6 Mother's Day Traditions

6 Mother’s Day Traditions

By Kerrie McLoughlin

461 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

Ah, it’s time for my favorite holiday: Mother’s Day! I always feel relaxed and pampered on this one day of the year and I definitely milk it and enjoy it. Here are some ideas for Mother’s Day traditions you might like to see in your house this year — or any year!

Note: Please don’t feel like your loved ones should hit all six or you’ll go on a laundry strike. Just print these ideas out, leave them lying around and surely they’ll catch the hint!

1.      Flower Mom with love. Flowers are a favorite – and very easy – way to make a mom feel special. My very favorite flower is Lily of the Valley because it reminds me of my own mother. One year my husband planted some in front of our house, and they bloom every year as a reminder of what he did for me on Mother’s Day. Consider hitting the local florist for a bigger bouquet in a colorful vase. A potted flowering plant or hanging basket of petunias would be low-maintenance and long-lasting.

Make the Most of Your Maternity Leave

Make the Most of Your Maternity Leave

By Kerrie McLoughlin

725 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

Many moms will tell you they think working a full-time job is easier than being a full-time stay-at-home mom. As a guest blogger at ScaryMommy.com so eloquently put it, “I want to go back to work. Not because I don’t love my one-year-old but because I want to escape him. … Rather than obsess over the nutritional content on his high chair tray. Rather than watch the Wiggles for one more minute.”

Allison Hahn, Psy.D. shares, “When you come back from the hospital beginning maternity leave initially it is an overwhelming experience in terms of how little you actually know, regardless of how informed you thought you were, about caring for a newborn.” She continues, “What can be particularly shocking for professional moms is how little they get done during a day. The typical thought is ‘I have the whole day at home for several weeks? I’ll get that re-fi completed, get the shed painted, write that novel and keep the house spotless.’ It is shocking to realize that you get NOTHING accomplished …”

Mompetition ... Don't Play Along!

Mompetition … Don’t Play Along!

By Kerrie McLoughlin

694 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

According to UrbanDictionary.com, mompetition is “the one-up rivalry that moms play making their child seem better, smarter, and/ or more advanced than yours. May involve two or more moms and any number of children, even full-grown.” I like the “even full-grown” part of that because it is so true. Ever see a couple of 60-something women comparing number of grandchildren and number of married children and their jobs? Oh, yes, it happens daily, and it has to stop.

I've never really been competitive; maybe it's the Only Child thing. I just don't really care what other people are doing and don't have the desire to one-up them. That being said, I always know when I’m dealing with mompetition. At a random outing, a mom might start by asking you a lot of questions about your life. These are not normal questions in a normal manner, but they are lots of POKING questions. These moms are trying to find your weak spots and decide in which areas of life they are BETTER than you.

Here are some examples of mompetition, then some ways to handle it:

·         "My kid is only 12 and is almost an Eagle Scout. Congratulations on your 17-year-old Scout getting his Fingerprinting badge!" (For those of you non-Scouters, an Eagle Scout rank is HARD to get, takes years, involves a major service project and is usually earned by an 18th birthday.)

8 Egg-citing Easter Traditions

8 Egg-citing Easter Traditions

816 words including sidebar

Kerrie McLoughlin

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

Easter was always an exciting holiday when I was growing up. I would spend the night with my grandparents the night before Easter, and I could SWEAR I heard the Easter bunny scooting across the floor in the night. Upon waking I’d bolt out of bed to see what candy and other treats I’d been brought, then we’d head to church for Easter services and a massive egg hunt. My day would end in a sugar coma on the couch, watching The Wizard of Oz with my parents. Below are 8 ideas for Easter traditions you can try with your own kids. Pick and choose a few of them each year … and stick with the ones your family loves!

1. There are so many great treats your family can make together a night or two before Easter. Dying and decorating hardboiled eggs is a classic, but you could also make something out of the ordinary like Jell-o eggs or egg-shaped sugar cookies. Last year my husband and kids made Rice Krispy eggs dipped in melted chocolate chips, then they added sprinkles before the chocolate set.

Things to Think About When Considering Homeschooling

Things to Think About When Considering Homeschooling

By Kerrie McLoughlin

705 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

We just started our tenth year of homeschooling at my house, and these days I’m teaching five kids in five different grades. Sure, there are nutty days, but 99% of the time it just works for us. If the thought of homeschooling makes you cringe, definitely don’t undertake it; it’s not for everyone and some kids thrive in a regular school setting. If you’ve been toying with the idea and are wondering if it’s for you, read on for some things to consider while you explore this thing called homeschooling that’s gaining popularity every year.

Socialization. It’s not all about the education, parents. Get ready to be Activities Director for your child because making friends and knowing how to deal with issues that may arise with those friends and other people are a big part of life and something kids need to learn. Co-ops are a great place to start since there is learning and socializing, just like in a brick and mortar school setting, only the parents are the teachers and are more hands-on. 

Gardening With Kids: Growing Memories

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay 

Gardening With Kids: Growing Memories

By Kerrie McLoughlin

746 words without sidebars

117-word optional pizza sauce recipe sidebar

66-word optional resources sidebar

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

I’ll never forget the first time I picked a beautiful, ripe, red tomato that I helped grow. I had watered and weeded the plant with love, and I was so proud of that tomato. And, because I wasn’t interested in gardening when I was a kid, this memorable gardening experience happened the summer I turned 40!

This made me determined to share the joy of gardening with my own kids. I’m already learning that gardening alongside your kids provides valuable opportunities for them to learn, to get some exercise and fresh air and to spend some time connecting with you. Check out these tips and ideas for gardening success, as well as a few reasons why gardening is one cool hobby.

Green is in right now, and there’s nothing greener than growing your own food. Composting is another fun, green aspect of gardening because kids get to toss “trash” into the garden (eggshells, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable shavings and rinds, etc.). Toss the “trash” from Halloween (leftover pumpkins and gourds) and see what happens next year. You can make the entire garden a compost pile in the off-season, and if you like you can leave a section for composting year-round.

This piece goes on to spell out the word GARDENING, with fun tips and helpful information planted into each letter.

Go for the Green: 5 St. Patrick’s Day Traditions to Start With Your Kids

Go for the Green: 5 St. Patrick’s Day Traditions to Start With Your Kids

By Kerrie McLoughlin

507 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

Kids love any excuse to make a day extra special, so why not March 17 of every year? You certainly don’t need to be Irish to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day with your kids and to honor St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. On this day, everyone has a little Irish in them! Here are some ideas for traditions to start this year!

1.      Wear green so you don’t get pinched! If your kids don’t have much green clothing in their closet, head to a consignment or thrift store so you can go green for the planet while also wearing green. I have to admit sometimes I cheat and hit the local department store because they carry green T-shirts with cute St. Patrick’s Day sayings like, “Everybody loves an Irish girl.”

Go to a parade. Many cities, large and small, have a St. Patrick’s Day parade every year, and many have the parade the weekend before St Patrick’s Day so more people can attend (it happens to fall on a Saturday this year). Check out www.St-Patricks-Day.com for all kinds of cool stuff like Irish music, Irish dancing and even parades and fun runs/walks. The parade list is by no means complete, so Google “St. Patrick’s Day parade [your city]” to find one near you.