Fire Safety Week 2017

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October 8, 2017

Sunday October 8th to Saturday October 14th, 2017 is National Fire Safety Week in the USA

October is a great time of year for fire safety! The leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping, and that means the heat will be coming on. Part of fire safety week brings the importance of having carbon monoxide detectors and making sure they are working as well.

Last winter, my family learned an important lesson and made a huge mistake. We somehow neglected to have a carbon monoxide detector on our lower level of our raised ranch.

My little ones and I were upstairs playing. My husband and my father-in-law were cleaning the chimney and wood stove, which were located on the lower level.

We had let our wood stove die about 4 days before. It didn’t occur to us that there would be any lit embers left in it. The pipe was disconnected from the chimney, thus allowing the small amount of smoke to filter through the house instead of through the chimney. This meant active amounts of carbon monoxide were filling the home.

The detector upstairs went off and I was already quite light headed and feeling the effects without realizing what was actually happening to me. I grabbed both of my kids and scrambled out the door then realized my husband was downstairs.

I began to get frantic when I realized he wasn’t answering me. I ran through the house looking for him. Thankfully he was in the garage, safe from harm. Had he been downstairs, the results would of been way different.

This event was our wake up call to fire safety. We had at one point a carbon monoxide detector downstairs, but when it chirped the low battery warning it got moved and forgotten.

Next, we went and checked our detectors and realized half of them were not the kind that detects carbon monoxide since there are two different kinds of detectors. Then we checked the dates and we had one that was going to expire in a month.

Having an annual fire safety awareness week is a great time to remember to check the dates on the detectors to make sure they haven’t expired. It is good to also get into the habit of testing your detectors frequently to make sure they are working properly.

Another helpful thing during this week is to talk to your children about what to do in case of a fire. Practice fire drills with your family. Do one drill during the day and one at night. Show your children to crawl/stay low to help avoid smoke. Also show them pictures of what a firefighter looks like or take them to a local event if it’s offered in your community. Have a designated meeting spot and teach your kids how to get out on their own.

Some other key things include making sure to have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen as well as one near a wood stove or fireplace if your home has one. Make sure plugs are in good working order and are not overcrowded. Also make sure candles are in a safe area.

With the right things in effect, it can make a huge difference in case of a fire! The National Fire Protection Association website has some great resources available too for educating your family from Sparky Youtube clips, coloring sheets, and a grid sheet to draw out an evacuation plan for your house.

We’re Not All Hanging Out Without You

By

Gigi Walker

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October 6, 2017

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When my twins were tiny, an actress I might have liked if I’d had time to watch TV wrote a book with a title that I can’t forget: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? I never read it, but I’ve never let go of that title. Isn’t this our biggest fear as women? That all the other women are in some secret club and we’re so clueless that we don’t even know that we’re being excluded? Motherhood exacerbates this fear on so many levels, and then we feel ashamed for the fear and assume we are alone and abnormal, because the world says, “Look at all the playgroups and MOMs groups! Look at all those ladies in the Stroller Squad!” (Or whatever it’s called…those ladies exercise…they really ARE hanging out without me, and I’m totally okay with that).

Over the summer, the mom of one of my daughter’s friends and I were texting. The daughter was changing schools, but I wanted to keep the friendship going. The mom was receptive, but also miffed that she hadn’t heard from any of the other moms. Her relief was palpable when I told her that I hadn’t heard from anyone, either. She was sure that we were all in fact hanging out without her. Maybe the other moms were hanging out without both of us, but I don’t think so.

I find that, as a working mom, I’m DONE at the end of the day. Conventions like “dinner” have come to seem exotic, as going to bed without eating right after getting the kids to bed by 8:00pm looks better and better. Theoretically there’s nothing I would enjoy more than sharing the Thursday evening class at the local yoga studio with a girlfriend, or flights at the new brewery with a group of moms from school. But the reality is it’s all I can do to pack snack bags and soccer cleats while making sure I leave the house wearing pants. It’s a red-letter day if I remember to put the laundry in the dryer instead of rewashing it to eliminate the mildew smell. And guess what? Every mom I talk to feels the exact same way.

This school year I either did something really smart, or completely self-sabotaging. I bailed on Back-to-School Night at both of my children’s schools. On the one hand, this would have offered a great opportunity to socialize with other parents at the same stage of life. But on the other hand–the one that won–was the fact that I work past the children’s bedtimes twice a week, and if we go out for date night, I end up missing bedtime three times each week. So, I am very protective of the nights when I can be home, and although I love teachers and support them in every way I can, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to miss any new information. Bottom line: I couldn’t give up a night at home with my children, tucking them in, and maybe eating an actual dinner.

