Have you ever had those moments as a parent where you just want to pull out your hair? Those moments after three days of a cranky baby who won't sleep and you can't figure out for the life of you what the problem is because they can't talk? If you're a parent then I know you can relate....or I'm just a terrible mother.
Baby Girl has been crying, cranky and inconsolable for the past three days, mostly through the night...oh those nights! *shakes fist at the sky* I assumed Baby Girl was simply teething (the guilt...I'm a terrible mother); she wasn't running a fever, her nose was runny and other typical signs of teething. After a long night of crying and what seemed to be her pulling at her ear, I finally figured out that she must have an ear ache. Have I mentioned what a terrible mother I am? I feel awful that I didn't figure it out sooner and guilty for feeling like I wanted to pull out my hair when all the while Baby Girl was in pain. :(
From one terrible mother to the next not-so-terrible mother, have you ever had these moments where if you would kick yourself in the arse you could? I guess the payback is that I also have a throat infection the Doctor decided to treat me for too...if Baby Girl could only talk I'm sure I would be getting an earful.
Don't mind the big shiny red welt on her forehead, it's just a mosquito bite. Mosquito's are my enemy! ;-)
A BIG thank you goes out to Vamplets for sponsoring this giveaway as part of the Birthday Bash event...
Vampires are a guilty pleasure of mine,whether it be the old vampire movies or the newest Twilight fan craze it seems that I am not alone in that. When I came across these baby Vamplets I could not resist the chance to review these unique dolls. Vamplets aren't like any other doll, as I'm sure you can tell, they are plush baby Vampires, unique with their own names and personalities. I can't say that you will prefer their personalities, they tend to be a little on the cranky side but silly and I'm sure will make you giggle nonetheless.
A BIG thank you goes out to LeapFrog for sponsoring this giveaway as part of the Birthday Bash event...
The Counting Candles Birthday Cake toddler toy from LeapFrog was the perfect toy to review for the Birthday Bash event. Like every LeapFrog toy, there are several play options to choose from.
By pressing the star button you can choose the age of the birthday child 1-5 (each press will count up to 5, stop at the age of the child); you can encourage your child to count along. The toy will proceed to play the tune to Happy Birthday; the lights of the candles will flicker during the song and your child will be asked to press the star and balloon buttons during which individually play different sounds to enhance the tune of the song, like a piano effect. At the end of the birthday song, your child will be asked to blow out the candles, a favorite and most unique feature of this toy with all four of my kids (even if they are older than 5, they all seem to love Baby Girls toys). There are little holes at the top of the candles that when blown on will blow out the lights of the candles all at once. The candles will flicker until they are blown out (if you leave it on, the toy will go out itself to save battery power). The toy will then say yay, happy, happy, happy birthday!
A BIG thank you goes out to Stack Blocks for sponsoring this giveaway as part of the Birthday Bash event...
I'd been looking for stacking blocks for Baby Girl for a long time that were a little more than just your basic set of blocks. I wanted something more personalized. In the "old days" stacking blocks were made from wood but now most often you can only find either plastic or soft blocks. Unlike most other stacking blocks on the market, Stack Blocks offers wood blocks in several designs, all handmade. It was a toss up between the farm animal or ladybug themes but I chose the ladybug theme because Hubs loves ladybugs.
A BIG thank you goes out to Senario for sponsoring this giveaway as part of the Birthday Bash event..
These pocket size mini robots were a huge hit with the boys at the birthday party, in fact the girls were a bit envious. I received the grey/blue robot, named Gunk, in a previous review and loved these little collectibles then so when I was offered to review Zibits again, I was more than happy to. I particularly like this toy because it's something new for kids to collect, verses yet another action figure. Not only are the Zibits Mini Robots pocket size but they have the added bonus of being operated by a small hand held remote. Each robot has their own name and personality, their eyes light up and they zoom around on two wheels. They now have several play sets that can be purchased separately to race your child's collection of Zibits Mini Robots around on, an added feature for play.
A BIG thank you goes out to Senario for sponsoring this giveaway as part of the Birthday Bash event..
