If you’ve heard the expression “the hardest part of raising children is the first 50 years”, it rings particularly true for parents who have children on the Autism Spectrum.
Giving birth by caesarean was the last thing I expected when I went into labour with my first baby. We were all set for a home birth, and I was confident that all would go to plan. We ended up transferring to the hospital when I was around six centimetres dilated, because of meconium in my amniotic fluid. It wasn’t an emergency. Everything was fine. I was still on my way to having the vaginal birth I wanted.
I recently invested in a smart home device: Amazon Alexa to be exact. I was pretty indifferent to her initially, intending to bestow upon her the same benign neglect I’ve directed at every goldfish or house plant I’ve ever owned and eventually killed.
It’s where I learned to play Capture the Flag, made lifelong friends, and learned to canoe – which I still love to this day. It’s where I caught frogs and turtles, learned the importance of sunscreen for a pale, redheaded kid, and where I learned a crazy amount of camp songs…that I now proudly teach my own kids! Anyone for a verse of ‘Going on a Lion Hunt’? Summer Camp. I spent every single summer at camp as a kid. And you know what? I loved every minute of it. I loved all the games, the sports and the exploring! I loved spending afternoons building sandcastles with the other kids. I even loved the day I got hit in the eye with a baseball and my brother ran over and yelled “Look at all the blood!”. I had a massive black eye and got five stitches across my eyebrow. I…
Reading is magical. It may be cheesy to say so but it’s true, and it’s wonderful. What’s better than curling up with a book? Actually, we have an answer to that – it’s curling up with a book and your kids at the end of a busy day.
Not only is it a great way to unwind before bed, studies have shown that reading aloud to kids helps them develop stronger language skills, improves their social and emotional development, and even decreases hyperactivity and aggression in young kids. Essentially, reading helps give us the words we need to sort out our feelings – an incredible tool at every age!
Julie Cole is the co-founder of the award-winning children’s label company, Mabel’s Labels, parenting blogger and mom of six.
All of her children were born via Cesarean Section. Here, Julie shares her story and talks about what it was like to have her C-Sections, how she recovered and how she managed siblings during each recovery.
Choosing a name for your baby is no easy task. Do you choose something super classic and old-school, or do you go with something modern and fresh? Do you play it safe with a popular name, or take a chance with something unique? There are so many things to consider.
I’m going to say something that may be wildly unpopular.
I want to see fewer photos of moms’ bodies on social media. Moms’ bodies doing nothing. Moms’ bodies just being bodies.
There, I said it.
Foil packet dinners are a busy mom’s best friend.
Every expecting mom has a unique pregnancy, and so are the aches and pains. Many expecting moms first start coming to my prenatal yoga classes because they are in discomfort or experiencing annoying aches and pains. Often, they are surprised at all the other benefits they get; sleeping better, having more energy, feeling more connected with their babies, and feeling less anxious about giving birth. The immediate gratification of actually feeling better in the muscles and joints, is what brings them back week after week.