Blog for Later in Life Moms Over 35
Our group for later in life moms features mothers and experts sharing. We share about living life fully over age 35, and write not just about parenting experiences, but life, growth, aging, etc.
Given Robin’s personal passion for sharing cool finds, travel destinations, unique attractions and theatre going, she and others write periodic reviews of products, services, trips, Broadway and Off Broadway shows and other forms of entertainment, attractions and leisure pursuits….whether for kids, moms or couples.
If you’d like to submit a topic, product, destination, event, show or attraction for consideration, write robin@motherhoodlater.com. Happy to hear from you!
Click to determine which type of writing opportunity is best for you.
Friday
September 23, 2022
Families all react to needing to sell your home and move in different ways. Many children of all ages wish they could keep their lives the same and not move at all. A good way to promote a positive move experience with every member of the family is to open up positive memory making and personal choices early on.
Start with daydreaming and realizing possibilities
When a move is definitely happening (ideally after you know some things about the new home), start daydreaming with your kids. “I wonder what the new home will be like?” can start a conversation. Even resistant movers may start to get into this game and find a silver lining or something exciting to look forward to.
Let children weigh in where possible on choices
When it comes to things like what furniture will go with you and what color the new homes walls will be, try to find space for kids to make choices. Giving them some control can make a chaotic season feel a bit more in their hands. That being said, try not to offer choices when you know you’ll have to veto their likely preferences.
Make games out of packing and reducing
…
Continue reading..
Posted in Blog | No Comments by Robin Gorman Newman
Friday
September 23, 2022
I love the share economy. I was never really good at sharing when I was growing up because I had numerous brothers and sisters of whom I was the oldest, and at some point, the only way I could stop them from going into my possessions and absconding with them was to stay stuck on 5’2 110 lbs for a number of years until they all got bigger and fatter than me and could no longer find any use for the articles of clothing they had been helping themselves to, from out of my closet, for far too long. Yes, I had a locked chest and everything, at one point, just to try to keep the mofos out of my ish. And nothing ever worked. Except that one. Stay small. But I digress. The point is, I’ve never been into sharing. So when this share economy came into play, I was pretty impressed. This other generation had something I didn’t: an ability to let others have some. None of that petty territoriality and possessiveness for them. Uh-uh. As Louise Hay once said…, “There is plenty for everyone… including me.” And I really admire that. This extended into cars…, homes…, clothing…
…
Continue reading..
Posted in Blog | No Comments by Pamela Francis
Thursday
September 22, 2022
Excerpted from GIRLS ON THE BRINK by Donna Jackson Nakazawa. Copyright © 2022 by Donna Jackson Nakazawa. Used by permission of Harmony Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
A good litmus test for the health of any society is how well it treats its girls and how well its girls are faring. When we look at the mental health of American girls today, one thing becomes clear: We as a society are failing pretty miserably. Depression has long been more prevalent in girls than in boys, but rates of depression in girls have now reached epidemic proportions. One out of four adolescent girls report suffering from symptoms of major depression compared with fewer than one in ten boys. Girls and young women are twice as likely as boys and young men to suffer from anxiety. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that suicide attempts had recently increased 51 percent among girls compared with 4 percent among boys. These statistics cannot be explained by higher rates of … Continue reading..
Posted in Blog | No Comments by Robin Gorman Newman
Tuesday
September 6, 2022
It’s easy to wax philosophical about impermanence. It’s much harder to access that objectivity and wisdom while a small human is screaming at top volume.
Things are pretty confusing in my house right now. One minute Sylvia’s telling me I’m her cutie pie and complimenting my earrings, and the next she’s in full-on tantrum mode because I made her put on socks.
Her two-year-old emotions are mercurial, overwhelming, everything in the moment—and then suddenly they’re gone. To my logical adult brain, this is frustrating. But when I’m able to get some distance, I recognize that she’s also reflecting a spiritual truth: everything changes. This is the truth of impermanence, and I understand it in a new way as a mom.
Like some kind of superhero, Sylvia constantly transforms into new versions of herself. In June, she passionately declares frozen mango the most delicious fruit in the world; by July, she hates it. In the fall, she struggles to climb the play structure; by winter, she’s fearlessly clambering to the top.