I received the Battle Bands gift pack, including 1 Starter Pack, 1 Rumble Pack and 1 Booster Pack as part of the gift bag items for the Birthday Bash and what a gift they were for the boys of the party. I find it much harder to find unique ideas and gifts for the boys than the girls. With the girls, there are always so many options to choose from that are new and exciting but the boys seem to be limited.
With the other shaped elastic bands on the market, I was curious why the new Battle Bands were so different.I quickly realized that although the bands are similar to the others, the difference is that these bands are not meant to be an accessory but a full game for kids to play and collect together.
A BIG thank you goes out to PetCakes for sponsoring this giveaway as part of the Birthday Bash event..
I'm sure all of you have noticed that cupcakes are all the rave these days, from weddings to birthday parties cupcakes are the newest trend in celebration and why not? They are the cutest little edible messages that you can let your creative side explore. At the end of the school year I'm planning on sending a tray of "special" cupcakes to class for the year end parties of my 3 kids. At about 24 kids per class, that is a lot of cupcakes BUT my kids really enjoy sharing in the cupcake creations and their classmates enjoy eating their work. What more can I say except, this family LOVES cupcakes!
There was no better way to celebrate our Birthday Bash than with this gang of PetCakes I received for review. These cute stuffed animals all come in there own cupcake wrapper (case or bed, as my kids call them). Each have their own names, characters and style. When the gang are in the case, their cute little "cupcake" tops showing look almost good enough to eat. Each soft PetCakes is playfully detailed with sprinkles and a cherry with stem. With the rest of the birthday party decorations and food, these little guys and gals were the perfect addition to the Baby Girls big Birthday Party. My kids each have their favorites; personally my favorite is Twinkle Sprinkles™ Petcakes. Twinkle Sprinkles sad saggy eyes remind me of a Bloodhound dog we used to have, the true "puppy dog eyes".
Meet the PetCakes Gang
My name is Twinkle Sprinkles™ and my colorful frosting top looks D E L I C I O U S! I'm a playful, loving, mischievous Beagle. I like to yelp when I'm happy but I never, never bite. I sleep in my cup cake wrapper where my nose stays warm. My best friends are Blueberry Buddy™, Randy Candy™ and CoCo-Coconut™.
Get all kinds of kiddie goodies for under $10.00 Shipped!
Totsy offers moms on-the-go and moms-to-be access to brand-specific sales, up to 80% off retail, just for them and the kids, ages 0-7. Top brands for mom, baby, and child. Prenatal care products, baby gear, travel accessories, bedding and bath, children's clothing, toys, DVDs, and educational materials are just a sampling of a selection that promises only the best in quality and designer brands. 100% eco-friendly: Totsy is the first company in private sales to take on sustainable and socially responsible initiatives in all areas of business. One baby, one tree: With every purchase you make through Totsy, we will plant one tree in the name of your child to help reduce the effects of deforestation. Who says shopping can't save the world?
The Birthday Bashhas officially started. Over the next week you will see giveaways posted from all our amazing sponsors. In support of the sponsors, please take the time to enter each giveaway.
To start this event with a bang, a BIG thank you goes out to LeapFrog for sponsoring this giveaway as part of the Birthday Bash event...
The Cook and Play Potsy toddler toy was sent to me as part of the Birthday Bash event for review. I intended on waiting until Baby Girls birthday to give this to her but she happened to see it and heard it talking to her when I was examining it on delivery day. Baby Girl was bouncing in her knees on the floor saying "Whas-tha" (What is that), something new she started saying recently which in my opinion is super cute but then I am kind of partial to her. :) Naturally I couldn't resist her cuteness and handed it over to her.
I’ve never been a big gamer. My husband and children on the other hand get sucked into games with hardly a second thought. I tried out the Munchies’ Lunch game and quickly decided that I wanted to see what the husband and kids thought. You see, I’m big on competition but strategy is where I struggle. The game is a great way of helping the user learn to plan moves carefully before making any actual moves. I’d be lying if I told you I was a winner in this game. Sure, I made it through the first 10 levels of the first game quiet easily, after that, I was being gobbled up faster than I could make my strategic moves.