By skipping the event, though, I actually created the scenario where all the moms were hanging out without me. The next day at drop off, my truancy left me embarrassed to speak to the teacher, and I found myself shyly making eye contact and saying “good morning,” assuming that the moms were wondering what kind of slacker I was and where in the heck I had been twelve hours earlier. Maybe they had even talked about it. Cue spiral of anxiety about what kind of mom I am and what kind of mom I appear to be.

Meanwhile, I learned that the parents who attended my daughter’s Parents’ Night had filled out a guessing game of sorts. Of course the teacher got the information from me so that my daughter wouldn’t be left out, and gave me the charming note she wrote for me to find in her cubby. Thus, by 8:00 a.m., I was really wallowing in it: I had not only brought my FOMO to life, I also added new guilt about creating extra work for an already over-worked teacher, and bailing on an event my daughter expected me to attend and prepared for.

The truth is, as moms we’re not always great about self-care. We put everyone else first and spend way too many years cooped up in our playrooms watching SVU marathons and eating cheese. Then we worry constantly about both every choice we made that day and what all the other moms are doing.

I tried something radical recently. I texted a mom that I’d like to be closer friends with, and before I knew it, we were bemoaning the isolation of these years and the need to get out more. We planned a moms’ night out, and I am going to work really hard not to feel guilty about it. I’m also going to be vigilant about inviting every mom I come across, because while I am going to hang out with my new friend, we’re not trying to hang out without anyone else.

The Magic Behind Roger Williams Park Zoo’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular

By

Lindsey Galvao

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October 5, 2017

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We are so grateful that through our partnership with Roger Williams Park Zoo we have the opportunity to share with our readers about the creation of the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular!

Every year that I’ve attended Roger Williams Park Zoo’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, I’ve always been amazed by the beauty of each carved pumpkin. But I hadn’t yet fully appreciated the amount of artistry, planning, and pumpkin gutting that goes into the event until this year when I had the chance to get a sneak peek “behind the scenes” look at the creation of the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular.

I had often wondered how the pumpkins stayed fresh for a month long event, and much to my surprise, I learned that the carving team constantly updates their pumpkins. Each and every pumpkin is remade once a week, and the large carved pumpkins that make the exhibit so magical take anywhere from two hours to two days to complete. To keep the pumpkins as fresh as possible, the carvers need to eliminate as much moisture as they can. Throughout the carving tent, fans were everywhere to keep the pumpkins dry.

Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular Providence Moms Blog — The carving team let me try my hand at a bit of pumpkin carving!

How does it feel, though, as an artist, to have to continually redo your work? The thought of spending two days on a pumpkin, only to have to toss it at the end of the week, seems pretty heartbreaking. When I spoke to one of the artists about it, he didn’t seemed bothered by it. Instead, he seemed to think of it as a fun challenge because it’s the only time he works with material that begins to rot the second he makes his first carve. As a result, the artwork will slowly morph and change as the week goes by and the pumpkin begins to atrophy, so the viewing experience of the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular literally changes each passing night. Plus, recreating each pumpkin every week means that they get to put new artistry into their original design. While some of the artists work as full-time pumpkin carvers for the month of October, others squeeze pumpkin carving in between their full-time jobs. I’m floored and hugely impressed.

All of the pumpkins are designed and carved by hand; no stencils are used, and the carvers even make their own pumpkin carving tools. They use a mix of illustration markers, brush tip markers, and good-old fashioned Sharpies to make these gorgeous and intricate pumpkins. Each pumpkin is lit with LED lightbulbs, and the artists have to think carefully about how and where they carve each pumpkin to make sure that the right amount of light shines through.

The zoo’s largest fundraiser of the year, the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular does draw huge crowds, which can be daunting, especially with children in tow. To reduce wait times, tickets for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays now must be purchased online where you sign up for a specific time slot. In my book, this is a huge #momwin: it makes coordinating and planning the evening so much easier, especially with young children.

With the theme of “time travel,” the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is guaranteed to catch the eye of everyone who attends. Starting with the dinosaurs and going through the Ice Age, Ancient Egypt and Rome, the Renaissance, and through the 19th and 20th centuries, the beautifully carved pumpkins are a built-in history lesson for your children. With pumpkins ranging from the movie “Ice Age” to the Battle of Waterloo to the Space Shuttle Challenger, the theme provides the perfect opportunity to spark conversation, curiosity, and wonder in your kids.

