Wednesday 24 May 2017

Words of Wisdom: My Kids In 140 Characters Or Less

We spend a lot of time with the minions and I'm fortunate enough to record the things that they say and do so I can look back on it and laugh.  Some of it makes the blog and other smaller moments don't.  One of the brilliant things about Twitter is how it's the ultimate parenting "elevator speech", because you have to keep it short. Below are Tweets, conversations, parental musings and things that the minions have done or said over the past month, for your reading pleasure that haven't made it to the blog.


Image Courtesy of: www.fanfest.com

1. J: There's a problem at the superhero BBQ Me: What is it? J: Hulk keeps burning his tongue on sausages cause he isn't practicing patience

2. J: The potty talk at dinner isn't our fault M: Yeah daddy hypnotized us to make us talk like this #ToddlerLife #parenting

3. Even a about ur kids getting along via text message will result in an epic battle where everyone is crying

4. J: I need an ice pack dad: why? J: I hurt my arm. dad: how? J: It's covered in apple sauce. dad: so it needs ice? J: YES!


5. M: You mean I can't do jumping jacks in the car? Me: Do I really need to explain just how dangerous this is?


6. J: I wish that daddy was a cheese string. But don't worry I won't eat you, I'm not hungry right now.



Image Courtesy of YouTube


7. Watching this weekend has led my son to an obsession of getting revenge on "All of the Scorpions"


8. It's probably a good idea to turn off when your daughter wakes up with a nightmare


9. When u check on ur child before bed & find him fast asleep with his hand in a bag of contraband popcorn (No DNA test needed, he's mine) 10. M: can we get a new pet? J: can it be an invisible corn snake that solves mysteries and fights crime? Me: sure?



To read more blogs on my kids on twitter click here, herehereherehereherehere, and here.


Tuesday 16 May 2017

Paperback Writer: Sharing My Writing On Other Sites

It's that time of the month again when I share some of the writing I've been completing for other publications.  I was particularly excited about an opportunity to provide a parental perspective on important conversations surrounding the Netflix hit, 13 Reasons Why.  I also loved diving in and researching around Molly and the addition of an imaginary friend named Liam in her life.

Nowadays as my full-time job I write and ghostwrite articles for online publications, organizations and blogs, in addition to providing public relations services.  While I can't really share my ghostwritten articles on this platform, cause then I wouldn't really be a ghostwriter would I, I can share some of the other stuff I have been working on.

This month Multiple Momstrosity reached a major milestone, with over 300,000 visitors (and counting) visiting our lives. I can't begin to explain how thankful I am for all of the support I've had over the years for my writing, and for life as a parent.  


Click on the links for the topics that interest you most, and if you enjoy what I wrote please share, like, and follow, and keep parenting and reading on!  If you have any ideas for a story, a playground review, or article on any front, feel free to share it with me!  I'm always looking for new sources of inspiration!

Parenting & Popular Culture




13 Serious Issues Parents Can’t Ignore From “13 Reasons Why”

15 Kid Movies That Are Actually Really Inappropriate

15 Of Disney’s Leading Ladies Who Are Thirsty AF

Practical Parenting Advice




15 Sneaky Ways For Mom To Grab Some “Me” Time

Advocating for Kind, Not Nice, Children

Should Parents Worry About Imaginary Friends

The Way We Talk About Our Bodies In Front Of Our Kids





What To Do When The Pet Gets Jealous Of The Baby

The Parental Guide to: Spring Cleaning, Recycling, & Charity

Practical Coping for Preschooler Nightmares


Prenatal & Infant Articles



15 Unusual Pregnancy Rituals You Wont Believe Are True (But Probably Work!)

15 Crazy Stories About Where Babies Come From

15 Pictures Moms Must Have For The Baby Book


Human Nature Entertainment



15 Dumb Girls Who Tried To Take A Selfie With Animals

15 Times Adrenaline Took Over And Turned People Into Superhumans




Entertainment Writing



15 Secrets About How I Met Your Mother Characters


15 Cringe-Worthy Photos Hotel Execs Don’t Want Us To See



Lists


The Top 25 Parenting Blogs of 2017...So Far


Sports


15 Things You Didn’t Know About A-Rod’s Millionaire Lifestyle

History




15 Things You Didn’t Know About Joseph Stalin



To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

Follow 
Multiple Momstrosity on Twitter @Sarabethbug

Friday 12 May 2017

Life Thru A Lens - A Mother's Day Post

Last year on Mother's Day I was gifted with one of the greatest presents I've ever had; photos with me and my children.  Since I'm the primary photographer in our family and I'm not the biggest fan of how I look in a lot of pictures I tend to avoid them (or quickly delete them).