The children however, they didn’t even need the instructions. The instructions are extremely straightforward and obviously I should have read them a little better. However, my adorable little children didn’t need the directions; they were grabbing fruit and dissolving monsters fast and furious. One of my reasons for not getting interested in games comes strictly from the fact that once I get started, I have no idea when enough is enough and give it up. Unfortunately, my husband and children are the same way.
After I gave the game a try, I handed it over to my husband who could barely play for the boys lurking over his shoulders begging for a chance to try it. He has a much stronger drive in competition and refused to hand the game over until he had conquered at least one full set. Finally, after much prodding, he let the boys give it a try. The very children who were awake at 6 AM this morning asking if they could give it a try again, were the most successful players in the house.
So, what is so addictive about the game? The fact that it a game of strategy and planning makes it a great game for anyone who simply likes to encourage disciplined thought process. Indeed, it may seem hard to imagine that a game where Munchie is trying to gobble up food while avoiding the monsters seems like an obvious choice for children, go ahead and give it a try, I will almost guarantee that you feel addicted and don’t want to hand it over to the youngsters.
The general rule of thumb is to get Munchie as many pieces of fruit as possible while preventing the monsters from filling their bellies. You have the chance to have the monsters eat jalapenos to destroy them so you can easily get to the fruit. Unfortunately, if Munchie gets a hold of those hot peppers, the quest for fruit ends and you must start over.
Munchies Lunch was developed by Vlado Jokic who spent his time learning from his own parent’s courage, strength, endurance and unconditional love. The inventor and developers based the game on the mother figure that helped her children strive for success. You can join the team of developers on their Facebook Page as well as in their Twitter Feed. The best part of Munchies Lunch is the inexpensive cost for hours of fun. The system currently runs on Windows and can be purchased for $5.99 and you can use the much loved PayPal to make your purchase.
One lucky Winner will receive a Munchies Lunch game of their own for FREE!
Mandatory Entry:You must be a Google Friend Connect Follower of this blog to participate.
3. Follow This Lil Piglet on Twitter (1 entry/1 comment required) AND Tweet this out giveaway out using the Twitter link above; post the link to your Tweet in your comment (Tweeting this on Twitter up to ONCE PER DAY will gain you 1 entry/1 comment required PER DAY for each day of the contest)
4. Add my Review and Giveaway button to your website or blog sidebar, using the HTML code in the left sidebar of this blog and post the link where I can check. (3 entries/3 comments required)
7. Enter another giveaway here on This Lil Piglet (1 entry/ 1 comment)
**Giveaway ends 11:59 pm CST on June 8th, 2011. Open to US and Canada!**
Disclaimer: The product mentioned above has been provided free of charge from the company to product reviewer, Jerri Ann of Mom~E~Centric, for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong solely to Jerri Ann and are NOT influenced in any way. Other than the review sample product This Lil Piglet or Jerri Ann has not received any form of compensation for the review of this product.
My baby girl has been teething something fierce lately. As many of you moms know how painful it can be for teething babies. The telltale signs are all there, rosey cheeks, runny nose, warm to the touch, restless and irritable. Like many kids, my baby girl does not like taking medicine so when I feel it's necessary to give her something, it' filled with crying and resistance. Once the medicine has had time to take effect, the trauma, in her mind, of the process of taking the medicine is forgotten, not the medicine itself, and I'm left with a smiling giggly baby again.
I couldn't have received Ava the Elephant at a better time to help me get through this teething period. Not only is Ava the Elephant BPA and Phthlate free, it is made of a flexible plastic so your little one can grab onto those big floppy ears and it's easy on a babies most sensitive gums. The 5 ml dropper is big enough for older kids and pulls out from the back for easy access to draw up the medicine. Insert the dropper back into the Ava's trunk and your ready to go. There's also a button on the back which you push right before giving your child the medicine, when pushed, Ava blurts out her saying "One, Two, Three...Open wide! GOOD JOB!". Ava is also dishwasher safe which for me with 4 kids, is pure convenience.
