Truth

I used to be jealous of how my husband played with the girls.

He would get down on their level and play with them for hours — taking out every puzzle, book, and crayon. Meanwhile, instead of joining them, I would stand around fretting about the mess.

In the end, the mess was always put away — but in the meantime, I missed out on some key bonding times with my daughters and spent way too much time being annoyed.

My advice to other moms is to play like a dad and make the pick-up time a game.

Tip

On road trips, always pack a lunch that includes ginger ale with straws for belly aches.

My kids don’t normally get soda, so this is a big treat! Stopping for food takes too much time (minimum an hour).

Lastly, when you stop to go to the bathroom, pick a gas station with an outdoor bathroom… that  way you avoid candy raids in those convenient stores.

Find

The VeraTemp Non-Contact Thermometer has changed my life!

I could never take my kid’s temperature before I found this.  I never got the hang of the forehead one and was too lazy to put on the covers for the ear probe. This non-contact thermometer is great because it gives me an accurate reading without touching my child.

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Contributor:  Mary Ann from Today’s Moms
Check out her websites: Todaysmoms.tv, Shttymom.com
Follow her on Twitter at @todaysmoms and @shttymom.
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Check out her books: Today’s Moms: Essentials for Surviving Baby’s First Year and Sh*tty Mom: The Parenting Guide for the Rest of Us