The Mabelhood

In School

What Happens After the IEP Is Signed? What Parents Need to Know Next

September 7, 2025 No Comments

So you finally got the IEP signed—after weeks (maybe months) of evaluations, meetings, and hard conversations. You were told, “Now the support begins.” But what if the services don’t show up? What if the accommodations are forgotten, or your child is still struggling just as much? This is the part no one prepares you for: what happens after the paperwork is signed. An IEP is just a starting line, not a finish line. You need to know how to implement the IEP after it’s signed. While it’s a powerful legal document, it’s not a magic wand. Signing the paperwork doesn’t guarantee that every support will be delivered as written or that your child’s school experience will immediately improve. The real work often begins after that last signature. Table of Contents Your IEP Is a Legal Document—But Implementation Varies Common Gaps Between Plan and Practice How to Monitor IEP Implementation Without…

In Food

Back-to-School Lunch Packing: Tips, Gear, and Hacks That Actually Work

September 2, 2025 No Comments

Because no one wants to be cutting cucumbers at 7 a.m. Equal parts necessity and battle of wills. You want to pack something healthy, your kid wants to avoid embarrassment, and ideally, nobody wants to be scraping off mashed banana from the bottom of a lunch bag on a Thursday afternoon. Whether you’re sending a picky pre-K or a growing Grade 2, a little planning goes a long way. Here’s how to make lunch-packing smoother, smarter, and dare we say, more fun? Lunch Packing Hacks You’ll Actually Want to Use Let’s be real. Packing lunch every day gets old fast. These tricks make it easier, faster, and way less wasteful. Stop Fruit from Browning If your kid loves apple slices but refuses to eat them once they turn brown, this hack will save you. Soak sliced apples or pears in salt water for about 5 minutes, then drain and dry…

In Parenting

When Crushes Begin: Talking about Girlfriends & Boyfriends with Kids Aged 8–12

August 26, 2025 No Comments

“Mom, I think I have a boyfriend.” Those seven words stopped me mid-sip of my morning coffee; I almost did a spit-take. My 9-year-old daughter had just casually dropped the bomb between bites of oatmeal, like it was no big deal. And to her, it probably wasn’t. But inside my head? Full. On. Panic. Talking to kids about crushes….What do I say? Do I act chill? Is this normal? Is she too young? Should I text the teacher? Am I overthinking this? Spoiler alert: I was overthinking it. But I’ve learned a lot since that breakfast moment—and if you’re a fellow parent of a tween, this one’s for you. Here is what I’ve learned since my spit-take moment: What’s Actually Going On? It’s Not Dating, It’s Imitating Before we panic and imagine high school drama playing out on the playground, let’s take a deep breath. For most tweens, “dating” is…

In Parenting

Weird but Totally Normal: 8 Coping Mechanisms Kids Use During Big Transitions

August 18, 2025 No Comments

New grade. New teacher. New drop-off line. Whether it’s starting Kindergarten or heading into a new school year, transitions can be a rollercoaster for young kids—and let’s be honest, for parents too. Oftentimes, we see this manifest as weird coping mechanisms in kids. If your child is suddenly clinging to an old sock or talking to themselves like they’re the star of a one-kid play, you might be wondering: Is this normal? The short answer? Yes. Totally. These weird coping mechanisms in young children are not only common — they’re developmentally expected. Here’s a closer look at the quirky, surprising ways kids handle big change — and why most of it is nothing to worry about. 1. The Transitional Object: Sacred Stuffy, the Random Rock You might notice your child gripping a random object on the way to school — a tiny stuffy, a beat-up rock from the backyard, or…

In School

Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten? Academic and Life Skills Checklist

August 15, 2025 No Comments

With our kids starting school in just over a month, many first-time Kindie moms are beginning to feel like they can’t be prepared enough for what is about to happen. From the emotional rollercoaster, the school lunches, routine changes, worries about our kids’ making friends, eating their lunch, and all the other elements of independence they’re about to embark on. It’s hard to know where to begin with getting our kids prepared. Here is how to prepare for Kindergarten: tips from a teacher and mom. The only thing most of us know for sure is we’re about to be a sobbing mess on that first day of school. Have I prepared my little one for this? We asked Kindie parent and teacher, Ms. McNulty, what tips she would give to other parents. What does she expect kindies to know on the first day of class, and how she’s preparing her…

In Parenting

The Back-to-School Habit That I’m Prioritizing Above All Else: Sleep! (Yes, Even Before Homework)