When I used Ava with my baby girl she was smiling at elephant in front of her and before she realized what I was doing she had taken her medicine. There was no crying or resistance with Ava because baby girl was distracted by the cute elephant speaking to her. I use Ava the Elephant everytime I give my baby girl medicine now, it makes medicine time so much easier and less traumatic for my child. Ava makes Medicine Time Fun and thankfully with Ava's help, baby girl busted through her first tooth yesterday. Yay!
Win It: Open to US and Canada Residents…ONE lucky winner is going to win 1 Ava the Elephant medicine dispenser.
Mandatory Entry: Visit http://avatheelephant.com/ and tell me who the founder of Ava the Elephant is. **You must be a Google Friend Connect Follower of this blog to participate**
Bonus Entries:
1. Subscribe to our mailing list via email located on the right sidebar of this page. (2 entries/2 comments required)
4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this review and giveaway and post the link in your comment to where I can find your blog post. (1 entry/1 comment required)
5. Enter another giveaway on this blog (total 1 entry/1 comments required for each giveaway entered)
6. Follow This Lil Piglet on Twitter (1 entry/1 comment required) AND Copy, Paste Tweet this out on Twitter; must be exactly as stated between quotes " Enter to #win Ava the Elephant from @thislilpiglet http://ow.ly/3VCJN #infant " (Tweeting this on Twitter up to ONCE PER DAY will gain you 1 entry/1 comment required PER DAY for each day of the contest)
7. Add my Review and Giveaway button to your website or blog sidebar, using the HTML code in the left sidebar of this blog and post the link where I can check. (3 entries/3 comments required)
**Giveaway ends 11:59 pm CST onFebruary 27, 2011. Open to US and Canada!**
Rules of the giveaway:
*Each comment counts as 1 entry so if it says 2 entries you must comment 2 times (for example, Comment #1 would read: "I subscribed to your mailing list #1", Comment #2 would read: "I subscribed to your mailing list #2". I will check so please make sure before commenting below otherwise your entry will be disqualified. Enter once or more; other than the Twitter tweet entry (once per day) you can enter a maximum of once per entry details specified. You must leave a comment below to enter the contest; the winner will be chosen using random.org from the comments below only.
*For shipping reasons, please include your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. To avoid spammers, type your email like this: blog (at) thislilpiglet (dot) com Shipping charges associated with the giveaway will be paid for by the company.
Disclaimer: The product mentioned above has been provided free of charge from the company for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong solely to This Lil Piglet and are NOT influenced in any way. Other than the review sample product This Lil Piglet has not received any form of compensation for the review of this product.
We had quite the collection of costumes yesterday, as you can see. One dead patient (missing her crutches in the picture), one terrorist/lumberjack (we're not sure), one cute lil witch and one Vampiress (believe it or not, her hair is very blonde normally).
First of all my son decided earlier this month that he was "too old" to go trick or treating so he did not want me to get him a costume. I picked up his mask at the dollar store because it's really a belaclava and I thought he might like it for winter, plus it was super cheap if for nothing more than an extra around the house. I don't know about your kids but mine always seem to lose their mitts and touque's. Possibly the school has a bunch in their lost and found every year. Last minute, of course, he decided he wanted to go trick or treating with a couple of his friends; lucky mom (me ;) bought him this skull mask ahead of time. Hehehe! My mother thought he was a lumberjack; I`m not sure how many lumberjack`s you know who wear skull masks. My grandmother thought he was a robber at her door; I guess he tricked her.
My youngest daughter decided about a month ago that she wanted to be a Vampire, picked out and ordered on buycostumes.com. The costume showed up last week; in fact this is the second time ordering from buycostumes.com and both times I have been impressed with their service, shipping and quality. It took my an hour to curl her hair in ringlets, use a whole can of black hairspray and paint her face; she looked like a completely different person but then that was the idea. She was very happy with her costume.
My oldest daughter (9) wanted to be a dead patient, mainly because she wanted to use her old crutches (she had these from when she sprained her ankle 2 yrs ago). This costume literally took me 10 minutes to throw together and all it cost me was a couple dollars for fake injury tattoo`s, gauze and fake blood; we had the rest of the costume around the house. With the face paint I think it turned out really well; they look like completely different kids.
