5 Minutes For Parenting

Crazy Love
By Kelly
The holidays make people crazy.
Case in point: Me. I’m thinking about getting a dog for Christmas.
It’s not an impulsive decision. (…)

Betty's Seal of Approval
By Veronica
She is an old woman, tiny and bent, with white hair and enormous glasses. Her name is Betty. She is the dragon of the Fellowship Hour. (…)

A Long-Overdue Thank You Note
By Megan
Dear Bean,
You and I went to the grocery store and made cookies together today. Just an ordinary trip to the grocery store and a simple little mix and bake project for Mama and Bean. No big deal. (…)

Goodbye Expectations! Hello, Reality.
By Melodee
I locked my son out of the house today. I did. He’d run outside to make a dramatic point about the horrors of repeating a failed spelling test. When I saw the door ajar, I closed it, locked it and then made sure the other doors were locked, too. Ha! (I, myself, am the model of maturity, to be sure.)
And when he knocked at the front door, I leaned in close to the door jam and said with mean glee, “Enjoy your time outdoors because I don’t allow children who are disrespectful into my house!” And then I checked to make sure the deadbolt was still turned and stomped upstairs where my daughter was taking her third bath of the day and was vying for my attention. (”WHAT?!” “Um, I need a stick to put in his mouth,” she said, indicating a plastic shark. At which point, I died from a heart attack. The end.)
I never, ever, not one time in my whole adolescence sassed my parents. (At least not out loud.) I never set out to annoy them, to displease them, to make them want to lock me out of the house. Never. I was a pleaser, a good girl who wanted only to get perfect grades. I volunteered my time at a hospital, at a 4-H group, at church and more. If you needed help, I was your girl. (…)
What Are You Doing New Year's?
By Stephanie
Every December 31st without fail I have certain goals in my head- resolutions for the New Year to come. And almost always they are great things to aspire to, but not always reasonable. (…)

A Dose of Humor - Tweenland
5 Minutes for Parenting's weekly column, A Dose of Humor, is here to remind you to take your humor pill regularly as the best medicine to treat the side effects of parenting! It features a different blogger every week and is hosted by Rachel at Grasping for Objectivity in My Subjective Life. (…)

How do you do it all?
By Cassie
I started thinking the other day about the many hats I wear. I am a mother first and foremost. Aiden is what I wake up to in the morning and what I think about before drifting asleep. Aside from Aiden, though, I hold many other hats. (…)

Finally
By Beck
I was sick! But now I'm not. I was actually sick for the past three weeks, this grim stomach bug that's been making the rounds locally. (…)

Santa Killer
By Kelly
"Santa isn’t real, you know."
So said my seven-year-old daughter to her six-year-old friend as I drove them home from school last week. (…)
When life hands you hockey pucks, pour gravy on them.
By Veronica
Last week I tried to make bread. I used to bake my own bread quite often. I enjoyed the feeling of secret competence that came with kneading the dough: pressing the heel of my hand deeply into it, folding it over, pressing again, pounding out whatever frustrations I had. It was cathartic. I loved the feel of smooth dough, left to rise, full of promise. And everyone loves the smell of bread fresh from the oven. (…)

Not the Year for Currier and Hives
By Megan
'Tis the the season to drive myself crazy trying to do it all and do it all perfectly, tied up in a fluffy red velvet bow and scented with a potpourri of oranges, cinnamon and cloves. (…)

grab life and go
By Cassie
I have lived in Illinois since I was ten years old. This week I went sledding for the first time ever. I know you guys are thinking how has she never been sledding? I was deprived as a child I suppose but this was in fact my first time. I decided it was necessary to give Aiden this experience. Since I knew nothing about sledding I trusted my friend's judgment when he informed me that we were going sledding at Bakers park. We bundled up bought some sleds and were on our way. (…)
A Dose of Humor - How to Write a Christmas Newsletter
5 Minutes for Parenting's weekly column, A Dose of Humor, is here to remind you to take your humor pill regularly as the best medicine to treat the side effects of parenting! It features a different blogger every week and is hosted by Rachel at Grasping for Objectivity in My Subjective Life. (…)

You Moved Us
By Nell
Jen with OneMomsWorld shares why she is thankful for a $20,000 medical bill that insurance isn't going to pay for. (…)

Dreams I Had Ages Ago
By Beck
This is a reprint of something I wrote - and liked very much - back in February of 2007. I'm a bit too distracted right now for a bunch of reasons to write anything fresher. Enjoy! (…)

Irony
By Kelly
This post was originally published on my personal blog, Love Well, last May. (…)

One Mother's Letter to Santa
By Veronica
Dear Santa,
I know I'm not supposed to complain. This whole gift-giving thing is great, really. It teaches my children generosity and gratitude, it's magical, spirit of Christmas, blah, blah, blah. I get it. I really do. (…)

Thanksgiving, At Dawn
By Megan
Bean woke up and shuffled into our dark bedroom an hour ago, at four in the morning.
I'm thankful my daughter's getting so grown up and fearless. (…)