By: Wendy Helfenbaum We snuck out at dawn, exhausted but exhilarated, careful not to awaken the three-year-old sleeping angel upstairs. Our mission? To carve out some much-needed couple time by taking an overnight trip to catch a show. We giggled like teenagers as we removed the car seat and loaded in grown-up snacks and CDs. And then, blowing a kiss up towards our son’s bedroom window, we sped off on an adventure most new parents fear

By: Staff Report People have many ideas and opinions about child-rearing, so it may be a little difficult to get all your relatives to respect your family rules. Because child-rearing theories have changed dramatically over the years, you may experience a slight generation gap with some family members. Grandparents, for example, are notoriously overindulgent with their grandchildren and often think of the parent as still a child. So how do you get relatives to respect your rules? Explain

By: Christina Spencer So your spouse has cheated on you. You're angry, hurt and full of questions. How could he do this to you, and why did he do this? You want to scream, cry and probably throw something. These are all normal feelings. Although, because of the children you may not be able to act on them. After the initial shock wears off and you catch your breath, you as a mother should try to get

By: Imogen Moore I once went out with a guy who broke up with me on our second date, when I told him that I'm a single parent. "I'm sorry," he said, "I really like you. I just couldn't get it up for someone's Mom." No matter how we came to be single, or how long we've been raising our kids, sooner or later we will have to face the question: "Moms don't have sex—do they?" And if they

By: Imogen Moore Telling a guy that you have kids is a milestone moment—and a test of his character. Some guys have no problem dating a single mom. At first, they're surprised, certainly... They give you that look that means they are rapidly readjusting their perception of you. You know that look. Then, the image of the cute, funny, intelligent woman becomes crowded with images of sticky, whiny two-year-olds clinging to the leg of their Hugo Boss

By: Staff Report Race is so much more than our physical appearances. It is about our culture, our heritage. It influences how we perceive ourselves as well as how others perceive us. Most importantly, race can and often does influence how mothers well… mother. Positive vs. Negative On the most basic levels, all mothers are the same. We are human. We are female. We are raising a child we call our own. It doesn’t matter if we’re not

by Wendy Helfenbaum When Elana Poplaw asks her son Miles, 4, what he wants for supper, he typically cites the same three basic food groups: chocolate, lollipops and ice cream. “He never actually sits down at the table; I have to hold food and walk around with him,” explains Poplaw. “Sometimes, we have to sit outside and talk to him about cars while feeding him. I don’t understand how he’s able to run around all day

If you're trying to stick to a budget, but managing only to stick every bill, statement and sheet of financial correspondence into a large, messy pile on the kitchen counter, maybe it's time to digitize your efforts, reorganize your finances and take to the Web. There are many Web services designed to hand-hold you through this transition. We scoured Google, Twitter and the blogosphere for reviews of the best online tools, and we liked this round-up

By: Lauralee Moss If you are going to breastfeed, you will inevitably have leaks. I normally leak during the first two months and then taper off. Yet, as a teacher, I wear breast pads daily. (I can just imagine wet circles on my shirt while in front of 25 sixteen-year olds). Having said that, I’ve used pretty much every disposable pad on the market. I’ve never had one fail to keep my bra and shirt dry, but

By Amanda Steinberg Concerned about your daughter's obsession with princesses? You should be, but not for the reasons you may think. Laura Vanderkam's recent op-ed in USA Today titled “The Princess Problem” suggests that your girl's fondness for princesses is more damaging to her self worth than her self image. Some moms worry that princesses make girls obsessed with beauty. But I think the problem is that the popular princesses lack what psychologists call an "internal locus