Category: Parenting

How to Toilet Train Your Reluctant Three Year Old

I GOT NOTHING.  HELP ME.  
By Mary Tyler Mom,
May 7, 2017 at 10:26 am • 

8 Life Lessons From My Son's Sensei That I Could Use Myself

I’ve been meaning to write about the benefits of my older boy taking karate lessons for a few months now.  It was going to be a sweet little post about how young kids benefit from the discipline that is encouraged at a dojo. As a mom in this era of “respectful parenting,” where empathy is... Read more »
By Mary Tyler Mom,
April 18, 2017 at 10:21 am • 

The Poop That Got Away, A Children's Story

This morning, our youngest made a poop.  This is significant for reasons you do not want me to detail here.  Suffice it to say, POOP! The three of us — Mama, Daddy, and boy — were standing over the toilet as it was flushed.  “Bye bye, poop!,” I exclaimed, except, oops, that poop was going... Read more »
By Mary Tyler Mom,
April 12, 2017 at 11:39 am • 
Advertisement:

What a Muddy Backpack and Stuffed Rooster Taught Me About My Mothering

My eight year old son is a child sized version of an absent-minded professor.  I am constantly reminding him to keep track of his things, not to lose his things, and to stay on top of his things.  “Things” being the all inclusive umbrella term for the trappings of boyhood — backpack, handheld game system,... Read more »
By Mary Tyler Mom,
February 28, 2017 at 11:31 pm • 

When Your Toddler Is All Up In Your Business

My toddler loves me.  He loves me and his Dad so much that many of the hours he is awake are spent all up in our grill, yo. Our little guy is the third and final toddler we will raise.  I am reminded of the sometimes overwhelming nature of raising kids this age.  Toddlers love... Read more »
By Mary Tyler Mom,
February 17, 2017 at 11:03 am • 

Turning Bystanders Into Upstanders: We Have Higher Expectations for School Children Than Our Senators

by*stand*er – a person present at an event or incident, but does not take part; onlooker, spectator, witness up*stand*er – an individual who sees wrong and acts; a person who takes a stand against an act of injustice or intolerance _______________________________________________________________ On Thursday, President Trump hosted a lunch with ten U.S. Senators, four Democrats and six... Read more »
By Mary Tyler Mom,
February 11, 2017 at 3:11 pm • 
Advertisement:

Bridges and Threads and Sundaes: Connecting Our Kids to Those Who Would Love Them, But Are Dead

My Mom died when I was pregnant with my first child, a daughter who was named for her.  Four years later my daughter died.  And five years after that my Dad died.  Three of the most important and loved people in the world to me will never be known by my two sons.  That just... Read more »
By Mary Tyler Mom,
January 6, 2017 at 12:35 pm • 

School Drop-Off Through Rose Colored Glasses

This morning, with my husband away on business, I had the honor of dropping off our oldest at school.  This is a rare thing for me, as typically I get to stay home in the morning and eat bon bons.  Pffft. Actually, those few mornings where I am solely responsible for getting both kiddos out... Read more »
By Mary Tyler Mom,
November 29, 2016 at 10:53 am • 

The Empty Backpack: a Story of Early Childhood

Our youngest started preschool earlier this month.  It’s his first formal stepping stone into the world of learning, three mornings a week for under three hours.  Because his birthday falls right after the September 1 cutoff, this little guy will have three full years of preschool before Kindergarten, so we wanted to start him off... Read more »
By Mary Tyler Mom,
September 27, 2016 at 12:27 pm • 
Advertisement:

The "Letting Go" of Parenthood Starts Early

My youngest started at a new preschool last week.  I have all the feelings about this — a sense of triumph and seeing that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel coupled with that awareness of how quickly our kiddos grow up and out.  He is our last, so we just had our last... Read more »
By Mary Tyler Mom,
September 16, 2016 at 10:48 am •