Gifts, games and guests. There was the requisite oohing and aahing over tiny onesies and baby books, and a lot of laughter. Of course, mingling was a little trickier during the shower I threw over the weekend. But we are talking about a virtual baby shower, after all. As many of us remain wary of socializing in groups, Zoom and other virtual meeting providers continue to play host to baby showers and other celebrations that feature decorations, ice breakers, and even cake and mocktails. If you’re throwing a virtual baby shower for an expectant mommy, here are some ideas to get you start ..read more

This week, I’m featuring a story by Lauren Cowin, a Washington, D.C. area mom of two who recently suffered a miscarriage 12 weeks into her pregnancy with her third child. While many women experience miscarriages, Lauren hopes to convey to readers that each loss is unique and deserves to be grieved. Here’s her miscarriage story in her own words: I’m sharing this story for one simple reason: when I was in the thick of it, I would have wanted to read it. A few days into a much anticipated trip to visit family and friends in Texas this past summer, I was hit with a pretty big surprise – I was pre ..read more

It snowed the other day. The wind moved the tree limbs to a January dance. Then within the hour, the flakes were gone — and a new president had taken office. It was a pointed reminder that the seasons, the mood of the country, and the shades of light and dark that imbue our own lives are swift and temporary. The shades of motherhood too are merely fleeting moments. That kaleidoscope of frenzy and quiet, of harmony and discord, of vibrancy and exhaustion, whip us every which way. The winds of parenthood sometimes silence us.  The challenges humble us. The joys elevate us. And then things ..read more

“What a Wonderful World.” That was a song I crooned to my daughter when she was a newborn, gazing at her perfect face in awe. Three years later, I sing it less often, and when I do, I sometimes find myself unconvinced. While I want so fiercely for the world to be a wonderful place for my child, for all of our children, all of the crises we as a society are confronting seem so close… the figurative wolves at our doors. So why should I still believe in the words that first moved me as a child? And as a parent now, what can I — and other parents — do to make our imperfect world a little more w ..read more

Are good sleepers born that way, or are they molded? My daughter was the rare infant who slept through the night almost from birth, waking at our direction for feedings. Things weren’t always perfect, but we dutifully followed the guidance in Twelve Hours’ Sleep by Twelve Weeks and used the Ferber method when needed — and voila, we all slept pretty soundly most of the time. Nature versus nurture? That isn’t the case for many infants. A study published the American Academy of Pediatrics on uninterrupted sleep patterns in babies found that nearly 40% of six month olds did not get six ..read more

During the day, my daughter’s room sits empty. The bedsheets are left in mid story, slumped and tangled and waiting. I fold them gingerly, gently positioning the stuffed animals side by side on the pillow. For hours, they anticipate the arrival of the three-year-old who clutches them when she dreams. Without my child, the bedroom is a shell bare of squirming arms and legs, a mess of blonde curls and a commanding obstinance. And, in some ways, I too am a shell awaiting her return in the evening, when she will swing us around until we are dizzy and full with her whims. As time ticks on… The st ..read more

The crooning of the white noise machine. The sweet refrain of lullabies in the nursery. The glorious sound of silence in the small hours. Oh right, and the deafening wails that pierce the twilight. I thought those angst-filled harmonies had ended after we sleep trained my daughter as an infant. Sadly, fellow parents, welcome to the toddler remix of “I Won’t Go to Sleep.” Night terrors and more… During the day, my daughter is happy, playful, and more often than not, cooperative. But when bedtime arrives, she is an outlaw evading capture; she kicks, she screams, she invents maladies to lure us ..read more

My daughter is on the cusp of her third birthday, and I know enough now to say the twos were not so terrible after all. Two-year-olds are known for temper tantrums and wild, drop-of-the-hat mood swings. And yes, this was the year of the tantrum, and of new fears and nightmares. But the twos also were a time when I began to know my daughter more intimately as her sense of humor and speech continued to flourish. This was the year she began to more openly show affection and to say, “I love you.” That alone would mark it as a winner for me, but the breadth of the changes and development at age t ..read more

There it was again. A persistent blinking in my daughter’s left eye that seemed to come and go, but was growing disturbingly more noticeable. The pediatrician determined that nothing physically was wrong with our toddler, but diagnosed the problem as an eye tic — one of a bevy of fairly common tics that can affect children. What are tics? The National Institutes of Health defines tics as “abnormal, unwanted movements or vocalizations” that are repeated, nonrhythmic and frequently involve the upper body and head. They can include “raising the eyebrows, turning the eyes, shaking the head, snif ..read more

Do you and your child spend time watching JJ, YoYo and TomTom on YouTube’s CoComelon channel? I recently discovered that my daughter’s favorite animated music videos average more than 3.5 billion views per month. In fact, CoComelon, a collection of 3D animated songs for toddlers, is the most watched YouTube channel in the world. Now CoComelon has a new owner, Moonbug Entertainment… and plans for expansion. “Cocomelon has the potential to be the biggest property in the world when it comes to kids.” That’s what Rene Rechtman, CEO of Moonbug Entertainment, told Bloomberg reporter Lucas Shaw abou ..read more