And don’t forget to check out the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride while you’re there. As someone who is petrified of heights, I was hesitant to try it, but I’m so grateful I did: the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride gives stunning views of the Jack-O-Lanterns and downtown Providence. (Keep in mind that tickets are limited to 40 people an hour, so plan accordingly!)

The breathtaking beauty and enchantment of this year’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular will surely thrill and delight children and parents of all ages.

My Battle with Breast Cancer: the Parent as Patient

By

Sara

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October 5, 2017

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On any given day I wear several hats. I am a wife, mother, daughter, employee, and friend. It is a bit of a juggling act, especially when I am getting ready for a meeting, fielding texts from my daughter, and planning what I am making for dinner – all at the same time! I take pride in each and every identity ,which is why a few years ago it was so difficult for me to have a new identity usurp them all. I became a patient.

One week before my 39th birthday I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was fortunate that it was caught early, but it was an aggressive kind (triple negative) that required swift treatment. I had a “suspicious” mammogram on a Friday, a biopsy on a Tuesday and a diagnosis thrown at me on a Thursday. In the five weeks that followed, I spent more time at medical appointments than at work. Meetings with doctors, nurses, social workers, and genetic counselors. An MRI, a CT scan and endless blood work. My reward at the end of the five weeks…the beginning of 14 rounds of chemo followed by two surgeries. My head still swirls when I think about it.

When you become a patient, you cling to your old identity like a rock climber holds onto the side of a mountain. You want people to remember that you were a human being with actual interests that you would greatly prefer to talk about. I wanted to talk about Project Runway and politics, not hair loss and neuropathy. The identity I yearned to maintain the most was mom, and yet now I was the one who needed to be cared for. How was I going to be even a sliver of the mom I was before while going through the biggest crisis of my life? I decided from the get-go that I was going to strive for as much normalcy as possible, even on days when I just wanted to curl up and sleep.

There are several moments during my year of cancer when I felt like I was able to “mom.” The first was at the beginning. After a couple of weeks of working with the hospital social worker on what to say we told our kids, then 8 and 4. We did not sugar coat things, never referred to it as an “owie,” and prepared the kids for what was to come. My son was too little to understand much of it, and my daughter was hysterical until we assured her that I would be OK. Comforting them and holding them close was the most mom thing I could have done.

We always joke that I am the household cruise director, but during my illness I was more reliant on my crew than ever. I was determined to maintain my kids’ routine. I was fortunate to have a village of family and friends who helped throughout. There was a meal calendar so 4 days a week we had dinner delivered. My kids never missed a day of school or an activity. There were days when I like to think they barely noticed I was sick.

I tried to have fun when I was up for it. I planned my daughter’s birthday celebration and was putting together goody bags two days after chemo because we all deserved a party! We still read together most nights and if I was not feeling well enough to eat at the table we would picnic in the living room. We went apple picking and to the movies. We cuddled on the couch and watched lots of movies. I was present and even if I was a couple of steps slower, at least I was still with them.

I am 4 years out now, and I try to keep cancer in the rearview mirror. When I sat down to write this, I asked my kids what they remembered about my year of bleh. My daughter remembers that I was tired and cranky a lot. My son seemed shocked that I had cancer, though he remembers that he liked rubbing my scalp like a chia pet. The fact that they stayed normal, self-centered (in the best way) kids through it all is one of my greatest parenting accomplishments. Parent 1…Patient 0. Mom for the win!

Goodbye, Benny’s… {Guest Post}

By

Guest Author

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October 4, 2017

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Fifteen years ago, I made Rhode Island my home, and I quickly learned three important things about
the smallest State in the Union –
1. It is a rare occurrence to meet someone with whom you don’t already share a mutual
acquaintance,
2. Driving any further than 15 minutes to a destination is cause for people to ask, “You drove ALL
the way from…?” and,
3. If you need anything, you can get it at Benny’s.

As a young, single woman, Benny’s was my go-to for just about everything: laundry baskets, cleaning
supplies, a dehumidifier for the basement room I was renting whose walls had become adorned with
mildew (don’t worry – my landlord paid me back). I could get just about anything I needed without
having to to go “all the way” to Walmart (yes, I adapted to that aspect of living here pretty quickly).
Then, I met my husband, and Benny’s was there every step of the way. Mixing bowls, small kitchen
appliances, and drying racks – everything we needed for our home was right there, just a quick car ride
away.

