuse to Cut Sugar From My Kids' Diets


Years ago my family ate organic foods only. We ditched the preservative-filled easy fix meals, shopped at the local farmer's market for our fresh fruits and vegetables, only ate meat where the animals had not been treated with hormones and antibiotics, and my kids rarely had sugar. Due to budget cuts (that's putting it nicely -- we became broke, and quickly) we had to compromise with the food. Things like hot dogs (not the all-natural kind, either), corn dogs, frozen chicken tenders, Kool-Aid and boxed mac and cheese became staples in our house again. I wasn't thrilled, but I knew the financial setback was only temporary, so I just kept looking forward to the day that we'd be eating healthy again.

That time has finally arrived, and while I'm in the process of slowly replacing the cheap, easy fix meals with more natural (and unfortunately more expensive) options, I've come to realize there's one thing I refuse to cut out of my kids' diets...

Sugar.

That's right, I'm a mom who is refusing to cut sugar (which goes against almost everything that every pediatric doctor or nutritionist preaches). In my opinion, sugar is not evil. Extreme amounts of sugar, yes, but sugar itself is not. If you are a mom who likes to stay in control of your kids, then sugar can actually be an amazing tool of the trade. (Sounds backwards, doesn't it?) Here's why I decided to keep sugar in my kids' lives:

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What's So Great About Being Normal, Anyway?

Y'all know I am not a normal mom. Hell, nowadays, who is? It's easier to define what isn't normal than what is normal in society today.

Since my readers here know I'm anything but normal, I decided to share my reasons for not being normal with other moms over at Parent Society today. I have a weekly column there, and it's stuff not posted here on Inklings, so go check it out. To see all of my posts on Parent Society, you can click the big Parent Society Contributor button in the sidebar- it takes you to my profile!

Here's the start to the article. Enjoy!

What's So Great About Being Normal, Anyway?

My 10-year-old daughter got into the car at afternoon pick up one day, pretty distraught. When I asked her what was wrong, she simply stated:

 “Sometimes I just wish we could be normal, like everyone else.” 

I was thrown off-guard with her statement. I’m in no way a normal mom, but I needed specifics before I began debating with her. (We don’t argue in our house, we debate.)

“I don’t know Mom, just normal. Like you could be like everyone else’s mom. We’re never allowed to go into other people’s houses, or play outside unless you can see us, or even watch Spongebob. My friends are allowed to do all of those things.”

I began debating with my daughter.

1. I don’t know these other people or their parents, so until I can assess whether or not it is safe for you to go into their house, it will continue to be this way.
2. Not allowing you to play where I can’t see you is for your own safety. A child is reported missing every 40 seconds in the United States. I’m doing everything in my power to make sure you and your brother are not in that statistic.
3. Spongebob is a brainless cartoon that teaches kids nothing of value but instead teaches them to whine, make stupid decisions, take crap from other people, and be mean to your best friend. There will continue to be no Spongebob in my house.

My answers apparently weren’t good enough for her, but she chose to not debate with me any longer. This gave me....

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Halloween Activities for Older Kids

Halloween should be enjoyed by all ages, not just the little ones who can still trick-or-treat, or by adults who can head out to Halloween parties that go deep into the night. Having a child too old to trick-or-treat but not old enough to be partying to the wee morning hours can present a tough scenario for making Halloween fun.

Not anymore.

This post of mine is found over at Parent Society, where I'm a new contributor. It's a new post, never seen at Inklings before, but still has my crazy flare when it comes to parenting and writing.

And, like all of my Parent Society articles (well, all of my posts in general), pass it along to anyone you'd think would like it, because it could mean a bonus for me at the end of the month!

5 Halloween Activities for Older Kids


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Kids and Patience- It Can Happen!

Parenting is hard. Parenting in today's "Instant Gratification" world is even harder. 
Today's post is actually going to be found over at Parent Society. I'm the newest contributor over there and will hopefully have at least one new post a week. This is my first paying gig as a writer, so show me some love over there- the more love shown, the more $ I can stand to make. So be sure to pass my Parent Society articles around like a $2 hooker, please!
Yes, these articles still have my zany voice when it comes to writing, and no, it's not a topic I've covered here on Inklings.
So, here it is- read it, share it, comment if you'd like. There's a bunch of great stuff over at Parent Society, so definitely take a look around while you are there!
5 Ways to Teach Children Patience in an Instant Gratification World

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