Big Kid

Moms Matter

Mom Moment
Are Moms Asking for Too Much Flexibility at Work?

posted by Jeanne Sager 3 minutes ago in Big Kid

0 +SHARE

The ongoing battle between the working parents and the stay at home parents may get all the press, but it's got nothing on working parents and the child-free who work with them. Working moms want a family-friendly workplace with respect for the fact that they have lives outside of the job. But is it fair of us to ask? Are we "playing the kid card" too much?

As a mother I want to say no. But as a mom who has confessed she often feels guilty leaving work for her kid, I can easily see both sides.
Read More
LOL
50 Creative Ways Scheming Kids Try to Delay Bedtime

posted by Jeanne Sager 19 hours ago in Big Kid

4 +SHARE

I love bedtime with my kid. We crawl into her bed, settle ourselves among the sea of stuffed animals, Pillow Pets, and books, and I finally have her captive in one spot where I can ask her about her school day. It's blissful. But then I get up to go downstairs to do all my important adult-after-kid-goes-to-bed things -- OK, OK, to veg on the couch with my iPad and the TV remote -- and that's when the drama begins.

As every parent knows, putting your child to bed is easy. Getting them to stay in bed takes Harry Potter-style wizarding skills.

Kids will make up ANY excuse not to stay in bed. No really, their imaginations know no bounds! Behold just a few of the wild and wacky delay tactics kids use daily (nightly?):
Read More
Mom Moment
9 Tips for Co-Parenting After Divorce

posted by Adriana Velez 20 hours ago in Big Kid

3 +SHARE

Usually when a couple splits up, the silver lining is that they never have to talk to each other ever, ever again. In fact, most of the time, it's best if they just cut off all contact, period, so they can move on with their lives. But when parents divorce, it's way more complicated. You do still have to talk with each other, probably all the time, because of the kids. You have to work out a parenting plan during your divorce. And you have to work out visitation and a million other little details like civilized people.

Since separating from my husband, I've learned a few things the hard way. Thankfully, we get along pretty well and we're on the same page about most things, so it hasn't been too hard. But here's what I've learned works.
Read More
Inspiring
Company Recruits Autistic Workers & Gives Parents Hope

posted by Julie Ryan Evans 22 hours ago in Big Kid

2 +SHARE

When I talk to parents with children who have autism, they often reveal their worries about the future. After the initial diagnosis and navigating the school years, they look to the future with trepidation not knowing what lies ahead in the "real" world for their children. Will they be able to find jobs? Will they be able to support themselves? So one big company's move to recruit autistic workers is incredibly welcome.

According to ABC, German software company SAP, which has more than 65,000 employees worldwide, plans to hire people with autism as software testers, programmers, and data quality assurance specialists. The company says it sees a "potential competitive advantage to leveraging the unique talents of people with autism, while also helping them to secure meaningful employment."
Read More
Heartbreaking
Freak Accident on School Field Trip Kills 1 Child & Leaves Another Missing

posted by Sasha Brown-Worsham Yesterday at 8:30 AM in Big Kid

11 +SHARE

A freak accident on a school field trip in Minnesota has left one child dead and one more still missing. The group of fourth graders had been digging for fossils when the gravel they were standing on collapsed beneath their feet, forming a hole that swallowed four of the children.

Frantic digging uncovered two of them, but a third was killed and one more is still missing. It's an absolute nightmare scenario for a parent. One minute your child is happy and excited to be headed on a field trip, and the next they are gone. One of the hardest parts of parenting is knowing how vulnerable we are, and it's stories like this that remind us.

We can't stop sending our kids to school or on field trips (unless we want to be paranoid). We just have to trust and have faith that stories like this are the exception, not the norm. But how?
Read More
Tasty Treats from Our Partners

Partner Headlines
- Woman Gets Ridiculously Drunk on the Radio (VIDEO) - Wetpaint Moms
- Shocking Stars Who've Been Addicted to Drugs - Newser
- Kendall Jenner Tweets Shocking Bikini Photo - ET Online
- Farrah Abraham's Sex Tape Will Surprise You - The Frisky
- 8 Signs Your Relationship is Over - The Frisky
Awww!
'Deployed' Military Dad's Appearance at Daughter's Gymnastics Meet Takes Everyone By Surprise (VIDEO)

posted by Mary Fischer Wednesday at 4:30 PM in Big Kid

4 +SHARE

One of the hardest things for military parents to come to terms with is being far away from home and missing out on all of their kids' activities, school plays, and everything in between.

And that's why Major Jake Brittingham wanted to make his return from a five-month deployment to Africa extra special for his family and, in particular, for his 9-year-old daughter, Emma.

Unbeknownst to her -- or her mom -- Major Brittingham arranged to surprise Emma at her gymnastics competition with his homecoming. (Making it even sweeter, it was her very first one.) And little did he know that he'd literally be making her wishes come true by doing so.
Read More
Heartbreaking
9-Year-Old Tornado Victims Found Together Were Best Friends to the End

posted by Kiri Blakeley Wednesday at 3:06 PM in Big Kid

21 +SHARE

Two elementary school children were best friends in life, each the other's greatest comfort, and in death, it was no different. The two 9-year-old girls perished together in Plaza Towers, one of the schools razed by the devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. The girls were "inseparable" in life, and at the end, it appears they clung to each other. Says the mom of one of the girls: "We take some comfort in thinking that she and Emily were holding onto each other and not alone."
Read More
Awww!
Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt Make Out in Front of the Kids -- Don't You?

posted by Jeanne Sager Wednesday at 2:27 PM in Big Kid

13 +SHARE

Well, it turns out celebrity parents are just like us! At least when it comes to grossing out their kids! Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt recently got a request from 8-year-old daughter Zahara Jolie-Pitt to lay off the smooching in front of them!

With a daughter set to turn 8 in just a few weeks, I'm waiting to hear the same thing out of her mouth. But will I listen to her? Not on her life!

And neither should Brad and Angie! At least not if they know what's good for their big brood?
Read More
Inspiring
Helen Mirren Makes Dying Boy's Wish Come True After Queen of England Turns Him Down

posted by Jacqueline Burt Wednesday at 2:16 PM in Big Kid

11 +SHARE

The thought of a child being given only weeks to live is absolutely heartbreaking. The thought of that same child being denied his dying wish is heartbreaking beyond words. Sadly, that's what nearly happened to 10-year-old Oliver Burton of Leicester, UK. Diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 3, Oliver, who also has Down syndrome, recently had a severe relapse -- an untreatable relapse, according to his doctors. Devastated but determined to make their son's final days the best of his short life, Oliver's parents vowed to spend the rest of his time checking off items on his "wish list."

What Oliver wanted more than anything was to visit the Queen of England at Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately, his family was told this wouldn't be possible.
Read More
Mom Moment
Working Moms Should Cut Corners When It Comes to Their Kids’ School Functions

posted by Sasha Brown-Worsham Tuesday at 7:58 PM in Big Kid

16 +SHARE

In New York at tony private schools, it has apparently become der rigeur for parents to send nannies to do their parental duties once every few weeks. Things like "safety patrol" and bake sales that parents have traditionally taken care of are now being passed off to the hired help. Some parents are mad, but I say, good on them. I would never advocate that working parents shirk all responsibilities, but the things that can be outsourced can and should be as much as possible. The reality is that at some schools there are MANY duties expected of parents during the school year and it is for working parents, especially those of us who have 2+ kids.
Read More