Tag Archives: parenting

Let’s Talk (about sex) Month: Planned Parenthood encourages going beyond ‘where babies come from’

Among other things, October is “Let’s Talk Month,” 31 days of sexual health organizations encouraging families to talk about sexuality and relationships. And this year, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England wants parents to go beyond the basics of where babies come from, and talk about making healthy decisions. The organization also wants families to […]

How to get away with not keeping a baby book

I received two beautiful baby books when The Bug was born. One I’ve written in a handful of times, the other is still in the box. It may be shocking considering she’s my first and usually baby number one has everything from a blink to the first haircut recorded. But that’s not to say I […]

US Department of Labor joins push for paid maternity, family leave

The US Department of Labor has joined President Obama and Democratic leaders, including Sen. Angus King I-Maine, in their push for paid maternity and family leave programs at the state level. Yesterday, the department announced it awarded three states and the District of Columbia $500,000 to fund feasibility studies on the development of implementation of […]

The lies parents tell themselves and others

I haven’t been a parent long, but it’s been long enough to know that half the things I said I’d always or never do before kids were lies. I guess that’s why always and never are two words we should always remember never to use eh? Here’s a few lies we told ourselves and anyone […]

Study: Maine ranked 2nd best place to have baby

A new study by WalletHub listed Maine as the second best state in the country to have a new baby in part because of the low average hospital delivery charges and access to pediatric care. Rankings were based equally on three categories –budget considerations, health care conditions and overall “babyfriendliness,” a news release about the findings said. Under […]

‘Pinning and pooping’ — 5 links moms will appreciate

I was talking with local Postpartum Doula Ruth Clarke the other day and she mentioned her get-away-from-the-kids-for-five-minutes strategy dubbed “pinning and pooping.” I immediately knew it was a blog post in the making. How often do we just want five minutes of quiet, to scroll Facebook or Pinterest, text a friend sit quietly? The answer […]

Parenting milestones nobody mentions Pt. 2

And now, since babies grow and develop exponentially fast, here’s a second installment of parenting milestones not mentioned in the books: :: The first (or 15th) time you wake up on the floor of the nursery snuggled up with a baby-sized blanket and a stuffed animal under your head. :: The first time baby picks […]

Work-life balance, it’s possible

I recently wrote about Maine receiving a “B-” for its family-friendly workplace policies. Basically what the report found was the while Maine businesses do more for their working families, there’s lots of room for improvement. Number one change requested by parents I’ve talked to other than paid maternity leave? More flexibility post partum. My bosses […]