The MotherVerse Blog: mothering out loud

(Cross-Posted at Non-Toxic Kids)
I wasn’t planning on posting tonight, but a few days ago I received several emails about a new site, healthytoys.org.
The site was unable to open the first few times I checked, and I finally got in tonight. Now I can see why. The site is jam packed with useful information about toys […]

I was talking to a friend last night and she said her daycare provider, Annie Look out in Seattle, suggested some simple, high interest toddler and preschooler gifts in a recent newsletter to parents.
Some of her ideas included:
*Creating a craft box, a container filled with crayons, tape (what kid doesn’t love tape?), markers, stencils, stickers, […]

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the holidays.  In past years, I’ve felt like my values are tossed out the door for the month of December, culminating in a Christmas celebration that is gluttonous, highly packaged and commercialized.  Sure, we’ve had lots of good family time and many laughs.  But we’ve also had […]

So, what will you tell those well meaning, truly generous, but not quite informed family members about what holiday presents to bestow upon your glorious children? It is a difficult dance, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, but also not wanting the mouth, so to speak, to be full of lead, […]

Well, my two-week stint guest-writing at the MotherVerse blog is up today, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it is extremely hard to find time to write as much as I would like. I have great intentions; I’ve got lots to say. But you’ve all been there, right? You know how it […]

Conventional wisdom says that parents should preserve a regular “date night” for themselves: a weekly or monthly evening out to connect with and enjoy each other–free, for an hour or two, from the constant demands of child-rearing. Sounds delightful, in an ideal world. What the magazine articles and relationship advice columns fail to address, however, […]

I went out yesterday with two fellow-mom friends, the monthly “moms’ coffee” date we plan for a weekend day when our husbands can stay home with the kids. And then I felt guilty about it the whole time I was there. Not guilty enough to come home early, of course; not guilty enough to not […]

Halloween’s just past, so you know what that means: the holiday onslaught is upon us. I saw my first Christmas television commercial of the season the other night, and since I was chowing down on Halloween candy at the time, I wasn’t quite in the holly-jolly mood. Our pumpkins are still sitting outside by the […]

I think I’m a pretty good mom. I’m home full-time with a one-year-old and a three-year-old, and the fact that I’m still sane, usually dressed, and relatively cheerful most of the time pretty much fits the definition, in my book. We all have our strengths, and mine include getting the naptime routine down to an […]

Shannon Hyland-Tassava is a psychologist, writer, and full-time at-home mom to two daughters, ages 1 and 3. She lives in southern Minnesota with her family. Shannon recently contributed a work to The MotherVerse Blog and I liked her so much I asked her to guest blog. So Shannon, we’re glad to have you with us.
Shannon […]