But it was when we started a family that I truly began to appreciate the wonderful convenience of
Benny’s. When I needed a baby gate to keep my kids out of the kitchen, Benny’s was there. When I
needed a toy vacuum cleaner because my son really wanted to “help” me clean, Benny’s was there.
When we wanted a water table for the kids to use instead of running the bathroom sink to keep them
entertained for hours on end without jacking up our water bill, who was there? That’s right – Benny’s.
If your child showed you an invitation on Friday afternoon for a birthday party on Saturday, where did
you go to get a last minute present? Benny’s! When your kid’s boogie board broke in the middle of
August, where did you stop on the way to the beach to pick up a new one? I think you know.

Benny’s was there for it all, the whole year round, for every season. There was rarely a week that went
by that I didn’t stop in at Benny’s for something. From bicycles and helmets, to board games and
bubbles. From beach chairs and umbrellas, to flip-flops and sunscreen. From Christmas presents, to
Christmas decorations, to storage for those decorations. I look around my house, and there isn’t a room
in it that doesn’t contain something I bought at Benny’s.

It always makes me sad to see a family business close its doors. I know that the world is a much
different place than it was years ago, especially in terms of local businesses. But as inexpensive as big-
box stores are, and as convenient as shopping on the Internet can be, when a local business closes, it
makes me think. As a mom, I love finding a bargain, and I love convenience, but I also try to do my
part by buying local, even if it costs just a few more dollars.

So, goodbye, Benny’s. You will truly be missed!

Sarah Jean lives in New England with her husband and two wonderful children whom she loves dearly, in small increments throughout the day, in between their whining, crying, screaming, and fighting. She writes about it to make herself laugh. You can find more from her on momtruthbomb.com.

Heartbroken About Puerto Rico

By

Leeta Law

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October 4, 2017

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I first went to Puerto Rico in December of 2016 with my family. I instantly fell in love with the culture there. A territory of the USA, meaning no passport needed, made it an easily accessible tropical paradise. My family loved it so much we went back again just 6 months later, exploring new places there. It didn’t take us long after the second trip for us to start dreaming of going back again.

When Hurricane Irma skirted it and only caused some flooding and minor issues, we breathed a sigh of relief. Then Hurricane Maria came.

In college I had a dear roommate from Puerto Rico, and we have stayed close ever since. I contacted her the day after Maria hit to see how her family was. She was frantic and unable to make contact with either of her parents. I suggested that she scour Twitter for anyone posting updates about their town and to contact them. Finally she heard from a friend that her parents were fine. Still, it was hard because she didn’t know the state of her parents’ homes.

It’s so heartbreaking to see pictures of the aftermath of a place that is filled with so many treasures from gorgeous beaches, a rainforest, beautiful caves, rich history, delicious food, and lush farms.

It must be so terrifying for those that have loved ones down there that they weren’t able to check in with right away. What a blessing to have social media outlets now to help connect us together during these natural disasters. Cell towers are still down in many areas, thus making communications really difficult.

Hopefully good will come from this disaster. Already struggling as a country with debt and now facing more debt to rebuild. It will be interesting to see what the USA will do as a nation to aide them. Water, food, and electricity are highly scarce right now as new systems are being rebuilt. Puerto Rico seems to have strong tight-knit communities already. I pray that as they rebuild, they will be able to have a stronger infrastructure that will make them resilient to more natural disasters.

How to Help

If you want to help Puerto Rico by donating consider donating to United for Puerto Rico where 100% of the proceeds go to help victims affected.

I’m a Good Mom, Right?

By

Chelsea Boucher

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October 4, 2017

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What is a good mom? How exactly do you define what makes someone a good mom? Am I a good mom?

I find myself asking myself that question on a daily basis. What have I done today that would make me a good mom? Who even decides?

We are living in a time where there is so much pressure to be a “good” mom. If you breastfeed, you’re a good mom. If you feed your child organic foods, you’re a good mom. If you enroll your child in swim lessons, or attend weekly play dates, you’re a good mom. But what if you don’t do those things that society sees as good? And instead you decided to formula feed, or maybe you gave your kid a Dorito yesterday, or maybe your work schedule doesn’t allow for you to attend swim lessons or play groups. Does that mean you can’t still be a good mom?

