#parenting

#parenting

Writing a picture book isn't easy. Some people might think it is-especially if they've read enough bad ones-but writing a true gem of children's literature is exceptionally hard work. Great children's books make kids laugh and adults cry, have rhythm, meter, and great pictures, and somehow speak to something deep in a child's soul, making them want to return to the pages again and again.

One day recently, my son had two long, back-to-back doctor appointments, which meant he was in the car and in waiting rooms for much of the afternoon. His lunch and snack would not have earned me a healthy-mom award: peanut-butter puffs, a grape-jelly Uncrustables sandwich, and a package of mixed-berry oat bites. All ultra-processed foods, the new boogeyman of public health.

Frantically, I called my husband and asked him to come down to the supermarket with his bank card and pay, as it didn't seem that I was going to be able to. While I was on the phone to him, a lady in the line paid for her groceries then told the checkout guy, I'll pay for hers, too. I tried to protest, but she wouldn't hear of it. All she said was: Just pay it back in the community somehow.

One thing was clear to me from the start: I didn't want to return to a traditional job. The thought of leaving my babies in day care and commuting to an office felt impossible. I wanted to be there for every milestone: their first smiles, first steps, and the little everyday moments that can so easily slip by. But while my heart was set on staying home, reality raised its hand.

Hilarie and Jeffrey initially lived between LA and NYC. However, they both always wanted to live on a farm - a shared dream they discussed on their second date. So, after welcoming Gus, they relocated. Their family has expanded to include animals like alpacas, Highland cows, ducks, chickens, donkeys, and an emu. Hilarie wrote a memoir, The Rural Diaries, about her life on Mischief Farm. They also ended up co-owning the local candy store, Samuel's Sweet Shop, with Paul Rudd and Julie Yaeger.

Obviously, there are the expected changes - a squirming new member of the family, of course, probably accompanied by more sleepless nights and a LOT more poop. But I'm curious to know: What are the unexpected ways your life changed once you had kids? Did having a kid change your whole perspective on life? Did parenthood upend your finances in a way you didn't foresee? Or maybe you're just more tired than you ever thought humanly possible.

"Don't be a bum ... please don't be lazy,"

When are your kids done with eating off the kids menu? Like most things, it depends on a number of factors, like the size of their appetite, their pickiness, and the cost of the menu items. But sooner or later, your little angel is going to be ordering an entree that costs double-digits instead of the kids' mac and cheese that comes with a fruit cup and a lemonade for $8.

When my son was younger, I shielded him from the reality of our financial situation. As a lower-income family, he always had everything he needed, and then some, so he didn't seem to notice. But now that he's almost 12, my son's requests for things have outpaced me. I used to be able to find some roundabout way to get him what he wanted, but as a single mother, I can't afford it anymore.

My oldest son was nine years old - but acted 35 - when I became a single mom. "Wise beyond his years" was the way he was described by every adult who knew him. When I told him and his little brother that we were separating, that we were moving two hours away and they would be starting school in a new town, he watched me with his serious eyes. He watched to see how I was feeling before he reacted.

As my daughter has gotten older, we've started picking up on small signs that she may also be showing early signs of ADHD. Of course, as she's a young child, we know that it's likely too early to officially diagnose her (plenty of her "signs," such as difficulty following instructions and impulsivity, can simply be attributed to her age). But with a genetic predisposition, it did make us start wondering...

Emotional validation happens when your parents see what you are feeling, acknowledge your feelings, and seem to understand why you are having them. Just like adults, children's feelings are the deepest, most personal, biological expression of who they are. In order to feel seen, understood, and heard, a child must feel that their feelings are seen, understood, and heard. What happens when you feel seen, understood, and heard as a child?

The mom who made the video clarifies in the comments that her child is 3 years old, and the youngest of the neighbor's three children is 4. Honestly, the comments are pretty divided, with some parents firmly taking this mom's side and others telling her to loosen up.

"I think it's really important that that atmosphere is created at home. You have to have that warmth, that feeling of safety, security, love," William told Levy. "That all has to be there, and that was certainly part of my childhood."

Vee Whitaker - a mother in Georgia - took her 8-month-old daughter Montana to a café when the little girl started screaming. A customer asked Whitaker to leave, saying the baby's screams were hurting his sensitive ears. He told Whitaker if she couldn't keep her infant quiet, she should leave.

I am a recovering alcoholic and need advice on how to support my son, who is 11 and autistic. I am three months sober with the help of rehab and AA, but my drinking became heavy over the last two years (I was sober for the first six years of my son's life). Towards the end, my drinking was 24/7 and my son has sadly seen me out of control and desperately unhappy. He developed a sense of responsibility, that he was the only person who could stop me drinking (by physically removing bottles), which I feel utterly ashamed about.

Turned out his aunt was his actual birth mother, who had kids with his father too before he was born, but who had passed away in a house fire. The mother who raised him was completely sterile and, in fact, had a hysterectomy at a very young age. He was in complete shock, but said it made sense how close everyone was in the house, despite keeping all the adult stuff behind closed doors.

In episode four of season three, which aired on Friday, William gave Levy a tour of Windsor Castle, and the pair chatted over a drink at a pub in the area. During their conversation, William opened up to Levy about his royal life, chatting about how he and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, parent their children and how his wife and father's health problems have affected him.

Most students, when they're struggling mid-semester, are feeling overwhelmed but don't actually need advice or solutions. This goes against our instinct as parents-we want to solve the problem and eradicate their pain. Don't do it. They already know what to do; they're just struggling to do it. This is where hard, messy lessons occur. Instead, validate how they're feeling. Don't agree with them; just acknowledge how hard this time is for them. Listen with the intent of understanding rather than solving.

My 12-year-old son goes to an after-school program oriented around healthy living. They learn to cook vegetarian dishes, do yoga and meditation, and learn about various topics such as healthy sexuality and substance abuse. I'm extremely passionate about all of these things and was delighted to hear that my son was enjoying it as well when he started going two years ago, especially because he had never particularly liked sports or other extracurriculars.

Tom insists that Cyrus is a "toxic male influence" on the boys. I can't tell if this is as big an issue as he claims, and I don't know what's right. Cyrus and I have been together for three years. He's loving but more conventional. We share the same core values and votes. He's kind and generous: he'll stop for a stranger with a flat on the freeway, he'll break up a homophobic incident in a bar.

she's been doing what she calls "book reporting" them. "We go on a journey together and we decide to research what that means, where it comes from, why it happened, and where it stemmed from," she explains. She then says her sons are already beginning to understand how everything in culture is interconnected and that "Mom, it's not that deep" is actually very rarely true.

He had to prove he was responsible enough to ride his bike alone When we took bike rides together, I would wait to see if he noticed a car backing up ahead or coming up behind us. But I could see that he wasn't paying attention and would have to tell him to stop or move out of the way.

Amidst the sleepless nights, hospital stays, medication dosing, and screaming into the pillow, I cared for the plant (and my son), thinking, in my delusion, that if Vasily were going to live, my son would, too. A revived Vasily stayed behind in New York City with a friend. "The friends we leave behind will stay our friends, and in new places we'll make new friends" I told my son at the time.

Apartment Therapy received compensation for this post, which was written and edited independently by our editorial team. As a mom of two young kids, I understand the sheer volume of baby essentials needed - especially during those first few months. That's why I've curated a selection of the best deals on mom-approved baby gear from Babylist - perfect for both new and experienced parents.