In the blink of an eye – and many sleep-deprived nights – my youngest has moved beyond look-at-me babyhood and into the I-want-to-explore-everything phase. He’s the attempter of all things and master of none. He keeps trying new things and yet, rarely does he manage to accomplish what he wants to. Yesterday, I found him […]
Tag: Relationships
We all need human connection, although we don’t always do our best to cultivate and foster the relationships we value so much. Stable relationships form in infancy. A child’s earliest relationships with caregivers and family members shape her future connections. Read from the Mommybites Relationships archive. From advice for new moms, to marital relations, to relationships within an extended family, you’re sure to find something beneficial.
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Mother-in-Law Bad-Mouths Her Daughter-in-Law
When Garrison and I married 30 years ago, it was clear that my mother-in-law (MIL) thought her son was “marrying down.” Garrison said then, and has always said, I should ignore her because she’s a hopeless snob and she’ll never accept me. Even so, I have always been polite and respectful to my MIL, while […]
Those We’ve Met In Our Hearts
In Honor of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day, I am posting a blog I wrote a few years ago on this subject: “A friend of mine posted this on her Facebook wall this week and I thought I would share it with you. “This is the week we remember all babies born sleeping, or […]
Experience is the Greatest Teacher
Unlike a few decades ago, when parks and play areas were bursting with laughter, children nowadays spend more time playing video games and going online. It has been observed for years that playing outdoors is becoming “old school” and leveling up characters in a massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) or catching the latest on […]
Ironman: A Story With Every Mile
Aloha! I am writing to you from sunny Hawaii. I am here with my boys, the grandparents and the cousins to watch my husband compete in the Hawaii Ironman this Saturday. What the heck is an Ironman? Well, it starts off with a 2.4-mile swim, next comes a 112-mile bike ride and it finishes with […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: We Worry about Our Kids Visiting Homes Where There Are Firearms
My husband, two young children (ages two and four), and I are now living in a community in which gun ownership and NRA (National Rifle Association) memberships are commonplace. We moved from the East where guns were not as common. Growing up I knew that some families had guns, but I never saw them or […]
I Hate You And Other Fun Phrases
My child yells awful things at me when he is angry. Things like, “I hate you,” “You are the meanest,” “I am moving out.” (Really? You are 3!) What can I do?! It IS hard to have your kids say awful stuff to and about you, especially when you only have their best interests at […]
Nurturing Parent-Teacher Relationships
I will never forget her. Sprinting down the street to get to my tutoring client on time, it happened. She stopped me. “I know you never have time to talk to me, but I wanted to let you know my daughter won’t be able to do her homework because she has a dance recital tonight.” […]