Stages of Grief-Denial

The five stages of grief was made popular by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross In her book “On Death and Dying”, published in 1969. She presented 5 stages terminally ill persons may go through upon learning of their illness. It is now widely accepted that people can go through these stages of grief during other difficult times such as the death of a spouse, and divorce. Over the next few posts I will describe each of these stages from both a child and adult perspective along with potentially beneficial ways to work through that particular stage. These stages are not always experienced in … Continue reading

U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Babies and Toddlers

The U.S Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has issued new dietary guidelines for Americans, specific to a person’s age. Part of the report advises parents what to feed their babies and toddlers. The Committee found that breastfeeding may reduce the risk of overweight or obesity, type 1 diabetes, and asthma, as compared to never being breastfed. The study found evidence that suggests that a longer duration of breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of type 1 diabetes and asthma, but it was unclear what the optimal duration of breastfeeding is. The report also mentions complementary foods and beverages (CFB). These … Continue reading

Does Elizabeth Warren Really Have Cherokee Ancestry?

The ancestry of Democrat Elizabeth Warren is still a topic that is raising questions. A few months ago, a genealogist determined that Warren did, really, have Cherokee ancestry. Shortly after that, there were blogs that stated that there wasn’t any credible evidence that this was so. Now, another genealogist says that Elizabeth Warren really doesn’t have Cherokee ancestry. In Massachusetts, the current Senator is Scott Brown, who is a Republican. Elizabeth Warren, who is a Democrat, is running against him for the Senate seat he currently holds. The winner will be decided in the 2012 election. It has become common … Continue reading

The Early Years: How Much Do They Really Understand?

The age of your child at the time of your divorce has a profound impact on the way they respond to the changes in their life. Don’t expect them to understand everything that is going on, but be aware, they may know more than you think. Here is a guide to gauge how much your child comprehends the split during the early years and how to ease that transition on them. From birth to 18 months children can feel the tension in the home, but don’t understand the reasoning behind it. They may begin to show some signs of separation … Continue reading

Should You Have More Than One Home Based Business?

One of the questions that may be on your mind as you set out to begin your home – based business is whether you will begin just one business or whether you will have multiple home-based businesses. There are advantages to each type of arrangement, and your final decision will have to be based upon your needs and the needs of your family. Some home-based businesses lend themselves better to being run alongside of each other than others do, so this is certainly one thing to think about before making a decision to have more than one business operating at … Continue reading

Beware the Green Eyed Monster: How Jealousy Can Impact Your Blended Family

I tiptoed up to the topic, believing that most of us are pretty sensitive about it: “Sometimes step parents feel…I don’t want to call it jealousy, but…” at which point Kelly, eight years into her step mom experience, interrupted, “Oh, you can call it jealous! I was definitely jealous!—of a six year old, no less!” We were talking about what can often become a defining dynamic between children and step parents, and consequently, a divisive issue for a biological parent and their spouse. It’s not an emotion many of us are willing to cop to, especially if the trigger is … Continue reading

Returning Fertility

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of research about returning fertility. It is such an interesting topic and you will find many different conflicting opinions on the subject, especially when it has to do with moms who are still nursing their babies or toddlers. Some will insist that a mother must wean in order to conceive again. Others, especially those who strongly promote breastfeeding, insist that weaning is unnecessary and fertility will return when the body is ready. I also came across a third point of view, which has nothing to do with breastfeeding or weaning, and more to do … Continue reading

How To Hide a Bump

Usually when we’re talking about maternity clothes on this blog, we’re talking about ways to dress around the bump, but sometimes it’s necessary to hide it. The most common reason for hiding a pregnancy is if you are an actress playing a role that does not involve a pregnancy. You might also hide a pregnancy if you feel your job is at stake, such as during an interview. Even though it is unethical, women do sometimes get turned down for positions because they are pregnant. I’m sure there are other reasons a woman might want to hide a pregnancy, at … Continue reading

What To Include In Your Pregnancy Journal

Pregnancy is a fun topic to write about in a journal. This time in your life is so new and different from any other stage in life. So much is packed into nine months; if you don’t write it down, you’re bound to forget some of it. It can be really entertaining to look back at your pregnancy journal and relive some of the memories (or be grateful that some of them have passed, like morning sickness). Writing about your pregnancy might come naturally for some, but if you’re suffering writer’s block, here are some ideas for what kinds of … Continue reading

Under Wraps

Believe it or not, there are some signs of pregnancy that may show up before a HPT will give a positive test result. For example, some women might experience a very small amount of spotting when the embryo implants in the lining of the uterus. The problem with these very early pregnancy signs is the fact that they can be attributed to any number of other things. In retrospect, one could look back and say, “oh yeah, I was so tired because I was pregnant.” However, symptoms like fatigue are so common and caused by so many different things, there’s … Continue reading