And then there is baby girl; I had bought all the girls each a tutu awhile ago for pictures so her tutu came in handy for her witch costume. I found a Halloween onesie for a couple dollars that had a little witch on the front and said `Too cute to Scare`` on it which matched perfectly. Actually the tutu is the same purple, the picture doesn`t show the true color for some reason. I had also picked up her striped pants on clearance before she was even born, not for the intention of Halloween just for an extra pair of pants but these kind of reminded me of the wicked witch from Wizard of Oz. Lastly, I made her this cute little witches hat which makes me giggle everytime I see her in it.
Over all, it was a good Halloween and the family was very happy to see all of the kids. I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween as well. :)
I mentioned to my 11 year old son that I had been asked to review a new pocket size remote control, or Z-mote as they call it, robot on the market; I should have thought that out better because he bugged me everyday asking “Is it here yet?” until the package arrived in the mail. We opened the package to find a pocket size Zibits robot with its very own Z-mote named “Gunk”. In my own words I said “Look at this cute lil guy!” but my son said “Mommmm! Cute? He’s not cute, he’s cool, wicked cool.” Sheesh, boys! My daughters thought he was cute.
Meet Zibits Gunk - Gunk specialises in breaking down things in the junkyard. He is all heart but no brains who is just happy to break down junk.
My son had Zibits Gunk zipping around our dining table in no time flat using the Z-mote that came along with it. The Z-mote had one control for ease of use that can move the mini robot forward, backward or in circles with sound effects and light up eyes. I wasn’t very good at getting Gunk to go the direction I wanted but my son seemed to know what he was doing. Gunk has tiny little wheels on the bottom which help it move best on flat surfaces. These little robots are the perfect size to take along in a pocket or a backpack, take one or the whole collection. These would be an excellent size of toy to take along any place where packing light is essential like on a vacation, daycare or a sleep over.
Each Zibits mini robot has its own identity, just like Gunk’s character. My son liked Zibits Gunk so much he wants to collect all 12 of these adorable characters. Even my daughters liked Gunk and want their very own Zibits robot. With Christmas right around the corner, these Zibits robots would be excellent stocking stuffers and at under $20, you can’t go wrong. I guess this means I better get my order in before these little guys fly off the shelf and they’re out of stock because I expect them to be a hot toy of the season!
About the Product
Welcome to the world of Zibits mini-r/c robots! Combining R/C with 12 collectable miniature robot designs, Zibits are getting ready to take the world by storm.
Product Details
Mini Collectable Zibits come to life with the Z-mote!!
Race your Zibit forward and turn at a 360 degree radius
Awesome Zibit sound effects
Collect'em ALL! Over 12 hot Zibit designs in 3 categories
Win It: Open to US and Canada Residents…ONE lucky winners are going to win one Zibits Mini Robot.
Mandatory Entry: Visit http://www.zibits.com/ and tell me which Zibits Mini Robot character is your favorite. **You must be a Google Friend Connect Follower of this blog to participate**
Bonus Entries:
1. Subscribe to our mailing list via email located on the right sidebar of this page. (2 entries/2 comments required)
4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this review and giveaway and post the link in your comment to where I can find your blog post. (1 entry/1 comment required)
5. Enter another giveaway (total 1 entry/1 comments required for each giveaway entered)
6. Follow This Lil Piglet on Twitter (1 entry/1 comment required) AND Copy, Paste Tweet this out on Twitter; must be exactly as stated between quotes " Looking for a hot new toy for a stocking stuffer? Enter to #win a Zibits mini remote control Robot from @thislilpiglet http://ow.ly/30ZP0 " (Tweeting this on Twitter up to ONCE PER DAY will gain you 1 entry/1 comment required PER DAY for each day of the contest)
7. Add my Review & Giveaway button to your website or blog sidebar, using the HTML code in the left sidebar of this blog and post the link where I can check. (3 entries/3 comments required)
**Giveaway ends 11:59 pm CST on November 18th, 2010. Open to US and Canada!**
Rules of the giveaway:
*Each comment counts as 1 entry so if it says 2 entries you must comment 2 times (for example, Comment #1 would read: "I subscribed to your mailing list #1", Comment #2 would read: "I subscribed to your mailing list #2". I will check so please make sure before commenting below otherwise your entry will be disqualified. Enter once or more; other than the Twitter tweet entry (once per day) you can enter a maximum of once per entry details specified. You must leave a comment below to enter the contest; the winner will be chosen using random.org from the comments below only.
