Blog Posts by Parentables

Laptop picnic.I was a full-time working mom for a few months after my daughter was born, and let me tell you, it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I was prisoner-of-war exhausted. That time was a blur. A highly unpleasant blur: sleepless nights followed by commuting, working all day, commuting home, washing breast pump parts, packing daycare bags, more not-sleeping... I was going off the rails on a crazy train, to borrow some prose from Ozzy Osbourne. When I was laid off from my job, after the shock factor faded, I was left with pure relief.

Now I stay at home with my daughter while I work. I'm a freelance writer. I'm also busy launching my own business, which will inspire others who are considering getting off the crazy train of fulltime office work in pursuit of a more fulfilling lifestyle.

Physically, it feels great right now. I'm getting enough sleep (except when I stay up too late of my own volition.) I'm getting regular,

That's a tiny violin!We have been playing instruments for quite some time, and when you've been involved in music for a while, you develop many contacts that are teachers who know what is best for their students. When we acquired our first piano years ago, we didn't know anything about purchasing a piano. We were able to ask teachers, some of whom had more than 30 years of experience, "What would be your favorite piano that would not take up a lot of space, but still have good sound?" They were glad to give us their input.

Read More: The Duggar's Instant Stress Buster: Music

We spent several months looking through the newspaper, trying to find the right one. One day we got a phone call from a piano teacher that knew of our search. They had found a really nice piano for sale from its original owner at a great price. That's how we got our first piano!

Read More: Movie Night at the Duggar's

It may not be immediate gratification like when you buy something you want on credit. With credit

Pretty.My step-daughter, Ava, just turned 14. When I met her at nine, she rocked a gorgeous, voluminous Afro. Back then, her dad deep conditioned and picked through Ava's curls once as week in front of the television.

Read More: Gabby Douglas: A Hero, Her Hair, My Heartache

As she got older, Trey tried to get Ava to take over some of the work of caring for her hair, but Ava said she'd rather have someone else do it (wouldn't we all). Enter stepmom in training. Once in a while, Trey would ask me to condition and blow dry Ava's hair. But anyone who knows me understands I'm not much of a hairstylist. I am a white woman with tangled, wavy hair that is getting less blonde each day. I get haircuts and highlights 3-4 times a year if I can afford it.

Still, Trey said, "Come on, you know about this girl stuff."

Read More: How Do We Respectfully Teach Young Girls About Beauty?

Ava only wears her hair free on the weekends. To go to school, she insists on a tight bun with a

YUM!Fed up with pouts and whines at the dinner table, I knew I had to take action to get my second grader to eat his vegetables. Like lightning, mid-meal, the brainstorm of a lifetime struck. Mommy brilliance is a rare and beautiful thing; and therefore, dear reader, I shall share my epiphany with you.

Read More: Teach Your Child to Eat (and Like!) Vegetables

There are two truths about my son. He loves science and hates vegetables. So, thought I, was there a way to use his love of science to turn his hatred of vegetables around? Oh yes, indeed there was.

I prepped him the next morning.

"Tonight, at dinner, we're going to do a science experiment," I informed him.

"What kind?" His interest was piqued.

"A cool kind," I said coolly. "You'll be the scientist, I'll be your assistant."

Off to school he went, just dying to know what madness I had in mind.

Read More: Don't Hide Those Vegetables

I went to the grocery store and bought one of every vegetable. One

Books!"Mum, my teacher doesn't think I'm good at reading," my daughter, Maia, said when she got off the bus yesterday. No mother wants to hear this.

Processing over Pirate Booty, I figured out the first grade teacher did not actually say this to Maia. She had just assigned kids to reading "bins" and "buddies." The bins contain books that are appropriate for the reading level at which each student has been assessed. And the kids read with buddies who are around the same reading level as them.

Read More: Is Your Child Ready for School?

Of course they don't use labels like the "smart bin." But kids measure their abilities against their peers. Maia knows she's at level four, and there is a kid in her class at level 16!

Maia attended Montessori preschool, which focused on learning through guided play. She knew about Picasso and the solar system, but she did not learn sight words. Most studies say teaching kids to read and write earlier and earlier doesn't necessarily mean better

We are family.I have two step-kids: Ava just turned 14 and Chet just turned 11 (yes, a congested birthday period). My daughter, Maia, and I met them five years ago. Although the dynamic is not what my 16-year-old self imagined, our blended family feels like it was meant to be.

Since Maia, who is six, moved in with Ava and Chet before her second birthday, she fully considers them her brother and sister. But she also understands they have another mom. The other day I heard Maia's friend ask why her brother and sister had brown skin and she did not.

Read More: 6 Axioms of Step Parenting

"Trey used to be married to another lady who is the 'big kids' mom. They came out of her butt, not my mom's butt. That lady has brown skin. She lives far away, but they talk to her on the phone a lot."

"Oh, ok. Can we get a snack?" her friend said, not missing a beat.

I was impressed by Maia's uninhibited recounting of this part of our family dynamic. Because of the differences in skin color, all

Kale SmoothieI don't believe you have to hide vegetables in order to get your kids to eat them -- although, once in awhile you might need to entice them to try something new. This kale smoothie is just the ticket. Most kids love to eat fruit because it is naturally sweet, but are less likely to eat green vegetables which can taste bitter on their still-developing taste buds.

Read More: 5 Recipes for Your Kids' Favorite Store Bought (Typically) Snacks

Although not always popular with kids, dark leafy green vegetables are the highest rated food on the ANDI nutrient density scale, scoring 1000 points (the maximum amount). Drinking a green smoothie is practically like taking a multi-vitamin. One cup of kale contains the daily required amount of:

• beta carotene
• vitamins C, E and K
• calcium
• magnesium
• iron
• potassium
• phosphorus
• zinc

Read More: Saturday Snack: Apple Chips

The fresh flavor of raw kale is highlighted in this easy smoothie that is naturally sweetened with orange

Hey, that looks like MY to-do list.As parents we tend to run ourselves ragged trying to get everything accomplished in one day that should be tackled over the course of a week. There's always something lurking on the ever-growing to-do list and time just slips away. In an effort to get more done, I used to wake up before my daughter and continue to work once she went to bed. I felt like I was on an endless treadmill of taking care of household chores, staying on top of emails and work, and doing all the other stuff moms are responsible for.

Read More: Do This 4 Minute Cardio Workout While Waiting in Line at the Grocery Store

To top off my hectic schedule, I've been sick with colds and flus for most of the year. I chalked it up to being a sleep-deprived mom (being woken up every 3 hours at night for 17 long months), who has been exposed to a lot of kiddie germs. Except it was taking me about 4 -6 weeks to get over a cold, when the rest of my family was recovering in a few days. I had seen my doctor for these