Latest Posts

  • Are You Ready to Live As Though That’s True? (The Language We Use in Frustration)

    Today I am grateful for something important that I have learned: I will not use certain language around my children. I will not say “You’re making me crazy”, because it is an accusation that is not literally true. I will… Continue reading

  • Two Paths in Toddler Discipline

    Dear Mister Two-And-A-Half, You, middle child, you head-butt people because you like it when you are head-butted. You roar at babies because you like being roared at. You push your sister over sometimes because you like being pushed over. You… Continue reading

  • Everything Is More Fun If Mommy Didn’t Say It

    A number of people have asked for ideas on how to be more playful, as they feel that they are not very good at imaginative play. One of the games kids love the most is when their dolls or stuffed… Continue reading

  • I Never Dreamed That I Was Not Alone

    When my third child was three months old I wrote “The Wait it Out Method of Sleep Training“, a letter to reassure my daughter that in the future if she chooses to not use “Cry it Out”, she’s not alone… Continue reading

  • Screaming and Crying While Breastfeeding

    (Originally posted on my former and now defunct Custom Made Milk blog February 27 2009. This post has been updated many times since then.) There are many reasons why your baby might scream and cry while nursing. Here are some… Continue reading

  • All The Wants I Hope to Be (2013)

    At the end of this old year, heading into the beginning of the new year it’s tempting to declare all the many wants that I hope to be in 2013. I wanted to say something profound here. Something about letting… Continue reading

  • Wind Down Cuddles (from the archives)

    (From the archives- December 2008 when my first child was two): My son will be dancing, running around, laughing, climbing things he knows are not to be climbed.  He will refuse hugs, and push away a kissing face with indignant… Continue reading

  • Fifteen Second Switch- Getting a Frustrated Baby to Latch

    One of my favorite breastfeeding tricks is the “Fifteen Second Switch”. When to do it: When baby is frustrated at the breast, is latching on eagerly for a few seconds and then popping off, fussing, screaming or refusing to nurse.… Continue reading

  • Eight Months: Teething and Mobility

    Dearest Daughter, I’ve been wanting to write to you for a while, here on the “other side” of six months. Life has been chaotic, though. Packed with many things, both positive and stressful. Joyful and not. In other words, it… Continue reading

  • No Questions Asked: How We Support Other Moms

    (Written for a friend who is a passionate provider of breastfeeding advice to explain my personal take on providing support to moms.) With my daughter’s birth I had two nurses. The first nurse had birthed her own children without any… Continue reading