If you’re trying to raise a compassionate person who treats other people well, a nice talk about being nice to other people is not going to do anything but convince the kid she’s gotten away with her bad behavior.
parenting
germs
In case you’ve lost track, here are the things that are gross and you should never touch: bathrooms, kitchens, money, hotel rooms, the steering wheel of your car, your disgusting purse, phones, computer keyboards, door handles.
parenting
Three year olds don’t mean to be assholes; they just are.
Somer Sherwood in
Family Drama,
parenting,
kids,
three year olds,
the asshole years,
what the parenting books don't tell you
May 15, 2013 at 2:00pm | 120 comments
mother's day
I recognize that it’s ridiculous of me to demand that something be planned in my honor, while at the same time insisting that I shouldn’t be the one to plan it.
Somer Sherwood in
Family Drama,
mother's day,
moms,
kids,
co-parents who can't be bothered to plan a simple brunch,
martyrs
May 8, 2013 at 1:00pm | 128 comments
kids
Those quiet three-year-old girls playing nicely with their blocks? They're going to be horrible to their moms in about 10 years.
1990s
I am but a few chunky highlights away from shopping at my local Talbots.
coconut butter
I am coming to terms with the fact that I may, in fact, have A Problem when it comes to sugar.
pregnancy
Gods of writing and all that is decent, this is the only time I will ever use the term "baby bump."
Fergie "Let" Strangers Touch Her "Baby Bump" But I Almost Knifed One Old Lady Who Did The Same To Me
illeism
We are all super annoying to each other, now that we always know what everyone else is doing and thinking, at all times.
what the parenting books don't tell you
Seriously, why does no one tell you this stuff?
Somer Sherwood in
Family Drama,
what the parenting books don't tell you,
babies,
stool softener,
cars,
having babies,
why did no one tell me this stuff
Mar 29, 2013 at 11:30am | 144 comments
what the parenting books don't tell you
When my son was a baby, I often imagined what my life would be like if I had NOT had a child -- and yes, sometimes I wished that I hadn’t.
moms
Ask me how many movies I've seen since my kid was born.
nose hair
Every time I trim my nose hair, I get a cold. So I'm not going to do that anymore. Related: what lipstick shade do you think works best with extraordinarily long facial hair?
quitting
But I really do miss being able to fart whenever I feel like it.
plants
Plants that won't hurt your pet -- for maximum drama and minimal poison.
Somer Sherwood in
DIY,
plants,
cats,
dogs,
pets,
not killing pets,
not killing and or killing plants,
non-toxic plants for pets
Mar 14, 2013 at 10:30am | 48 comments
stomach bug
I peed in my backyard at 3:00 a.m. in order to avoid the bathroom while my boyfriend was sick.
Somer Sherwood in
Healthy,
stomach bug,
stomach flu,
Norovirus,
germaphobes,
emetophobia,
bleaching the ever-loving crap out of everything
Mar 5, 2013 at 2:00pm | 57 comments
hypnosis
I used hypnosis to clear all the guilt and anger I felt about my childbirth experience, and it worked. Plus, I hugged myself and cried a lot.
Somer Sherwood in
New Agey,
hypnosis,
hypnobirthing,
natural childbirth,
guilt,
parenting,
babies,
newborn babies,
forgiveness
Feb 19, 2013 at 2:30pm | 27 comments
bad fashion
Because we met at work, I had no idea what atrocities were waiting in my boyfriend's casual wardrobe. Think "your dad on vacation in Florida in 1989."
cohabitation
I always envied my ex-mother-in-law, who has what I consider to be the perfect cohabitation arrangement with her boyfriend of 20+ years. He lives in the upstairs apartment, and she lives downstairs.
Somer Sherwood in
Relationships,
cohabitation,
boyfriends,
spooning,
alternate cohabitation,
long-distance relationships
Feb 6, 2013 at 5:00pm | 141 comments
kids
Seth even makes playdates with the other moms -- something I am really, really bad at doing because I’m sort of socially awkward and assume that no one wants to hang out with me.
family drama
I wholeheartedly recommend hypnosis for childbirth (and migraines, and stress, and dental work, for that matter).
kids
Before I became a parent, I admit I thought plunking a small child down in front of the TV seemed kind of mean. And after: sometimes I thank the universe for children’s programming on PBS.
kids
Even if I'm not actively thinking about all the ways I'm screwing up, the guilt is lurking there in the background.
deadbeat dads
My father was an abusive pathological liar who went to prison for armed robbery, didn't contact me for 15 years, and then tried to steal my identity.
