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WHY BUILDING A NETWORK OF LOCAL MOMS IS IMPORTANT Becoming a mom is an amazing, transformative experience but it can also be a lonely one. In fact, feelings of isolation aren’t uncommon starting in pregnancy. Moms-to-be sometimes already feel a sense of separateness because their bodies are changing and the hormonal influence of pregnancy is so strong. Those feelings can be heightened if a mom is keeping her pregnancy secret for the first trimester or she’s the first in her social circle to have kids. And when the pregnancy is particularly rough physically or emotionally, feelings of loneliness may even be related to very real fears. Continue reading “Why Building a Network of Local Moms Is Important” Author mattie Posted on March 2, 2020February 28, 2020

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a comment on Why Building a Network of Local Moms Is Important I AM A BAD PARENT, JUST ASK MY KID I’M DOING THE BEST I CAN I am a bad parent, just ask my kid. She is currently six years old. She loves the hell out of rules and structure, she enjoys school, reading, gymnastics, pushing our cat around in a dolls pram and pointing out my flaws, which according to her are many. Continue reading “I am a bad parent, just ask my kid” Author mattie Posted on February 28, 2020February 28, 2020

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a comment on I am a bad parent, just ask my kid EVEN MORE THINGS THEY DON’T TELL YOU ABOUT MOTHERHOOD IT’S OKAY TO APOLOGIZE TO YOUR KIDS Some of my most intimate bonding moments with my children have come after I lost my patience or wasn’t fully present. A simple, “I’m sorry. Mommy doesn’t feel good about how she just acted,” not only demonstrates an important principle of love, but it moreover teaches children what a true apology looks like. Continue reading “Even More Things They Don’t Tell You About Motherhood” Author mattie Posted on February 26, 2020February 28, 2020

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a comment on Even More Things They Don’t Tell You About Motherhood HOW TO COPE WHEN YOUR CHILD IS SICK 5 TIPS TO COPE WITH A SICK KID This article I am writing right now is late because, you guessed it, my kids are sick. We are dealing with sore throats and fevers that came without warning and have yet to abate. I’ve been a mom for 19 years now, and I’ve learned a few things about how to manage kids, sickness and family. So here are my 5 tips to cope when your kids are sick. Continue reading “How to Cope When Your Child Is Sick” Author mattie Posted on February 20, 2020February 28, 2020

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a comment on How to Cope When Your Child Is Sick ARE YOU LONELY MAMA? EXPAT SHARES TIPS FOR STAYING SOCIAL YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN EXPAT TO FEEL ISOLATED AS A MOM. As I prepared for the second visit to my hometown as a mother I could not help but romanticize the journey. I mean, I knew the flight with a child in tow would be “difficult” but still, I fantasized about my toddler drawing for hours or quietly playing with the iPad. Hahaha! Continue reading “Are You Lonely Mama? Expat Shares Tips For Staying

Social”

Author mattie Posted on February 12, 2020February 28, 2020

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a comment on Are You Lonely Mama? Expat Shares Tips For Staying Social MOTHERHOOD MEANS EMBRACING ABSURDITY Yesterday my 2-year-old explained to me, panic-stricken, that if a trash truck came and picked up her bike and didn’t put it down, “very, very, very, really, really carefully,” that it would end up broken and smashed and flat. She then proceeded to tell me what would happen to all sorts of things that could potentially be lifted by the trash truck, including, but not limited to our car, her sister’s bike, her sister, her, me, my boobs (which, since she is still nursing, are considered a separate entity from me. I told her, “I guess if the trash truck lifted my boobs, you would have to climb a ladder to nurse.” She liked that one). Today the trash truck talk continued. What if the trash truck lifts our house? What if the trash truck comes into our backyard? What if the trash truck smooshes something flat? Big sis chimed it at one point, announcing, “It’s okay if the trash truck sees you in your bathing suit. The trash truck is our friend! It helps us recycle!” Continue reading “Motherhood Means Embracing Absurdity” Author mattie Posted on February 7, 2020February 28, 2020

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a comment on Motherhood Means Embracing Absurdity NO-BAKE VEGAN GRANOLA BARS: A RECIPE My kids eat a ridiculous amount of vegan granola bars, which we all know aren’t cheap in quantity when you’re shopping for granola bars with good quality ingredients. I mean, they will pretty much eat anything that is sweet, portable, and will fit in a lunch box but at least vegan granola bars fit into our family’s food philosophy and have fiber. So when some recent pantry excavation revealed a ginormous unopened bag of rolled oats and I started thinking about how I could use it up quickly, granola bars were an obvious choice. Continue reading “No-Bake Vegan Granola Bars: A Recipe” Author mattie Posted on January 22, 2020February 28, 2020

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a comment on No-Bake Vegan Granola Bars: A Recipe NEW SIBLING TRANSITION Imagine that your partner brought home a roommate. They didn’t ask your opinion first or even consult you beyond letting you know a roommate would be moving in on some vague date in the far-flung future. This roommate is loud and cries a lot. They sometimes use your stuff. They’re very messy, and your partner spends an awful lot of time cleaning up after this roommate. Worst of all, your partner seems very taken with this roommate. You even walk in on them cuddling. Yuck, right? Continue reading “New Sibling Transition” Author mattie Posted on January 6, 2020February 28, 2020

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a comment on New Sibling Transition HOW WELL DO YOUR KIDS KNOW YOU? A few years ago, my husband and I were for our daughter’s end of year ballet performance to start, and I leaned over to him and said, ‘did you ever imagine yourself at the ballet? > ‘No. It’s a little weird really. It’s also weird how much I

> enjoy it.’

I can’t remember exactly what the reasoning was when we put our eldest daughter into ballet lessons at the ripe old age of four. I think we just thought she would like it. Turns out we were right, and that very first performance we were amazed at how she held herself on stage, and the way all the other five-year-olds looked to her. It was pretty special. Continue reading “How well do your kids know you?” Author mattie Posted on December 2, 2019February 28, 2020

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a comment on How well do your kids know you? STAY-AT-HOME-MOTHER TRANSITION After spending the last two years on maternity leave I officially resigned from my job! I felt freer, lighter until I realized something was missing…My safety net. Choosing to stay at home with my daughter and pursue my ambition of authordom is the stuff dreams are made of. So why did I stop writing after I drafted that final email to my boss? Continue reading “Stay-At-Home-Mother Transition” Author mattie Posted on November 16, 2019February 28, 2020

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* Why Building a Network of Local Moms Is Important * I am a bad parent, just ask my kid * Even More Things They Don’t Tell You About Motherhood * How to Cope When Your Child Is Sick * Are You Lonely Mama? Expat Shares Tips For Staying Social

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