Even the changes change.
First there were the newborn days, which felt excruciatingly slow. During that time, if I went for a walk during what felt like hour thirty-six of … Continue reading..
Posted in Blog | No Comments by Robin Gorman Newman
Tuesday
August 30, 2022
Executive Function in Social and Emotional Development
EF is a powerful predictor (in some cases, even better than IQ scores) of children’s success in school and beyond.[i],[ii],[iii] EF has received increased attention from the popular press and academic researchers because components of EF are essential for school achievement and for behaviors that entail teamwork, leadership, and social awareness. EF helps us plan and prioritize tasks to balance workflow, think about the role that others will play to complete tasks, and set and achieve goals. We are required to use EF skills in almost everything we do—when learning, interacting with others, doing something time-bound, and more.
The core components of EF include self-control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. An additional component that is important for social-emotional development is focus or attention.[iv] When we think about EF, we tend to think about it in relation to children’s academic learning; however, we have come to see that this view is too narrow. In fact, research suggests an important link between EF skills and understanding emotions.[v] We see that young children are continually problem solving during social interactions. EF skills can be described in the following ways. … Continue reading..
Posted in Blog | No Comments by Robin Gorman Newman
Monday
July 25, 2022
Dear Diary,
Today, mom reamed me (was abusive, called me a racial slur, slammed doors, delivered veiled threats, cursed at me, and said that she was “77 yrs old”) — I thought she was 79, by the way — for not letting her know I was taking the boys for pizza after the errand to the dump. The 4 of us (she, me, them) had just ordered and eaten $50 worth of Mexican food on Thursday evening and here it was Saturday afternoon. I, by the way, did not order any food (fast or otherwise) for myself after the dump errand; I knew I had food at the house, I knew mom was preparing raw chicken, that had been in the refrigerator for days, as I left, and I knew I did not need to be eating pizza today after enchiladas, tamales, refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, etc. just 48 hrs prior, and neither did she, by the way, with her Three Amigos-ordering ass. How can I make her understand she can’t have everything two teen boys indulge in?
Dear Wimpy Daughter, (side note: my diary talks back; kinda like the Dear Abby of my alter ego)
The n-word is … Continue reading..
Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Diary of a wimpy daughter by Pamela Francis by Pamela Francis
Friday
July 1, 2022
Eating a gluten-free diet is a priority for some families and a dietary choice for others. Gluten-free meals are an excellent option for stay-at-home moms, whatever the family’s dietary needs.
Many naturally gluten-free foods offer excellent nutritional benefits and combine into easy and convenient meals for kids and parents.
Reasons Gluten Free Works for Stay-at-Home Moms
1. Gluten spikes your blood sugar
Gluten is a common component of foods that increase blood sugar. Some gluten-containing foods are high in carbohydrates and will cause a significant spike in your blood sugar.
Not only are blood sugar spikes harmful to your body, but they also cause a “crash” after you eat, which makes you feel tired and irritable. If you’re running around after the kids at home, the last thing you need is a sugar crash.
2. Gluten-containing foods have low nutritional value
Gluten doesn’t have an innate nutritional value, but it is part of some nutritional foods like whole grains. Unfortunately, many whole grains are processed during manufacturing, which reduces their nutritional benefit.
Manufacturers then must artificially enhance their food with synthetic additives that replace the nutrients they removed. If you’re trying to avoid artificial ingredients, it’s important to stay away … Continue reading..
Posted in Blog | Comments Off on How Stay-At-Home Moms Can Benefit From Gluten-Free Meals by Robin Gorman Newman
Wednesday
June 22, 2022
…
Continue reading..
Posted in Blog | Comments Off on LUXEAR Arc-Chill Double-Sided Cooling Blanket Ideal for Summer: Review by Robin Gorman Newman by Robin Gorman Newman
Getting a good night’s sleep is not my strength. And, one aspect of that for me is being super picky re: my blanket, especially with the change of season, and hormone fluctuations. I like to sleep cool, so when I was offered the opportunity to try the LUXEAR cooling blanket, I jumped on it. As a multi-tasking mom, getting a restorative night’s sleep is particularly vital. And, if night sweats are your thing, this might be a gamechanger.
