My daughter decided to try volleyball for the first time and joined the school’s Grade 7 recreation-level team. I was pleased that she had willingly signed herself up for a school sport – an activity that I didn’t have to organize or pay for after years of community sports and other pursuits. No uniforms. No…
Perks of the job
Last summer I was asked by a friend if my daughter would like a dog-walking job. At only 11 years old, the job opportunities are slim, so I felt excited about this opportunity for her to learn about responsibility and money management. I hoped that as a bonus my daughter would experience the feeling of…
The Mental Load
The most common conversation I have with my friends is about ‘the mental load’ of mothering, by which I mean all of the stuff a parent has crammed in their mind. Things like booking dental appointments, making the meal plan and remembering to add QTips to the shopping list. I think of the mental load…
Why I cancelled Valet Service for my kids
I listened to a podcast a few months ago that changed the way I approach parenting. The interview was with Lenore Skenazy who wrote an article in the New York Times titled “Why I let my 9-year-old ride the subway alone.” Her writing, along with her book Free-Range Kids, started what people now refer to…
Printable Choreganizer
To the dismay of many husbands/partners (and kids), I have created a pdf to accompany my Mental Load article. This printable version is the result of combing through our lives in detail and listing all of the jobs involved in keeping our family operational. My hope is that you can ease your own mental load…
Speaking their language
Wouldn’t it be great if kids came with a manual? Imagine the time, money and effort we could save if we had a handy little booklet that contained all of the nuances of your child’s personality. But our children aren’t refrigerators: there’s no index to flip to when we don’t know what to do next….
Being selfless is not sustainable
Sustainable, an adjective 1: capable of being sustained 2: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged From the moment I wake up in the morning, I am in service to my family. In between slurps of coffee, I am…
The Lazy Mom’s Guide to Back-to-School
Whether your children attend school in a public, private or a home setting, September marks the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. It’s a time to buy school supplies, resume extracurricular activities and make lunches: lots and lots of lunches. Here are a few simple tips to help you adopt…
Covid Summer
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault Heading into summer this year is a bummer. With the dark cloud of the coronavirus pandemic still hanging over us, it’s hard to conjure up the usual level of summer excitement. What public health…
Return Policy
Most people aren’t aware that you can return almost anything you buy. Over the course of my life I’ve returned everything from skin care products to animals. Decisions are difficult for me and once I’ve made one, I often second-guess it. I’ve had buyers remorse over things as trivial as salad dressing and as consequential…