When you're pregnant, the hospital offers a class teaching you how to bathe your newborn. They don't, however, offer a class, or any advice for that matter, as to when you're supposed to stop bathing your kid and have them start bathing themselves. Writing over at Babble, one mom says she was surprised to find out that some people think kids as young as eight should be showering without help from their parents. This mom's seven-year-old daughter has curly hair, which requires more attention and skill than a typical young kid is able to handle. She says that while seven is a pretty big kid in some ways, in others (like when it comes to hair care), seven's still pretty darn young. How old were your kids when they started showering all on their own? Do you think there's a cut-off limit for helping your kids get clean?
One mom's journey to motherhood
For some, becoming a mom is a fairly easy and straightforward process. For the rest of us, it's a longer journey. Maybe it takes months or years of trying. Maybe it takes fertility treatments. Or, maybe it takes all of that and adoption. Writing for Mile High Mamas, one mom shares the story of her long road to motherhood. She met her husband when they were both in their late 30's and she knew that when it came to having kids of her own, time wasn't on her side. After a year of trying, they moved on to adoption through foster parenting. Over the course of many years, they had many heartbreaks as they fell in love with children who were eventually sent back to live with their families. In December of 2010, they got a call, asking them to foster a brother and sister. Thinking it was an emergency holiday situation and assuming the kids would soon return to their family, they welcomed them, believing they would soon go. But, they didn't. They soon began the adoption process for the two beautiful children who were brought to them at 1:00 a.m. on a cold night. However, just six days after they told their son they'd be adopting him and his younger sister, this mom's husband died unexpectedly. Her world was rocked and she was worried it would cause the adoption to fall through. Luckily, that was not the case and recently, the adoption was finalized. We hope this will be a very happy Mother's Day for this special mom.
Dad plans perfect first date for his little girl
If there's one thing the father of a daughter dreads, it's his little girl's first date. He knows some teenage boy will never treat his little princess with the respect and admiration that his little girl, in her teenage body, deserves. One dad, taking matters into his own hands, wanted to make sure his baby girl's first date was perfect, and so decided to take her out on a date himself. A daddy-daughter date, with a dad and his four-year-old daughter. This father-daughter duo got all dressed up and hit the town. Writing on his blog, the Accidental Missionary, he says he wants his daughter to remember her first date and carry it, and all of the confidence she now possesses, with her on her next date when she's a teenager. He knows that as kids turn into teens, social pressures come into play. He wants his daughter to remember a time when she was confident and carefree enough to wear a Christmas dress in April and dance in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
When should you stop helping your kids bathe?
When you're pregnant, the hospital offers a class teaching you how to bathe your newborn. They don't, however, offer a class, or any advice for that matter, as to when you're supposed to stop bathing your kid and have them start bathing themselves. Writing over at Babble, one mom says she was surprised to find out that some people think kids as young as eight should be showering without help from their parents. This mom's seven-year-old daughter has curly hair, which requires more attention and skill than a typical young kid is able to handle. She says that while seven is a pretty big kid in some ways, in others (like when it comes to hair care), seven's still pretty darn young. How old were your kids when they started showering all on their own? Do you think there's a cut-off limit for helping your kids get clean?
Teen pot use on the rise
Puff, puff, gi--oh, no you don't! A new report by the Partnership for a Drugfree America shows that teen pot use is up, high up. The survey shows that nearly one in 10 teens is using marijuana 20 or more times a month. Twenty times a month... As the Houston Chronicle reports, the Partnership's President is worried that parents, who are understandably worried about hard drugs like cocaine and heroin, tend to view pot-smoking as no big deal. The Partnership is concerned by the increase in use amongst teens. The rate of frequent users went from five percent in 2008 to nine percent last year.
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.