Motherhood

Finders and Keepers, Losers and Weepers

My children have yet to learn the value of money. They get a dollar every so often for chores or from the Tooth Fairy, but I usually find it a week later, wadded up on the bedroom floor. So, when the true owner of a ten dollar bill came into question, I looked at it as an opportunity to teach my kids a lesson. In the end, we all got a little more than we bargained for. Mini Me, my seven-year-old daughter, ran downstairs excited about something. She handed me a dictionary and said, “Look inside.” What I found was a ten dollar bill. She asked if she could keep it. I told her that it’s probably someone’s birthday money that they stashed and forgot about, but if nobody claimed it, she could have it. I called my ten-year-old twin boys down and showed them the dictionary....

It’s official: I’m a (lice) nit-picker!

I’ll admit it. I don’t like bugs. If there’s one in the house and my kids are around, I’ll take a deep breath, tell them that all of nature counts, and gently put it outside. If they aren’t nearby, I’ll smash it to smithereens with the nearest large object I can find. Either way, it makes my butt pucker. So imagine how I reacted a few years ago when the school nurse called. My kids had lice. Eww. Plus a bleggh. Let me be clear. I am not the kind of parent whose children get lice. I believed that honor was reserved for, you know, those bad parents. At least I believed that until I, too, was initiated into the Nit Picking Club. To make matters worse, apparently the school discovered my kids had lice when one of the little boogers in my daughter’s hair lost its grip and tumbled to its death o...

Help! My child struggles to fit in!

Does your child struggle to find friends? Feel connected?  We’ve all been there! Helping a child who struggles to make friends can be a sensitive and supportive process. Here are some pieces of advice for both parents and children: How to help a child fit in For Parents: Understand Their Needs: Take the time to understand your child’s personality, interests, and social challenges. Every child is unique, and it’s essential to tailor your approach to their specific needs. Build Self-Esteem: Encourage and reinforce your child’s self-esteem and self-worth. Let them know that they are valuable and loved just as they are. Be a Role Model: Children often learn social skills by observing their parents or caregivers. Model healthy social interactions and friendship...

13 best tips for new moms: from routines to self-care to delegation

Adjusting to life with a new baby can be both incredibly rewarding and challenging. It’s a major life transition that requires physical, emotional, and logistical adjustments. Here are some tips to help you navigate this exciting but often demanding time: Tips for New Moms Accept Help: Don’t hesitate to accept help from family and friends. They can assist with tasks like cooking, cleaning, or running errands, allowing you to focus on your baby and yourself. Prioritize Self-Care: Taking care of yourself is essential. Get enough rest, eat well, and make time for relaxation when possible. Nap when your baby naps, and don’t be too hard on yourself if the house isn’t perfectly clean. Create a Routine: Babies thrive on routines. Establish a consistent daily schedule for f...

What should I do when my kids talk back to me?

It seems almost as soon as kids start talking (and even long before) they start forming strong opinions. But what should you do when those opinions turn to sass? Dealing with children who talk back can be a challenging aspect of parenting, but it’s important to handle it in a constructive and supportive way.  Be sure to check out How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk and also these helpful steps.  Stay Calm: It’s essential to remain calm when your child talks back. Responding with anger or frustration can escalate the situation and make it harder to resolve. Listen Actively: Try to understand why your child is talking back. Are they feeling frustrated, misunderstood, or upset? Listen to their perspective before responding. Set Clear Expectatio...

Meet this quadriplegic mom raising twins

Dani Izzie and her husband, Rudy, insist there’s nothing really extraordinary about how they’re raising their twin girls, Lavinia and Giorgiana. Double the fun always means double the chaos.  “I’ve had periods over the past two-and-a-half years where I’ve been very tired, just like any other new mom, you know?” Dani said. Rudy laughed, “We’re just two normal people raising twins!” But alongside their parenting challenges, are their personal challenges, Dani’s especially. She is a quadriplegic, with paralysis in both her lower and upper limbs. But thankfully her paralysis isn’t complete. “My hands are paralyzed, so my fingers, I can’t move them individually,” she said. “And my triceps specifically...