I don’t think I’ve every felt as much pressure to do something well as I do now as a mom. There’s that innate need to raise your child to be a good person of course, but it’s more than just that. It’s the constant feeling of not doing it right, of not being good enough. I know I have those days when I’m just so exhausted after working, running a business, attempting to keep my house clean that maybe I put the TV on and just let him watch. Does that mean I’m not a good mom? Sometimes I may even ask my mom to stay later on a work day, so I can get a pedicure. Does that mean I’m not a good mom? How frustrating is it that you can’t even enjoy a pedicure sometimes without feeling guilty!

The reality is I know those things don’t decide the quality of parent you are; however, I can guess that anyone reading this has probably has felt this way at some point. Society creates this ideal of what a “good” mom is and what it is not, and we (moms) in turn place judgement on others and on ourselves. It’s not fair. Being a mom is HARD. It’s basically the hardest thing ever. And most of us aren’t just moms. We are friends, daughters, sisters, professionals, women. We are more than what society defines us by and we deserve to have bad days.

Its time for moms to raise each other up and let each other know what a good job we are doing; support each other, without judgment. When you wake up in the morning tell yourself, I am a good mom. I am worthy of this child/these children. I am doing the best I can. (Repeat).

Halloween: Cute and Scary

By

Farrah

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October 3, 2017

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Every year as Halloween approaches, I can barely contain myself. Forget Thanksgiving, THIS is where the holiday season begins.

For as long as I can remember I have always had a fascination with the spooky and the gory, the things that go bump in the night. From the first time I was introduced to A Nightmare on Elm Street, which was probably much earlier than it should’ve been, I was hooked. I was also afraid to get in the bath tub and started exclusively taking showers, but that’s another story. Quite simply put, I like to be scared.

When they were babies I dressed our girls up as pumpkins, fairies, and cowgirls. One year there was even a tutu wearing monkey. Of course they were adorable costumes and all of that was fun, but nothing can compare to the year my 4-year-old looked at me and asked, “Mom, can I be a zombie for Halloween?” And since I am always telling my kids they can be anything, my natural response was, “Yes, my darling! YES, YOU CAN!”

Now, I am not crazy. I don’t show my kids the Walking Dead. (I don’t even watch it. Gasp! I am more of a True Blood, American Horror Story kind of girl.) So I haven’t the slightest clue where this idea came from. Maybe there is a spooky gene? Is horror hereditary? If it is, they got it from me, because my husband is not a horror buff. And since most people say they look like him, I’ll take what I can get!

All I knew in that moment was that I was running with it. I checked out Pinterest and searched for “kid zombie make-up,” which was both helpful and disturbing. I enlisted my brother (a Walking Dead fanatic) to help me rip, tear, and burn a princess dress in all the right places. The result was, in my opinion, nothing short of amazing. Our younger daughter, only two at the time, was easily coaxed into being Cinderella, and from there, the Zombie and the Princess were born.

That Halloween, as countless Elsas and Annas passed by us in the neighborhood, my little creepy zombie held her sister’s hand and happily went door to door. She occasionally hissed as to really play up the creepy vibe and people loved it. I was beaming with pride. It was AWESOME. Since then, we’ve had a skeleton and a super scary spider. The spider probably goes down as the hardest costume to make thus far. Eight attached legs and hat with dozens of eyes didn’t come without a lot hours spent with my glue gun and a few curse words. But the Zombie and the Princess still go down as my favorite costumes to date.

It was after this that Halloween in our house went from cute to a bit more scary. And we’ve started some new family traditions to get into the spirit!

Every year we expand on the front yard decor by adding something new. Another grim reaper here or a giant light up spider web over there. Whatever it is, its entirely up to the girls. We make a special shopping trip just for this purpose. We love searching the Halloween aisle at Target and they beg me to visit Spirit Halloween. They understand it’s all fake and meant to be fun. They love it!

We have a list of Halloween movies we watch every October, starting with Curious George’s Boofest. This movie is always first as it kicks off the season of “booing.” Some others we love include Hotel Transylvania 1 and 2, Room on the Broom, Frankenweenie and this year, I think we’re going to check out Coraline. Also, if you are child of the 80’s, you might remember The Worst Witch. Netflix has remade it into a series and its fabulous. I highly recommend it.

And what is “the season of booing” you ask? It’s when we hide behind doors or the couch or any other inconspicuous place and jump out, screaming “BOO!” in an attempt to scare the living the daylights out of someone. It starts October 1st and runs through Halloween night. Any friend or family who comes over in that time frame could be subject to a good “booing.” So if you plan on paying us a visit, BEWARE.

Happy Halloween!

