Seeking Meaningful Ways to Engage Your Kids? Meet Andy Zurcher, Co-Founder, Kidiosity: Interview by Robin Gorman Newman, founder, Motherhoodlater.com (Two Months Free Opportunity)

Kidiosity is such an interesting name.  Can you explain the inspiration Kidiosity is a mashup of Kids and Curiosity.  The inspiration comes from our kids, and all of the wonderful attributes that come from having a curious mind.  How different would the world be if we, as grown-ups, were able to maintain the innocence of youth and the sense of wonder that children possess?  Kidiosity is a tribute to that sense of wonder we hope to cultivate in our children.

What exactly is Kidiosity?  Kidiosity is a new iPhone app and a website created to help strengthen families and better prepare children for success in life.  Every week, we share unique ideas for parents to spend quality time with their kids.  It’s hard to always know how to engage children, so we supply a dose of inspiration along with the instructions you’ll need. Parenting is hard enough, so we want to make it easy by providing visuals and step-by-step instructions with every suggested activity.

We really like the education and discussion topics that accompany the activities, too.  So while you’re spending quality time with your kids, you have the opportunity to illuminate “lessons” or engage in meaningful conversations. In … Continue reading..

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8 Reasons it Makes Sense to Refinance Student Loans by Kathryn Flynn

When students and parents borrow wisely, a student loan can be an effective way to bridge a college savings gap. Students are able to borrow money to cover costs of tuition, room and board, and other related expenses and pay it back with interest at an agreed upon later date.

But what if your original loan agreement no longer suits you, and you’re having trouble paying down your debt? One option is to refinance your student loans. Refinancing can help you better manage your loans by lowering monthly costs, combining multiple loans into one or adjusting your repayment term. Paying off your debt in a timely manner can potentially save you thousands of dollars in interest.

Here are eight instances in which you should consider refinancing your student loans.

You Have Private Student Loans

Student loans are offered through the federal government and through private lenders. Private lenders may include banks, state credit agencies, credit unions and other financial institutions. There is often little or no incentive to refinance a federal student loan.

Federal student loans, which include subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, cannot be refinanced into another federal student loan. That means if a borrow refinances a federal … Continue reading..

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The ABCs of Being Mom by Karen Bongiorno (Book Excerpt)

It takes strength and stamina to be a mother. It is a continuing journey, and you need to pace yourself. Eat healthy foods, get sufficient rest, take time to relax and unwind. It’s a big challenge to take care of both yourself and your child, so you need to maintain your physical and emotional well-being. If you are a full-time parent, it’s easy to fill every moment with work and caring for your family. But try to take an hour each day to do something you enjoy. This was good advice my mom gave me right after my daughter was born. I didn’t realize how wise her suggestion was at the time. Doing this will help you restore your peace of mind and will help you maintain a sense of yourself, which is also important to your well-being. I found that reading each night before bed was enjoyable and something to look forward to at the end of the day. I joined a book group through our Mothers’ Club about the time my son was one year old. This gave me an incentive to read because I knew we would discuss the book. Our book group became my lifeline for … Continue reading..

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Overcoming the Mom-Life Crisis: Ditch the Guilt by Nina Restieri (Book Excerpt)

Excerpted from Overcoming the Mom-Life Crisis: Ditch the Guilt, Put Yourself on the To-Do List, and Create A life You Love by Nina Restieri, courtesy of Post Hill Press.

Chapter 11: Secret Weapons

All there is to do, right at this very moment, is to breathe in, breathe out, and kiss the joy as it flies.

—Dani Shapiro

Andrew got into the car and let his backpack drop to the floor. He slammed the car door shut. “I hate everyone,” he muttered. Translation: I’m in a shitty mood, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to make me happy right now.

“What happened?” I asked, though I suspected I already knew the answer.

He’d taken a test that day, and I also knew he’d had an audition for the school musical. My heart sank for him. He was a junior in high school, and his grades and theater were all that really mattered to him, not just because of his self-image, but because of his college transcript.

“My teacher is so stupid,” he said. “None of the stuff she told us to study for was on the test. There goes my A average in that class. And … Continue reading..

