The 21st Century SAHM

What Do You Want to Do? You’re Probably Already Doing It.

June 16, 2016

It was going to cost some money—far more than I am used to spending on myself. It necessitated my husband being available to help with the kids. And it was going to push me out of my comfort zone.

But for the few reasons to NOT go, there were far more that justified the journey. So I went. I spent the money. I asked my husband to coordinate his schedule. And I conquered my nerves (or drank them away—samesies).

I went to BlogU! BlogU is an annual conference held in the Baltimore area for writers and bloggers. So many “big” names were going to attend so it was time to put on my big-girl pants and get my network on. That’s where my nerves kicked in. Bloggers often say they are introverts, making social interactions stressful. Not me. I am an extroverted person and I do enjoy public events. The fear—my big fear that I’ve written about several times before—is failure. What if no one knows me? What if I feel like a fool for even being there? I want so much to be a writer though. I had to get over it, get over myself. I had to go and be in the presence of great writers. Continue Reading

Little Chickies / Los Pollitos: Your Kid’s Next Book

The 21st Century SAHM

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May 22, 2016

Ahhh, summer… For three months, there’s no rushing the kids out the door to school. Packing lunches? NOPE. That 3-D model of Jupiter your son forgot to tell you about until the night before it was due? A distant memory.

However, summer can bring its challenges—like too much free time. And loss of brain function. We parents need to keep them thinking and reading, a least a little bit, between pool visits and marathon bike rides during the months of June, July, and August. And if you’re anything like me, children’s literature can be overwhelming. Trips to the library mean roaming row after row of books, hoping something catches your eye (or more importantly your child’s eye) that will spark some cognitive stimulation.

That’s why I’m telling you about Canticos Little Chickies / Los Pollitos by Susan Jaramillo—a book chock full of good stuff to work your kids’ little brains. Read one way, the story of three baby chicks hatching and bonding with their mommy is in English. Flip the book over and the same story is read in Spanish! That’s right—two versions. One book. The fact that they could flip the book over and read the exact same story in another language was fascinating to my kids. But wait, there’s more. Continue Reading

How to Survive the Baby Days: Find Your Tribe

The 21st Century SAHM

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May 6, 2016

This is a story of a confused new mom who was in trouble. She was blindsided by the quiet and suffocating loneliness of motherhood’s first year. She was shocked at how, despite thinking she was so busy, in actuality, the days were endless. By 10 a.m. most days she felt despair creeping up around her shoulders, as she wondered how she and her baby were going to pass the remaining hours until bedtime.

This is the story of a new mother who would feel relief in needing groceries, as that mundane errand gave her and baby something do, gave her an opportunity to make a dent in the day and remove at least an hour out of the time she was responsible for entertaining her son.

This is the story of a mother who felt immense guilt, to the point of making her physically ill, as she faced the reality that she didn’t love being a stay-at-home mother, as she had expected. Continue Reading