Experienced Bad Mom

Not Just a Bad Mom, But an Experienced Bad Mom

When Your Kid’s BFF is the Opposite Gender

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“Is that her boyfriend?” the stranger asked, winking. I looked at my ten-year-old daughter and her best friend standing next to me in the grocery store. “No, he’s just her friend,” I replied, damping down my exasperation. My daughter’s best friend is a boy.  They are fourth graders who are not dating nor thinking about dating. [Read More]

Observations from Beachfront Bargain Hunt on HGTV

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I never thought my son and I would bond over HGTV’s Beachfront Bargain Hunt. Of course, thirteen years ago when he was born I was simply trying to keep him alive. And not run myself into the ground trying. But here we are all these years later hanging out and watching a real estate show [Read More]

The Long and Short of It

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I received the devastating news at my daughter’s well-child visit when she was two years old. “Your daughter is in the 75th percentile for height,” the pediatrician reported. The belly on my 5’11” frame knotted. I uncrossed my long legs and leaned forward in my chair. “Wha-a-a-t?” I stammered. “Does 75th percentile today mean the same as [Read More]

Steps for Sending Your Teen on a School Trip

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Loyal readers may remember my son and I went on a school trip to Toronto a couple years ago. It was fun being a chaperone, but not SO FUN that I decided I would do it again this year when his 8th grade class went to Washington, DC for four days and three nights. After all, it’s [Read More]

10 Lazy Ways to Be a Better Parent

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I was flipping through a magazine when I caught the blur out of the corner of my eye. It was my daughter, 10, running through the front lawn with her friends. I smiled as I realized I had just practiced a lazy way to be a better mom: I did nothing. That’s right. When my daughter claimed she [Read More]

10 Things I Won’t Miss From My Kids’ Childhood

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I saw an elaborate Valentine on Pinterest today. I sighed with relief that I wouldn’t be making any of those. Then I stopped to wonder why that was my gut reaction. I guess it’s not rocket science. I always found it tedious doing those class valentines with my kids. When they were littler, they always lost [Read More]

10 Life Lessons I Want My Kids To Learn

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The kitchen area at my work was flooded with bubbles recently. They were everywhere, in every single nook and cranny. It was a giant mess that thankfully I didn’t have to clean up. The cause of the bubbly disaster? A young coworker had put dish washing liquid in the dishwasher instead of dishwasher detergent. Oops! [Read More]

My Lazy Ways to Be a Better Parent

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Dear Readers, I’m pleased to be published for the first time on the website Parent.co. I’m sharing the 10 Lazy Ways to Be a Better Parent, which includes ways like sleep more and compare less, all in my jovial style. You’ll find no judgment from me, moms and dads. I’d be honored if you visit. [Read More]

To the Parents of Kids Who Watch Teletubbies

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I was flipping through the channels when I saw it. Teletubbies. I gasped and started laughing. Teletubbies was back? Then, I had this thought: Oh, those poor parents. You see, I remembered that back in the late 1990s and early 200s, Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La La and Po burst onto the scene and captured the [Read More]

A Grand Family Adventure in the Trees

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My kids are growing up fast. Every time I blink they seem to get bigger! That’s why I was pleased to go on a family adventure in the trees recently at a zipline and climbing park. To facilitate this adventure, I was given tickets to the Grand Rapids Treetop Adventure Park. I was not financially [Read More]

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JENerally Informed