Divorced mom hikes Appalachian Trail with 15 kids

After a divorce, Nikki Bettis saw her family starting to struggle. So, she decided to take her 15 kids, ranging in ages from 25 to 4, to hike the 2,198.4-mile Appalachian Trail. See full video here. 

New! Family-friendly Social Lounge & Coffee Shop Opens in Highlands

Are you looking for a new family-friendly hangout? Check out this new social lounge that is also mission-driven!  The Den, a social lounge for families, is a space that aims to provide a supportive and dignified experience for anyone navigating the parenthood journey and searching for something different. Located at 2900 Zuni St, the space includes a coffee shop that’s open to the public, a lounge overlaid with play for children, a laptop bar, a rentable zen room and a classroom for support groups, curated specialist-led classes, and open crafting. The coffee shop will also spotlight independent brands on a rotating basis, starting with ANDI, a brand founded and led by a Denver-based mom. The team’s mission at The Den is to validate the diverse and meaningful experiences of all those ...

Your best advice for new Denver moms

Most moms will attest that our journey to becoming a mom is rarely smooth. In fact, it’s darn hard but what a tremendous gift it is to be a new mom. We asked you what are your top tips for helping a new mom navigate this exciting and challenging phase of your new life. Also, for extra advice, don’t miss Help! I’m a New Mom: A First-Time Mother’s Guide to Mastering Newborn Care and Postpartum Recovery. Tips for New Denver Moms Take care of yourself: Remember to prioritize self-care. Rest when you can, eat nutritious meals, and stay hydrated. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from family and friends when you need it. Trust your instincts: As a new mom, you will receive a lot of advice from well-meaning individuals. While it’s essential to gather information, trust your i...

Mom Blog: On Being a Good (and Bad) Mother

For the past several years, we have run this article on Being a Good (and Bad) Mother on our mommy blog for Mother’s Day. It is a good reminder of why we’re in this together and you are enough. Every year, mothers are celebrated on that one special May day (which is not to be confused with “mayday,” another word with which mamas are familiar). And every year growing up, I remember my mother was consumed with guilt and inadequacy, the very antithesis of what Mother’s Day is supposed to be about. Was she the perfect mom? Of course not. None of us are. But she loved, sacrificed and cared for her children as best she could. A few years ago, I was at a resale children’s clothing store. As I poked around, the shopkeeper asked the age of my son and she confided...

Love letter to the 24-hour-old mom

  She’s bleeding, wrecked, torn open. A body flipped inside out.Breasts warming, filling, stretching beyond their boundaries. There’s ice and heat, cramps and swelling, a long-awaited glass of red wine. She’s desperate for rest, for precious sleep, cobbling together broken hours, minutes, answering the cry. 9 months sustaining another, months more ahead of continued sustenance. We look at her, sleeping there, and we know this, don’t we? Her body, rearranged, recalibrated – so different. Her days, no longer following a familiar path. Her heart, vulnerable and exposed in a brand new way. Her entire life, spinning on a new axis, pointed in new directions. This is the 24-hour-old mama. And she was made for this. -The Labor Mama

Kindness counts: A thank you from a special needs mom

To the mom in the baby water park, I talked to you about your kids. Their behavior struck me in such a way that I did something I normally don’t do, and I asked your son where his mother was so I could have a word with her. We spoke and I don’t think you fully understood how your children and their behavior affected me, so I am writing this.. maybe it will find its way to you and you will know who you are. Maybe it won’t but other moms will see it and maybe take something away from it as well. It may not seem like a big deal to other people. But I do know that there are some people who will really get it.   I was at the park with Baylee, my 5-year-old. She is autistic and mostly nonverbal. We were practicing very hard on waiting in line, and she was doing well for th...