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Category: Motherhood
If there is something I never want to do again in my life, it would be moving houses. More specifically, it would be moving houses while pregnant. Granted I was “only” four months pregnant, but it was one of the most exhausting things I’ve ever done. Thankfully, my husband and I made a decision that saved my sanity and was worth every penny. Make sure you scroll down to read two tips we used to make this sanity saver even cheaper.
(If you’d like to read more about how I survived moving while pregnant, make sure you check out the ebook I wrote with 8 tips to survive moving while pregnant.)
When we found out I was expecting our second child, we knew immediately we would need to move. We lived in a small townhouse and wanted to find a forever house before the new baby came. So we immediately set about selling our townhouse and looking for our next house.
One large concern, however, was how it would affect our toddler. After working with toddlers for so long, I knew how much large changes like a new house or new baby can throw them for a loop. Imagine my surprise that after having settled into our new house two months ago, my toddler has still not shown any large signs of being affected by our move. How did I do it? Read on for the 7 things I did to help my toddler settle in.
(And if you are moving while pregnant like I was, check out the ebook I wrote with the 8 tips that helped save my sanity!)
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through my link, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. Check my disclosure page for more information.
As a teacher, I have a front row seat to children misbehaving. Most of the time, I am in no way judging other parents. Kids get tired, they get sick, they have a bad day and they throw a fit or decide not to listen. It happens. But one thing that does bother me is when a kid doesn’t listen and you can tell this isn’t a one-off or a bad day. It is something that consistently happens.
I’ll give you a hint: as someone who works with kids, we can tell the difference. We can tell when a parent is embarrassed and just trying to get their kid out without losing their cool. We can also tell when a parent lets their kid have total control over everything.
(Make sure you check out my post of tips for dealing with stubborn toddlers. These can come in super helpful when dealing with a non-listening toddler! You should also check out my ebook about how to give a toddler choices. Giving a toddler choices can help significantly cut down on tantrums. )
Let me tell you something: That doesn’t have to be the case. You can take back control by getting your child to listen, specifically when you are out and about. I’m not talking about blind obedience. I’m not saying your child will listen 100% of the time. I’m just saying your child needs to understand that you are the adult and what you say goes. Here are five ways to get your child to listen.
When I found out I was pregnant again, I was a bit nervous. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was excited. But when I was pregnant with Mac, morning sickness kicked my butt. Like if you have read my tips for pregnant ladies, you’ll know morning sickness hit me like a semi-truck and it didn’t leave for 4 months. I was terrified that the same thing would happen again, except this time I am working full-time, raising a toddler, and selling and buying a house. But after some experimenting, talking to my midwife, and getting some sage advice from a pregnant friend, I have found 4 tricks I’m using to get through it.
*Just a disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Make sure you talk to your doctor about some of these!
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You know what my 2-year-old says totally unprompted when I get her something? “Thank you!” And you know what she tacks on when she asks for something? “Please!” Now, she is only a toddler, so this doesn’t happen 100% of the time. But I bet I will surprise you by telling you it happens 95% of the time.
I’m not raising some etiquette genius and I haven’t spent hours drilling manners and politeness into her head. In fact, I managed to get her to be polite with very little effort or time. Make sure you read on for my three tips.
Right now, Andrew and I have agreed to raise our children in a non-religious way until they are old enough to make a decision about their own religious beliefs. That means for some holidays, we search for non-religious ways to celebrate. Christmas is pretty easy. Christmas trees, Santa, and gift-giving are all non-religious. But Easter has been a bit different.
Mac is old enough now to start understanding and celebrating holidays so I wanted to do something to mark Easter since there are aspects that are non-religious. (The Easter bunny, dying eggs, Easter baskets etc.) Once I saw that I See Me! has a selection of personalized Easter books, I knew that was the start of Mac’s Easter basket. (P.S. you can order a personalized Easter book for your little bunny too. They have guaranteed delivery by Easter as long as you order before 4/9!)
If you are interested in other gift ideas, check out my non-toy gift ideas for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary children and the whole family.
When my daughter was born, I decided almost immediately that I wasn’t going to push her into the “girly” things that it seems is so prevalent today. It doesn’t seem to be as big of a problem with boy children, but there is definitely a section of parents who push their female children firmly into the princess camp. I’m talking every outfit has a tutu and giant hair bow, they watch exclusively princess shows, and have plenty of dolls and dress-up clothes, but not much else. And it isn’t because the child chooses is necessarily, but the parents are unknowingly shoving them into it.
I have seen these parents and children at school and I was firmly against it for my daughter. I dress her mostly from the “boys” clothing section and allow her to choose things that might not be seen as feminine. I also give her a range of toys to play with. (Make sure you read to the end to learn more about the male brain and the female brain. It is so interesting!)
I’ve already written about how I decided to keep my last name after I got married, but I’ve never written about how we decided on what Mac’s last name would be. When I was pregnant, we got a lot of questions about how we would decide. Andrew and I had separate last names and everyone was curious about how we would handle it. Here was the simple way we came up with that worked for us and our family.
When I was pregnant and had a newborn, I was very careful about what I bought. I was all for minimalism (although I did spring the money for a bedside co-sleeper, cloth diapers and some minimalist cloth diaper accessories.) So imagine everyone’s surprise when I decided I wanted to buy a learning tower for Mac. Well there are three definite reasons I wanted to buy one.
(For anyone who doesn’t know, a learning tower is a big wooden platform that toddlers and older children can use to be able to reach the counter.)
Every now and then, I get asked why I didn’t change my last name when I got married. Some people are just so used to women changing their name that they can’t fathom why someone wouldn’t. But it was a pretty easy decision for me to make and Andrew to understand. Here are the few reasons why I didn’t change my last name. (If you are wondering what we will do when we have children, read about how we decided on our daughter’s last name.)
P.S. I think deciding on whether to change your name or not is a super personal decision. Everyone, man or woman, should have the option to decide what name they want after marriage.
