Now that makes sense!

How Much to Allow a Child to Dictate the Day

Who is in the driver’s seat in the house? Is it you? Your child(ren)? Sometimes balance can be tricky…especially when it comes to a child with disabilities. Balance is one thing every parent strives to conquer and usually fails before getting it right.

As parents, we tell our children what to do. It is our job to set limits and boundaries, and teach them how to behave and be respectful. I would imagine I bark orders at my kids at least 20 times a day: “Be nice to your sister.” “Get dressed.” “Sit up.” “Chew with your mouth closed.” “Clean up your toys.” These are just a few of the everyday utterances that leave my mouth.

By Mary Bockert, ago

Growth Spurts…YIKES!

I don’t know about you, but when our girls are going through a growth spurt, our household is in disarray. In fact, we have started recognizing the “symptoms” of growth spurts so that we can adjust the way we handle certain situations accordingly. The first step though is recognizing them.

Here’s how to recognize your little sprout’s spurt:

Your baby wants to eat nonstop. If you’ve been breastfeeding every three hours, your baby will now want to belly up to the milk bar every hour or two. That’s just fine. The more often your baby breastfeeds, the more he stimulates milk production to keep up with his growing appetite. Older babies will also want to nurse more and up their intake of the jarred stuff if they’re eating solids.

By Mary Bockert, ago

Let’s Talk Dirty…Potty Training

Our youngest (born) three-year-old child has been potty trained for a good 4 months now and things were going GREAT! We were having ZERO accidents and only wearing pull-ups at night…and waking up dry 50% of the time. We felt that Delise was on her way to a pull-up free life in just a few short weeks.

Then something happened…the idea of being in underwear, stopping what she was doing to use the restroom, and the novelty of being a “big girl” wore off. Potty accidents started creeping into her day and she started wetting the bed during nap time. I found myself getting frustrated day by day at her lack of care for being “dry” anymore. Why was this “Potty Trained little 3 year old” going backwards with her milestones?

By Mary Bockert, ago

Mom of the Year…or Not.

Stressed? You’re not alone. Apparently 70 percent of U.S. moms say mothering is “incredibly stressful.” And 96 percent also feel that we are far more stressed than our own mothers were.

So what’s triggering Mommy Angst, circa 2017? (How much time do you have? LOL) It’s everything from financial insecurities, a more intensive parenting style and higher expectations for our kids’ success to a lack of support, time famine, relationship demands, and concern that the world is more perilous for kid raising.

By Mary Bockert, ago

10 Ways You Can Create Lasting Memories With Your Kids Without Breaking the Bank

I get so busy doing dishes, running the sweeper, keeping up with my online business, running errands, cooking, etc. that sometimes I fail to STOP and PLAY! Play with my kids, appreciate the stage in life they are currently at and just enjoy…just…enjoy…life!

I have started to make it a point to relax and soak in my kids a bit more. Am I busy, YES…is it hard, YES…is it wirth it…YUP! Here is a list of some things I have done to create some lasting memories with my family and some things I plan on doing in the near future…some ideas on how I was, am, and will be able to STOP and PLAY a bit more.

By Mary Bockert, ago

Finding Out Our Child Wasn’t “Normal”

I was just getting home from a work trip and my husband says to me…

“Now don’t get too alarmed…I am sure it isn’t anything BUT…our daughter seems to be experiencing some sort of strange head jerks that she can’t control.”

Of course I flipped out and then quickly witnessed it for myself. It appeared to be a seizure to the untrained eye and with that, we rushed her to the hospital. They hooked her up to every machine, put an IV in her tiny little vein and the process began. She was just 8 months old and as new parents, we were not ready for this…like AT ALL.

By Mary Bockert, ago

Smoothies…It’s What’s For Dinner

Ahhhhh…the cool breeze of spring leaving us and the HOT “dog days” of summer arriving. This is my time of year. In fact, I would say that summertime has allowed me to be creative…let me explain how. With hot weather comes days of eating a bit less BUT eating a bit unhealthier than usual. Oh, you know, ice cream with gobs of chocolate sauce, burgers and hot dogs on the grill with potato chips, potato salad smothered in mayonnaise, cotton candy and elephant ears at your local fair, etc. Food can either be our fuel or our enemy…and we get the opportunity to choose. Fortunately for you, I have some amazingly creative ways to get your fruits and veggies into you and your children’s diets without them batting an eye, squealing with disgust, or turning their cute little noses up at the thought of eating 2 cups of spinach daily. In fact, if you are not someone who loves their veggies, read on…this is your blog post my friend!

By Mary Bockert, ago