Here's the thing, looking back I wish that there were more pictures of me and my kids at every age imaginable, and they're only five.  When Chris told me last Mother's Day that my present included a walk along the Lakeshore and him snapping dozens of pictures with the kids I was thrilled.  After dozens upon dozens of pics taken we walked away with about three photos that I loved (after I photo shopped out some graffiti).

Mom's this Mother's Day and any day, jump in front of the camera and be as present in the photos with your children as you are in their lives each day.  These don't need to be professional photos, or formal posed ones at special occasions.  You can find them every day.  While you may not love them, keep them.  You and your kids will cherish them, closed eyes, double chins and all!

Here are some of my favourite photos snapped of me and the minions over the years - TBH there aren't that many of just me and my kids and it makes me a little sad.  I'm hoping to add some more to the batch this weekend!  Be well, be happy and celebrate your family together.


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!


Getting to know each other 1 month in

1st Christmas, I can't get over how exhausted I look here 
8 months in, finally confident for outings on our own

A rare moment with quietly sleeping baby Molly

Mother's Day 2016


To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

Follow 
Multiple Momstrosity on Twitter @Sarabethbug



Friday 5 May 2017

For A Little While

Memory is a funny thing.  I always wonder what things my children will remember from their childhood and what other things will slowly fade away.  Photos and repetition of stories help, but we know some things will be lost forever.

When Jack was a toddler he didn't play with traditional toys, and he was more than a little bit obsessed with "plugs".  He spent a great deal of time playing with random objects like bottle caps, sink stoppers, bathtub plugs, old door bells, and wine corks (he named his wine cork Corkia).  I'm not talking about a phase that lasted for a few weeks, this bordered on obsession, and lasted for at least a year (maybe even longer).  It got to the point where we had to limit his time with his plugs (which he called the family).  I looked back at past entries and I had written about "the family", and limiting obsessive tendencies with plugs several times because it was such an issue.

Last weekend, Jack came into the bedroom and handed me a brand new bathroom tub plug with a chain (one we had purchased him from the dollar store a few years ago).  As he plopped it into my hand he ask softly, "Why is this in my toy box? It's not a toy." I asked him if he was joking, he was not.  Even Molly was at a loss for words, having lived with a brother who would parallel play with his plugs as she used more traditional toys.  "Jackie, don't you remember the family and all of your plugs?" she asked.  He admitted he did, a little bit, and left his old plug on the table beside our bed because he no longer connected with it.

How could something he spent so many hours playing with, that was one of his comfort items in the toddler years be wiped clean as if the Men in Black had shown up with their magic mind eraser pen?

Image courtesy of Giphy


While this memory loss confounds us, it's actually really common and often referred to as childhood amnesia.  Research has determined that little kids can remember many things from when before they are three years old, but as they age, with seven years old being some sort of marker, their autobiographical memories from their younger years will disappear.  So there is nothing to worry about, although I must admit the loss of this memory makes me a little sad.

A Canadian based research study has found some of the cause, apparently, "When brains are busy growing lots of new cells, they don’t store memories that would otherwise be long-term."  The research has found that kids aged five to seven remember about 60 percent of their memories from early life, whereas kids aged eight or nine only remember 40 percent of these memories.

Research Patricia Bower says of memory studies surrounding children, "Early in development those structures are working, but not very efficiently -- children are forming memories, but through natural processes those are fading and becoming inaccessible. By the time you reach adulthood, those memories are working very effectively.”

One of the reasons I love keeping this blog up to date is to record moments that might otherwise disappear.  There are so many smaller things that would otherwise be lost, or go down the drain, especially now that the plugs are gone.



To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

Follow 
Multiple Momstrosity on Twitter @Sarabethbug