Blog Posts by ModernMom

Who ever said moms can't be edgy and cool? Well, many celebrity moms are leading the new wave of edgy motherhood, sporting tattoos of all shapes and sizes. As many celebs know, a carefully placed tattoo can enhance certain body parts and features, especially in photographs. But many celeb moms opt for tattoos because of their special meanings, sometimes getting their kids' or husbands' names permanently inked on their bodies. Others choose more indirect meanings, perhaps using ancient symbols. Here are the top celeb mommy tattoos uncovered.



See also Brooke Burke Gets a New Tattoo!

Angelina Jolie:

Angelina has more tattoos than she does children, at least for now. She is also the queen of getting tattoos removed or covered with another tattoo. Pre-mommy days, Angelina inked Billy Bob's name on her left upper arm. Now, she has covered up that tattoo with the coordinates of where her kids (adopted and biological) were born; in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Vietnam, then Nice respectively.

Dark eye circles may look cute on a raccoon, but they don't belong anywhere near a woman's eyes. The irony about dark eye circles is that, contrary to popular belief, dark circles are usually not a sign of exhaustion, age or illness, but they are responsible for making women and men look old, according to the Mayo Clinic.

What They Are

Dark eye circles are areas of dark pigmentation under each eye. Lack of sleep is usually not the culprit. The reason people associate the two is that not getting enough sleep can make people appear paler and more hollow-eyed, which emphasizes any circles they may have, according to the Mayo Clinic. Your skin is very thin under your eye, and any veins and fluids can easily show through and can give this area a dark, shadowy appearance.

See also How to Fade Age Spots on Your Face

You may have your parents to thank for your dark circles because they are hereditary and run in families, according to the Mayo Clinic. Allergies and

The alarm didn't go off, you're late for work, the kids can't find their homework and your dog needs to be fed - time for breakfast? No way! Yet, breakfast is the most important meal for children and adults. Research has shown that children perform better in school when they have breakfast. True to its name, "breakfast" breaks the fast of the night and gets the body ready for the day ahead. If you and your children are not used to eating breakfast, start slowly with just one item and work your way up to a more balanced meal. Eating breakfast is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and research shows there are many reasons to include breakfast.

See also Children and Sleep...

Breakfast Kick-Starts Their Brain

Eating breakfast provides energy for a child's brain and it has been shown to improve alertness, which is important for learning. Additionally, breakfast restores the body's glucose supply which is the only source of energy for the brain. Slow burning, whole grain

Did you know that almost twenty-five percent of husbands leave their wives after they are diagnosed with breast cancer? Statistics say many of those marriages are in trouble to begin with, although when roles are reversed, only three percent of women leave their husbands. It makes me wonder what part of "in sickness and in health" do men not remember?
I know of a man who left his wife after her diagnosis. Not only did he abandon her, he left their 10-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter to become their mother's primary caregivers. What kind of man does that? What kind of message is he sending his son? Another breast cancer husband I know was so unsympathetic during his wife's chemotherapy he actually told her to take an aspirin and "snap out of it." OK, so most men were not raised to be caregivers, or they want their wives, girlfriends and mothers to take care of them. In addition they may be afraid of acknowledging their mortality and yours, and they may be afraid of how breast

I recently received a distraught call: "My daughter wants to know if the Easter Bunny is real. I don't want to lie, but I don't want to spoil her fun." Parents confront the dilemma of how much 'truth' to divulge with questions at every stage of development: "Do you promise you'll never die?"; "Did you drink smoke when you were a kid?"; "Am I fat?" You might be surprised to learn that there are no clear-cut answers. Despite the fact that being truthful with your child is important, there are times when not being fully honest is a better idea.

See also Child Predators Love Polite Kids

Honesty Is Not The Best Policy

There are two main reasons that honesty isn't always the best policy. The first is that knowing the truth about a topic can sometimes be more emotionally harmful for a child than not knowing (ex: the real reason for divorce is due to serious infidelity). The second is that a child may not be emotionally ready to learn a truth (ex: particular holiday traditions like the

Do you assume your child's camp is safe? Every summer we send our children off to what we think will be a fun and safe camp. Why do we assume the camp we chose for our kids will be safe? Have we asked the appropriate questions that would give us confidence in the camp? Most parents report being more concerned with what activities their children will be experiencing than the camps risk assessment for safety.

See also You Are Not Your Child's Friend!


What's Important?

If you had prior knowledge that the camp you are sending your child to had a revolving door of counselors through the years and a counselor that had harmed a child - wouldn't you want to know? I think we all can agree that most parents with this information would choose to send their child to a different camp. We asked a number of mothers why they signed their child up for a particular camp. Here were their answers: A friend is going, there is great sports program, an emphasis on tennis, a fellow mom recommended it. We

Every night it is the same old thing. You put the kids to bed just to have them think of a thousand reasons they need to get up: to talk to you, get something to drink, kiss the dog, or something else. You find yourself doing battle on a nightly basis just trying to get them to stay in their bed. It can be frustrating, but you are not alone. Many parents have the same problem.

See also The Scary Phenomenon: Night Terrors

n fact, a 2004 study released by the National Sleep Foundation reported that 69 percent of children between the ages of 0 and 10 have sleeping problems several nights a week. While it is a common problem, it can be stress producing. There are things you can do to encourage your children to stay in bed once you say goodnight.

See also The Best Birthday Party...EVER

1. Consistency

   Develop a bedtime schedule and remain consistent in its use on a nightly basis. It should be a 30- to 45-minute routine that happens at the same time each evening.

While all sorts of nutrition fads come and go, one thing will never change: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Children who eat breakfast perform and behave better in school (because they're not hungry and cranky), consume more calcium, fiber and vitamins than those who skip breakfast, and tend to eat less fat and cholesterol than their friends who miss this valuable meal. Breakfast eaters tend to have healthier body weights, and this is true for adult men, women and children in all age groups.

Of course, we're all focused on the quality of our childrens school lunches right now, but those menus will take time to change. One simple thing you can do to instantly improve your child's health is to put breakfast on the table (or in his hands as he races out the door). Sound like a challenge? It's not, with a little planning and some creativity.

See also No-Excuse Exercise

Have the Kids Help

Breakfast foods tend to be ones children like, and recent research shows that