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7 Tips For Parenting Adult Children – by Ali Skylar

As my kids hit their twenties, there was at first a big sigh of relief.  Okay, now it’s going to get easier.  Uh…I don’t think so!

The hardest part?  Well, you don’t realize it until it happens, but it’s the “letting go” part.  All of those times you were exhausted, fried and not sure whether or not you’d ever get a full night’s sleep, is nothing compared to the feeling of your offspring flying the coop.  

Don’t get me wrong, all good stuff, all necessary stuff happening as your kids step into adulthood.  But it’s not just them that’s starting fresh and new.  It’s us parents too. We need to learn how to connect with our “wittle angels” from a whole new perspective.

So the following tips are just some of the “new” ways in which I’ve learned how to relate to my aspiring adult kids. Take all of my tips with a grain of salt (and yes, I write tongue in cheek)  and remember that everyone’s experience of their kids moving into adulthood is a unique one. But no matter who you are, the journey requires a ton of humor and a doo-doo load of patience…:)

1 –  DON’T … Continue reading..

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Postpartum Hair Loss & Regrowth Strategies for Moms

If you are a new mom dealing with postpartum hair loss and you’re looking for solutions — this article is for you.

Many new mothers experience the shock of postpartum hair loss around three months after giving birth. Sometimes hair can fall out in clumps, and while not uncommon, it can be totally terrifying and unexpected.

If you’re dealing with postpartum hair loss, know that your hair will grow back. Below are some ways you can support your hair regrowth.

Why does postpartum hair loss occur?

While pregnant, your hormones are surging. While being “hormonal” can have some not-so-fun side effects, new healthy hair growth is sometimes a positive side effect of high estrogen and progesterone.

After you give birth, your hormones go through a period of restabilization. Estrogen and progesterone levels take a dip back to your regular baseline.

When this happens, hair follicles that were in a “growth” phase, can go into a “resting” phase — which is soon followed by the “shedding” phase. So the hair that was pushed into a resting phase because of dipping estrogen levels can begin to shed all at once.

Instead of shedding the normal 100 hairs a day, a postpartum mother … Continue reading..

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In Search of the Stork: Over 40 & Trying to Conceive by Dr. Robert Kiltz, Author, The Fertile Feast

I’m often asked, “Can you have grey hair and still get pregnant?” I’m happy to say that despite all of the grim statistics doctors and researchers like to throw your way, it’s still possible to get pregnant at 40 and beyond. It might take longer for it to happen, and it may not happen on its own, but fortunately, fertility medicine has a lot of tools in the tool kit to make it possible. Here’s what women over 40 need to know:

Get the facts. Don’t assume just because you’re over 40 that you’re in an unwinnable race against the clock. A simple blood test can give you and your doctor an idea of what your ovarian reserve looks like. An AMH test is a blood test that provides an idea of how many eggs are still “on deck.”. But remember, quantity doesn’t equate to quality. Healthy eggs perfectly capable of resulting in a baby can still be made in your 40s.

A healthy body is a fertile body.  Whether you’re male or female, the same healthy habits that make a twenty-year-old fertile are what make a 40+ couple fertile. You control what you eat and how you live.  A … Continue reading..

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Do Parents Need To Build Confidence In Their Kids? by Maureen Eich VanWalleghan

Today, I am truly inspired after having a conversation that included me expressing my desire to build confidence in my daughter. The conversation was with a person who is helping to facilitate some of my daughter’s education. The comment that came back was something like “confidence is overrated.” It was a moment that gave me pause and we were not in a position to unpack what that person meant. So here’s some insight into how my brain works: all day I have been thinking about what did I mean when I said I wanted to build confidence in my daughter. This is my third post today about this concept of confidence building, but in each post I have considered the issue from different angles.

What I love about the Motherhood Later Than Sooner blog is that everyone reading here and writing here is thinking about how best to raise kids and employing a lot of life experience doing it; though that doesn’t make the childrearing process easier, but rather in my view just more deliberate.

Confidence is one of the words right now that is being using a lot with kids. It also falls into the realm of being used … Continue reading..

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | No Comments by Maureen VanWalleghan