*For shipping reasons, please include your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. No email address in your post equals disqualified. To avoid spammers, type your email like this: blog (at) thislilpiglet (dot) com Shipping charges associated with the giveaway will be paid for by the company.
Disclaimer: The product mentioned above has been provided free of charge from the company for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong solely to This Lil Piglet and are NOT influenced in any way. Other than the review sample product This Lil Piglet has not received any form of compensation for the review of this product.
Rewind the calendar 40 or 50 years and you would have seen a very different scenario in family neighborhoods than seen today. On a bright sunny day, there would be clusters of children riding bicycles, playing hopscotch, climbing trees, or running around. You were often let out the front door in the morning and would only turn for meal times. Your parents trusted you were safe and since there was a common understanding amongst neighbors that you all looked out for each other’s children.
Fast forward to modern times and oh how things have changed. Today you are more likely to see empty streets and often find children inside playing video games even on the sunniest of days. In today’s world playtime is often structured and based around organized activities such as dance class or music lessons.
However, there is a growing movement made up of parents who have simply had enough. Many parents now want their children to experience that same good old fashioned childhood they had. This is good news all around because the benefits of learning through unstructured play are many.
Kids were made to climb trees, dig in the earth, and run around. Each activity teaches your child something new. Through these unstructured simplistic everyday activities they will learn how to problem solve, build relationships, learn balancing and motor skills, care for the earth and others around them and many other valuable life lessons.
There is no denying that unstructured play time is important for children. And while there is a place for organized activities such as music lessons or sports club, these should not replace free play time.
If you’d like to incorporate some unstructured play time in your child’s schedule here are a few tips for modern parents:
#1 – Limit clubs and activities. Let your child choose a few clubs and explain to them why free play time is important. By limiting clubs and activities you free up precious time for your kids to “just be kids.”
#2 – Free up one day a week. Having one day a week to just “be” is a fantastic way to give all family members a chance to relax and unwind. Plan on having one day (Sundays work great) where there are no planned activities or chores. Let each family member have free range to do whatever they’d like this day without having to adhere to a schedule or regimented structure.
#3 – Cut back on electronics. This means limiting the time your kids spend watching TV, playing on the computer and video games. A great option is to incorporate this electronic free time into your free weekly day. If one day without electronic gadgets seems too much how about a few evenings a week or limiting video games for weekends only and limiting the time spent on the games as well.
Unstructured play will help your child grow in many positive ways. Take a little time to think about ways in which you can incorporate free unstructured play into your child’s day. – you’ll be glad you did.
NEW adorable eco-friendly children's shoes and hats available in our This Lil Piglet Boutique. Pop in to take a look at the new additions and let us know what you think! Click here http://thislilpiglet.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=33 to view the newest additions.
1 Tbsp. Root Beer Extract (in the spice aisle w/ the other extracts)
1 can Root Beer (you can use diet to cut the sugar)
Creme Roulee wafer cookies
Vanilla Icing (storebought or your favorite recipe)
Red Mini Gumballs (or M & M's or other red candy)
Clean votive candle holders or shot glasses
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 Tbsp. root beer extract in 2 C. measuring cup (you'll have extract left over for another batch!:)). Fill cup with Root Beer until it reaches 1 1/2 C. (you'll have just a taste of root beer left in your can). Add to cake mix and stir well. No eggs, no oil, easy!!
Place shot glasses/votive holders on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Fill 1/2 full with cake batter and bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes until done. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Your kitchen will smell like a soda factory--the kids loved it!:)
Cut creme roulee wafers in half.
Put vanilla icing in canvas bag w/ star tip (or you can just put it in a ziploc baggie and snip off one end). Pipe a dollop of icing onto each cupcake, top with a gumball and half of a wafer cookie. Serve or refrigerate until needed.