August 7, 2025 No Comments

Every year, back-to-school sneaks up on me. Suddenly, we’re knee-deep in packing lunch, late-night cheer practices, and stinky gym clothes. And in chaos, something always gets sacrificed. Usually? Sleep. But not this year! This year, I’ve declared sleep our back-to-school priority. That means no more late-night math marathons or cheer practices that run into bedtime. We’re choosing rest—because well-rested kids (and parents) are simply better humans. How I got Here – Prioritizing Sleep Changed Everything in Our House this Summer I’ll admit it—I used to treat summer like one big free-for-all. Bedtimes were “suggestions,” screens were everywhere, and we were always cramming in “just one more thing.” But this summer, I decided to test a theory: What if we actually slept? So we did. No more late-night chaos, no more overstimulation. Just earlier wind-downs and consistent bedtimes—for all of us. And you know what? The change was instant: Mornings got…

In School

What to Expect From Your Kindergartener in the First Month

August 6, 2025 No Comments

You’ve done the school supply haul. You’ve labeled everything (yay!) You’ve taken the “first day of school” photo (three times because they blinked). And now… you wait. What no one really prepares you for? The emotional, behavioral, and even biological whirlwind your child is about to enter. That first month of kindergarten can feel like your once-sweet kid morphed into a mix of a gremlin, a teenager, and a baby giraffe learning to walk—all rolled into one adorable tornado of a kid. 1. Expect the After-School Meltdown They held it together all day. And now? You’re the safe zone- they unleashed the after-school restraint collapse. Your kindergartener may walk through the door and crumble: tears, attitude, dramatic declarations like, “I’m NEVER going back!” This is normal. School requires them to regulate all day—sitting still, sharing, remembering routines. When they get home, the emotional floodgates open. How to help: Don’t pepper…

In Parenting

Are We Coddling Our Middle Schoolers? 15 Things They Could Be Doing on Their Own (But Probably Aren’t)

August 3, 2025 No Comments

There’s no shame in being a hands-on parent. But somewhere between preschool pick-up and middle school lockers, a lot of us forgot to put down the metaphorical bubble wrap. Back in the day (sorrym but here comes the nostalgia), 12-year-olds were babysitting their siblings, cooking Kraft Dinner solo, and walking home from school without tracking apps. Today, many middle schoolers can’t find their own soccer cleats without texting mom. So, what gives? It’s Not Just the Parents Let’s be fair: the world has changed. School pressure has ramped up. Extracurriculars are intense. Social media is a minefield. And we’re all parenting in an age of what-if anxiety, where independence sometimes feels like recklessness. But experts say we may be swinging too far in the other direction. In fact, research shows that overparenting can hurt kids’ mental health, leading to lower resilience, less confidence, and even higher levels of anxiety and…

In School

Why Does Homeschooling Still Feel Controversial?

July 22, 2025 No Comments

Why is Homeschooling Still a Hot Topic? Back-to-school season comes with sharpened pencils, nervous energy, and, for some families, raised eyebrows. While homeschooling has been steadily growing for years, there’s still an air of “Wait, you do what now?” around it. Why does homeschooling still feel controversial? Even in 2025, when flexible learning options are more accessible than ever, homeschooling can trigger strong opinions. Some people assume it’s a lifestyle only for the ultra-crunchy. Others question whether kids will grow up lacking social skills or basic math. And let’s be honest, there are still folks who picture homeschooled kids churning butter in Little House aprons and bonnets. Spoiler: that’s not the reality for most families. Where the Stigma Comes From Let’s rewind. Historically, homeschooling was often associated with fringe ideologies, mistrust of public education, or families seeking to avoid curriculum they didn’t agree with. In other words—it got typecast. Even…

In Parenting

Finding the Joy in a “Homecation” (When Everyone else is Travelling)

July 10, 2025 No Comments

When Travel Isn’t in the Cards: Homecations! If your social feed is full of friends jetting off to Disney or Europe, it’s easy to feel like your summer is falling short. But a summer homecation with kids can still be joyful, memorable, and deeply connecting. Whether you’re sticking close to home for financial (and perhaps, er, political reasons), or work schedules, there are ways to turn this season into something your kids will still talk about in September—and not just with envy. Why Homecations Matter (Especially This Year) For many families across Canada and the U.S., 2025 is shaping up to be a tighter summer. Rising travel costs, long work commutes, and overbooked camps have left lots of parents wondering: What now? Here’s the good news: Kids don’t need plane tickets to feel wonder. They just need presence, novelty, and a little maybe magic and creativity. How to Make a…