True Mom Confessions

7 Reasons I Want A Girl. And 7 Reasons I Want A Boy

Erin Zammett Ruddy — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:31:03 +0000

As I mentioned in my initial “yep, I’m pregnant!” post, we’re planning to the find out the sex of our third baby-to-be. In fact, we can learn the gender whenever we want but we haven’t yet.

We found out the sex with our first two kids (at the 20-week anatomy scan) and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. As I always say, having a human come out of your vagina is a big enough surprise for me. Not knowing what day that human might decide to show up or how long he/she will take come out? Also a big surprise.

Happy Mother's Day To The Worst Mom Ever

Janelle Hanchett — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:21:14 +0000

My paternal grandmother had five children. She was also an entrepreneur. She was a loud, opinionated, outspoken, highly intellectual woman at a time when women were supposed to be quietly homemaking. She was the first female editor of her university’s school newspaper, in the 1940s. When she ran for editor, university officials suggested she start with “secretary.” She said “no thanks,” and ran anyway. And won.

What I Wish I’d Known on My First Mother’s Day

Sasha Emmons — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:16:29 +0000

This weekend I will celebrate my ninth Mother’s Day. If I could go back to my very first one and tell myself a few things that I know now, here’s what I would say.

Dear Mama,

Happy first Mother’s Day! Chloe is less than a month old and you’re still getting that happy little jolt that comes from hearing someone use the word “mom” and realizing they mean you. The title will feel like a second skin after a while but you’ll never tire of introducing yourself as your children’s mom.

Facebook Statuses I Couldn’t Post – Until Now (And: When Do You Tell People You’re Pregnant?)

Erin Zammett Ruddy — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:49:04 +0000

I’m pregnant with numero tres.

I just announced it last week on my blog, which was such a relief because I’ve been dying to share the news since, oh, I peed on the stick. In fact, I’ve been keeping track of all the status updates I would have posted if I weren’t superstitious about going public in the first trimester.

Teaching Kids to Cope With Sports Aggression

Julie Christie — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:48:04 +0000

It wasn’t until soccer referee Ricardo Portillo died that I started to really think about what happened there, and not just because I grew up on the field myself.

Like Portillo, my father was a volunteer referee. He was my coach for years in the town league. When I grew up and moved on, he missed those days of camaraderie and competition. He missed supporting kids and being a part of their development, teaching them to love the game, to deal appropriately with the highs and the lows.

"I'm a Single Mom Who Survived Online Dating"

Elizabeth Cohen, as told to Judy Sutton Taylor — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:17:38 +0000

I was always a single parent, even when married. When he left, I entered the Online Dating World.

A friend found love online, so I signed up. My inboxes filled with suitors, but I started to think my pal was an exception.

There were doozies: The dude with the boat named Tequila, who shrink-wrapped it and lived inside all winter. It made him feel like a plant in a greenhouse, he said.

Then there was the one who communicated only via haiku. He disappeared on a hiking trip in Sri Lanka, then sent one final poem sharing that the trip taught him he was gay.

How Could You Get Yourself Knocked Up?

Michelle Horton — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:39:52 +0000

Chaunie Brusie stared at her positive pregnancy test in disbelief; the most coherent sound she could make was a scream. As a college senior — at the cusp of her independent adult life — she was suddenly and unexpectedly pregnant, along with her boyfriend of four years.

Confessions of a Social Media Addict

Janelle Hanchett — Fri, 03 May 2013 21:08:00 +0000

When I thought about writing this post, I was going to use it as a forum to scold those horribly annoying people who can’t have lunch with you because they’re too busy tweeting about having lunch with you.

And then I realized I am one of those people and I grew immensely uncomfortable.

I used to be normal. Then I got an iPhone.

The Truth About Family Dinners

Sasha Emmons — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:51:39 +0000

When we moved from New York to Toronto last year to create a less hectic life for our kids, one of the things I was most excited about was eating family dinners together every night. Between long commutes home to Brooklyn and early bedtimes, sitting down en famille just wasn’t happening, and it ate away at me. My nanny fed the kids and then my husband and I suppered late, um, usually in front of the TV.

5 Kid Foods I Can’t Resist

Erin Zammett Ruddy — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:56:52 +0000

One of the many benefits to having kids is that I’m exposed to this crap more than I was pre-kids and, well, I eat it up...literally.