What is the deal with Mommy Guilt? You think it only happens when your kids are babies. So not true! Every month they change and need you in a different way. And every month we as Moms create new ways to feel guilty. This is not a new phenomenon either. Mommy guilt has been around the block and back.
As women we second guess ourselves about everything! Do I have a natural childbirth or use drugs? Should I breastfeed or give them a bottle? Disposable or cloth? Should I stay at home or work outside the home? And it goes on and on and on. Just as soon as we are feeling good about a decision, doubt creeps in and blows us over like a tornado.
Why do we feel guilty for our decisions? Is it because we genuinely believe we are making the wrong decision? Or maybe it's due to outside opinions on what we are or are not doing. I think the biggest culprit is judgement of other moms. "Oh, I'd never do that", "Did you see her breastfeeding in public?", "Why did she have kids if she was going to just put them in daycare?" Ouch! Have you been on the receiving end of that kind of judgment? Worse yet, have you been the one passing that kind of judgment?
As women we can be pretty yucky with our words towards others. Instead of naturally identifying with another mom and her struggles we attack, judge and ridicule. Mommy guilt can be lessened simply by doing one thing…encourage. Encourage another mom around you. Tell her know she is doing a great job. Tell her that her child will be just fine. Can you imagine what a different world we would have if every mom tried that? Guilt comes so naturally for so many. It is an uphill battle in general; now add the questionable job of mothering into the mix and you have the perfect guilt storm!
You can always talk to your pediatrician about your doubts. There are some amazing parenting books. There are web sites and forums like parenting.com or mops.org out there where you can find moms that are like minded. Share your thoughts and ideas, talk it out and bounce them off another trusted mom. Sometimes that is all we need to rid ourselves of the self-doubt and guilt.
As a mom you need to remember that your heart is in the right place. Weigh the options, say a little prayer and then let go! Say goodbye to mommy guilt for good!
**Copyright of This Lil Piglet by Stacey Martin. Distribution only with credits to the author and linkage back to this article. If distributing this article with linkage, please email stacey at this lil piglet dot net with the link to where the article can be found.**
I had the bright idea that I would try to take pictures of the kids at the in-laws farm. One, the farm has a beautiful old barn, in my opinion, that is great for background, two, the kids love it out there so I figured they'd be somewhat relaxed which would maybe give me some great shots. It was 30 degrees celcius outside, not a cloud in the sky, a beauty, except I didn't think that the kids would be squinting in almost every photo and the baby would have her face hidden in one of the kids chest the entire time. Not to mention our huge Newfie dog and the in-laws German Shepherd were parading their way through the shots just when I'd line up for the perfect shot. Needless to say, the baby was the best outa the bunch; the older kids were hot and wanted to play hence the fight that broke out. The kids were fighting over who got to hold the baby. I ended up feeling like I was a Sergeant at a Boot Camp not a mom taking a photoshoot of her kids. Is it bad that I was so frustrated that I wanted to delete all the pictures immediately after?! LOL!
At least I managed to get a few decent shots. I had to throw the photo with the dog in to show you all...he's such a goof.
Next, I plan on taking a sister's theme photoshoot with the girls in their rocker tutu's in a field of mustard crop; should be beautiful...if they don't end up with each other in a head lock.
, in my opinion, that is great for background, two, the kids love it out there so I figured they'd be somewhat relaxed which would maybe give me some great shots. It was 30 degrees celcius outside, not a cloud in the sky, a beauty, except I didn't think that the kids would be squinting in almost every photo and the baby would have her face hidden in one of the kids chest the entire time. Not to mention our huge 
and the in-laws 
were parading their way through the shots just when I'd line up for the perfect shot. Needless to say, the baby was the best outa the bunch; the older kids were hot and wanted to play hence the fight that broke out. The kids were fighting over who got to hold the baby. I ended up feeling like I was a Sergeant at a 
not a mom taking a photoshoot of her kids. Is it bad that I was so frustrated that I wanted to delete all the pictures immediately after?! LOL!
with the girls in their rocker 
's in a field of mustard crop; should be beautiful...if they don't end up with each other in a head lock.
