Member Articles

By MaryP

Keeping that Spark: It can be done!
Maintaining that spark... Maybe it's just me, but for me, this topic is about SEX. How do you keep the sex light burning through the haze of children,…
Sex talk
Have you had The Talk with your teen yet?I hope so! I sincerely hope that you haven’t waited until puberty to broach the subject.Because it’s…
Get a Job! But I thought I had one...
My friend and I peer at the small objects in my hand."Look! Isn't that the best logo? And what about the tagline? Catchy, huh?"My 28-year-old…
Teens and Money
"Can I have $20, mom? Shannon and me wanna see a movie."So. (After you've corrected her grammar), do you reach into your pocket, or not?When…
My Beauty Regime
I've never been a particularly girly girl.Now, please understand: I like to dress like a girl. My jeans are carefully chosen to accentuate and flatter…
Breast-feeding then and now, and here and there
Last week, so PunditMom tells us, a woman was asked to leave a family restaurant for the heinous, anti-family activity of feeding her child. With her…
Keeping it Spicy
Over in the forums, a three-month postpartum mother was wondering how to keep the relationship spiced up. Not surprisingly, she's not feeling very…
Contracts and Neighborhood Childcare
A friend, who lives in a small city a few hours away, had just found "the perfect" woman to provide care for her child."She's close…
Hopping off the "Gimme" train
Kids want this, they NEEEEED that, and it all costs money. How do parents step out of the pressure cooker of holiday expectations and demands? The quick answer: No one makes you do all this stuff, you know. You decide to. So you can decide not to -- without “spoiling” the children’s Christmas.
Let Them Be Little
He was the sweetest little fellow, this tot in my daycare. Big blue eyes, porcelain complexion but for the blush of pink on his cheeks, saucy grin and…
Craft a Happy Valentine's Day
If you're already inundated with Valentine crafts and are trying not to scream at the very thought of another, you may skip this article. If, however,…
Extra-curriculars and your toddler
Craft classes, kindergym, playgroups and baby yoga. So much choice! How do you choose? Why not DO THEM ALL? It's good for your baby to be stimulated,…
The Contract Between a Parent and a Teen
Parenting teenagers is tricky. Teens are prickly. They want to be treated as adults; they resist adult responsibilities. The frustrating fact of teens…
Nanny vs. daycare and beyond
Breast or bottle, crib or co-sleep, cloth or disposable... Before your child's first breath, you've already made a heap of parenting decisions,…
Evaluating your Childcare Options
If you have figured out whether to seek out a nanny or a daycare center, you'll know what's important to you. Having decided on the type…
Managing daycare drop-offs
Some children arrive at daycare with a smile and barely remember to give Mommy a kiss goodbye before racing in to greet their friends. These children…
Should your childcare provider get paid days off?
In one of life's little synchronicities, my sister provides also childcare. Well, I "provide childcare." My sister "babysits"…
Staying home is a career choice, not a moral one
Once upon a time, I was a stay-at-home mother. It suited my temperament perfectly, and I totally loved it. That, however, was pure dumb luck, because…
The best gifts you can give to your childcare provider
From time to time, you will probably be hunting for a gift for your daycare provider. Depending on how well you know her, this can be challenging. There…
Preparing your child for their daycare day
A request from your childcare provider.When you are preparing to leave for daycare at the beginning of the day, you will probably chat with your child.…
Stuck for a gift for your childcare provider?
Need inspiration for a great gift for your childcare provider? First, take a look at my three all-time favorite gifts given to me by some of my clients.…