Category Archives: parenting

Getting Kids to Eat Seafood

When I was little I used to love fish sticks. I assumed all kids love them. Then I had my daughter. She is not a fan. In fact, she won’t eat seafood at all. She doesn’t even like tuna fish (another all time favorite of mine growing up).
Last night my husband and I found another seafood dish, and we thought we should try it. It involves Mac and Cheese, one of her favorites. Lo and behold, we have found the one seafood dish she will eat, and double score for us, it is very simple to make.
Ingredients:
Kraft Mac and Cheese
2 cans of chunky crab (any brand)
Directions:
Prepare Mac and Cheese as directed on packaging
Add crab meat
Serve
Enjoy!
What are some of your favorite easy to make seafood recipes?

Crying It Out At Bedtime

It is one in the morning. My daughter is in bed. She is not asleep. She is screaming her little head off, and we are letting her. My husband and I tried everything. She does not want to sleep. She wants to come out and hang out with us. We want to go to sleep. My husband has work in the morning, and I have a two week old who will be waking up in a matter of minutes for his nightly feedings. Our daughter needs to go back to sleep.
We are letting her cry it out. We have never done it to this extent. We have let her cry for a few minutes in the past, testing to see if maybe she will calm herself down, but usually we give in and go back in her room. Not this time. There is no consoling her, not after this many hours. We have no choice.
I am sitting up in bed nursing my son, listening to my daughter’s shrieks and screams coming from the other room, and it is hard. I feel inadequate, and hearing her saddens me. I know it is for her own good in the long run, but what is a mother to do?
She has been acting up at bedtime ever since her baby brother arrived a few weeks ago, and it is getting worse and worse every night. She needs to learn that bedtime is bedtime. She cannot continue to get away with prolonging it to all hours. Thankfully after about fifteen minutes the crying subsides. She finally falls asleep. But is she asleep? Or is she just lying there quietly because she feels abandoned? I know better than to go into her room as that would ensure another round of screaming. I hope she is asleep.
Did you ever have to let your child cry it out? What did you do?

Kudos To Breastfeeding Moms!

Breastfeeding is hard. In honor of World Breastfeeding Day, I want to congratulate al the mothers who are breastfeeding. Now, please don’t misconstrue this as a rant against formula feeding.
I am currently breastfeeding my son, but he is also getting formula on the side (only a few ounces a day, but sometimes my supply does not meet his demand). When I had my daughter last year I was under the impression that she would have nothing but breast milk for the first year of life. We had to start supplementing a few months after birth, and then when she was about four months old, I ran completely dry.
This time around I am far more accepting of formula early on (my son is only 10 days old at this point). Also, I realize that circumstances can make it difficult to solely breastfeed. I will be going back to work next month, and I know that this will greatly contribute to my lack of milk, just like last time. However, looking into it more and more I realize formula is not the end of the world. In this day and age they make very good formula, and I trust brands like Gerber and Enfamil to feed my baby.
But I still have to give kudos to those mothers who do it all the way! I know it is hard, and I know it doesn’t always work out, even with the best intentions, so be proud of the wonderful thing you are doing!