In Response to Las Vegas: It Shouldn’t Be Like This

By

Robin Barton

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October 2, 2017

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This morning I awoke to the horrible news of the mass shooting in Las Vegas in which, at the time of writing this, 58 individuals were killed and over 500 injured.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Just hours ago, those 50 individuals excitedly departed their homes and their families to attend a concert. It was a concert they had likely looked forward to for quite some time. Today they should be telling their loved ones about the great time they had, who performed, what songs were played.

Instead, their families are reeling in sadness and loss.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Right now, 500 individuals are fighting for their lives, and at the very least, have weeks or months of recovery ahead of them. All they wanted to do was attend a concert. All they wanted to do was have a night of fun.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Seven years ago, my husband and I visited Las Vegas in what ended up being our last big pre-parenthood trip. Little did I know that I was, at the time, already pregnant.

This morning, the same Vegas streets I walked on seven years ago are filled with fear and devastation. And, I wonder, “what kind of world did I bring this child into?”

It shouldn’t be like this.

We are soon departing on a family vacation. Today, I am worried for the safety of my children and my family on our vacation. Instead of teeming with excitement, I am filled with an uneasiness about the crowds we will be among. I worry there is nowhere that is safe anymore.

It shouldn’t be like this.

We should be able to attend concerts, festivals, church, marathons, sporting events, and the movies without fear of being injured, shot, or killed. Our children should attend school in a world where they do not have to practice lock down drills. We should be able to go on vacation, visit new places, and enjoy new experiences without fear.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Today my heart aches for our country, our world, our children.

Despite all of this, we will press on. We will refuse to live in fear. We will not stop living our lives because of the “what if’s.” We somehow will come together, pick up the pieces and persevere.

But…

….It just shouldn’t be like this….

The Joy of Saying “Yes” to my Daughter Instead of “No”

By

Althea Tower

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October 2, 2017

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joy saying yes Providence Moms Blog She looked back at me as if to double check. “Are you sure?” her eyes said. “Go ahead, go play in the water. It’s okay; I have a change of clothes. Go have fun!” I told her again. That was all she needed. Timid at first, a little splash, then another until she practically dove into the water table. By water table, I mean this amazing structure with hoses and wheels and pulleys – all the things to make little minds think. She tried the different mechanisms, all while getting herself more soaked. I sat by this waterfall feature with her baby brother and just watched. I made sure I smiled at her when she looked my way for approval. Approval to have fun, to be a kid.

It was during one of the many times she looked to me that a realization hit me, rather painfully. She hears ‘no’ too much. As I watched her run around and splash and get her clothes wet, I saw pure joy on her face. The joy of being a kid, of throwing caution to the wind in a way that only a kid can. As a mom I constantly battle with “am I raising them right?” “Am I teaching them to be good people? Do good things?” Unfortunately this turns into correcting behavior all day long. (Am I the only one who feels like the only word they say is ‘no’?) I am not saying this is wrong. I believe there needs to be structure and rules. But as I saw there watching her run from activity to activity with a silly smile plastered on her face, I realized something. It doesn’t always have to be that way.

Our trip to the zoo itself was a spontaneous one. We have a membership, and I woke up and just decided the three of us would go. We had one of the best days we’ve had in a long time. I think a little bit of spontaneity like that can go a long way. She was interacting with me, having conversations, asking good questions, and I think we were both actually enjoying ourselves. This is not to say that you have to take your children to the zoo to do this. But today led me to believe that when you are struggling with different phases (one word: threenager) that sometimes shaking off the negative feelings and just reconnecting with your child can do wonders for the soul.

Watching my daughter today reenergized me. It made me appreciate the stage we’re in right now. That even though we’re dealing with extreme tantrums and mood swings, she’s still a child. A child who sees wonder in the sprinklers that turn on by hitting a button. A child who uses different funnels and scoops and watched the different ways she could make the water move. A child who smiled so bright just because I didn’t say no to her getting her clothes wet.

So try saying ‘yes’ a little more. Even when you cringe a little on the inside. Say yes to the messy paint projects. Yes to the mud pies and the blanket forts. I promise the thousand watt smiles in return is not something you will soon forget.

Sunday October 8th to Saturday October 14th, 2017 is National Fire Safety Week in the USA

How to Help

It shouldn’t be like this.

It shouldn’t be like this.

It shouldn’t be like this.

It shouldn’t be like this.

It shouldn’t be like this.

It shouldn’t be like this.

….It just shouldn’t be like this….

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