Courtesy of Scouting America Can we be real with you for a second? Parenting in today’s world is… tricky. Between ever-evolving technology, seemingly endless amounts of entertainment, and extremely hands-on parenting (no judgment zone!), sometimes it makes us wonder: Will my kid thrive in the real world? That’s where Scouting America — yes, the group formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America — comes in. For over a century, this youth program has been shaping young people to be confident, capable, and independent thanks to their hands-on experiences that teach kids things that benefit them in real-life situations. Parents...
7 Back-to-School Shopping Tips For Anyone Who Wants To Spend Less Money
Inside Creative House/Shutterstock ‘Tis season of school push notifications, calendar invites, scheduling conflicts, and weekday morning madness, and your time is about to be taken over by all that and more. Even though it feels impossible to control the chaos of back-to-school season (trust us, we’ve tried), you can have a say in how much money you’re spending on the whole shebang. With the weight of classroom supplies lists, lunchtime grocery lists, and extracurricular activities equipment list piling up, we wouldn’t blame you if you’re feeling the urge to add everything to your cart, click “check out,” and move on...
For The Love Of God, Communal Back-To-School Supplies Are Necessary
It happens every July: Someone in my local mom group makes a post questioning the school supply lists. They want to know why they’re responsible for sending in two packs of pencils or six glue sticks. They want to know why they have to buy tissues and Clorox wipes for a classroom. And they really want to know why they shouldn’t write their child’s name on every individual supply. (That’s the one that makes them the most irate, I think.) Communal school supplies have been around for a long time, whether you realize it or not. Lisa Patino, a veteran...
Moms, Keep Going
Christelle Leuvennink/E+/Getty Images I’m laying in bed and my arm is stretched out to the edge, gripped around the handle of my baby’s car seat. It’s 4 AM. I’ve been up for over an hour, and it’s my third wake up of the night. After complete and total desperation to get him back to sleep, I resort to his car seat. The thoughts start to swirl: “this isn’t safe”; “I’m not well”; “someone please help me”; “I just need to sleep.” As I vigorously push him back and forth, I settle into my nightly ritual of convincing myself that if...