I got this mailbag question a week or so ago, and responded to it. Since then, my Cryin' Babies Go To Bed post was shared on a parenting forum, to GREAT misunderstanding, confusion, concern, and general unpleasantness. Sometimes I kind of forget that my blog is...
How We Say a Family Rosary
Hey all, while we're out of town for Easter Break, I'm cleaning out my drafts folder. So if this sounds like it was written a while ago, it probably was. I'll still be checking comments, so feel free to have an opinion. And a very happy Easter to you...
Expect Great Things (and you just might get them)
Last week, I posted about WHY we believe in Parenting With Authority and HOW we do it. And I assured you that if you ALWAYS MEAN WHAT YOU SAY you'll be all set. And, I stand by that. But there IS another component to the system, which is -- to assume that...
Always Mean What You Say: The HOW of Parenting With Authority
For Tuesday's post on WHY we practice Parenting With Authority, see here. I started out to make a list of rules for Parenting with Authority. But it turned out that all the rules I wrote out just ended up coming back to one single concept: ALWAYS MEAN WHAT YOU...
Parenting With Authority
For me, writing a blog has been an interesting window into my own brain. It turns out I think very tangentially. Who knew? (Husbands are not invited to answer). Every post I start writing makes me think of three others I ought to do alongside, or before, or...
The Essentials Only Guide to Baby Gear: six months to one year
This post is number two in a series on essential baby gear, see here for the first. For parenting book recommendations, see here. My six to twelve month old babies are still using most of the gear from my newborn to six month old recommendations, but I've also...
The Essentials Only Guide to Baby Gear: birth to six months
In honor of some soon-to-be mothers I've been thinking about recently, especially my lovely cousin Pryor and the adorable Sarah of Oh My Soul, today I'm going to share with you my guide to baby gear for the first six months (check back later this week for my...
Can’t Buy Me Love? Not For Chores Anyway.
This post is fourth in a series on chores for kids . . . see also here and here and here.So, if we don't usually do chore charts, how do chores get done around here? The answer is: they get done FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. We get up, we do chores. Sometimes...
Stop Laughing at Me, Chore Chart!
Hey Guys, Frankie here. Adam from Equipping Catholic Families has written back to answer my question about Mass survival tips! Head over there to check it out, then check back here next week for my post about what our family does.This post is third in a series on...
A Well-Organized Toy Closet: Setting Kids Up for Success
This post is one in a series on chores for kids . . . I have posted previously about the first chores we assign our toddlers--the ones that they really love. Today I want to discuss getting them to do chores that they are less excited about, and helping kids of all...
Chores for Enthusiastic Toddlers
Two-year-old Jack (and his black eye) doing a little mopping. I have had two different readers request that I address the subject of chores and chore charts. For us anyway, this is an area that has seen a lot of flux over the years. Since...
Why We Wii
I have to preface this by saying I don't "get" video games. I don't play them myself. Not since my dad and I conquered Myst anyway. If I'm going to sit down and stare at a screen for two hours I at least want to have a blog post to show for it. I have...
DIY Worth It? At Home Haircut
Okay, the DIY haircut! Financially it's a no-brainer. A set of hair clippers, like the Wahl Haircutting System that I use at home, costs about $35. I have four boys, aged 1-10, and a husband. Let's say they average a haircut every two months, from age 1...
The “Your Baby” Method of Sibling Preparation, and Some Book Recommendations
Sometimes, baby makes four, or five, or six, or well . . . you get it. I think I had the standard reaction to finding out I was expecting baby number two: crying, for no reason. But right after that . . . I was excited, but worried about how a new...
The Myth of Me-Time
Thanks to Diana for sending in A READER QUESTION! It still counts if I know her in real life right? What things usually look like from where I'm sitting. So, the question is: How do I take care of myself in general, and specifically during the homeschool year? The...
My Favorite Parenting Books
It feels so easy now. The kids can still surprise me, and each one is different of course. One, in particular, is especially noisy. But mostly, I feel like I know what's coming, and how to handle it when it does. It's easy for me to forget now how overwhelming it...
An Open Letter to the Church Lady Who Yelled at My Mom
I am noisy in church. Dear Church Lady, You probably recognize me as half of the people you yelled at in the Adoration Chapel before storming back into the main church to continue reciting your rosary. I was the one banging on the glass. My...