Jill Smokler

Jill Smokler, AKA Scary Mommy, writes about motherhood -- the good, the bad and the scary. She's also the New York Times bestselling author Confessions of a Scary Mommy and the soon to be published Motherhood Comes Naturally (And Other Vicious Lies).

Sipping on:

Piña coladas. On the beach. ALONE.

also find Jill here:

Jill's Latest Posts

The Pros & Cons of Surprising Your Kids With a Disney Trip

posted by Jill Smokler Monday at 11:20 AM in Big Kid

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We’re currently at Disney World with the kids. Unlike our first trip when we didn’t know better, we waited until the morning we left to break the exciting news this time. Unfortunately, like most other things in parenthood, it didn’t happen exactly as planned.

In case you’ve got a trip to Disney in the future, I thought I’d weigh the pros and cons of a surprise for you. The moral of the story, of course, is that you can never predict your children. And they will always find something to whine about.
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7 Mother's Day Cards We WISH We Could Send

posted by Jill Smokler May 6 at 10:45 AM in Big Kid

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Ever looked for a Mother's Day card, only to find that what you want to say can't be found? Yeah, me too. In case you're struggling to find one for your MIL, SIL, or frenemy, I've whipped up a few that Hallmark seems to have avoided. I can't imagine why!
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5 Mom Definitions: The Traveling Mother Version

posted by Jill Smokler April 29 at 4:18 PM in Big Kid

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There was a time, not all that long ago, when I couldn't imagine happily spending a single night without my children. When I would cry over the thought of a missed bedtime story or morning without seeing their sleepy little faces. When the notion of a bed to myself seemed lonelier than it did luxurious.

That was then.

These days, I've gotten more accustomed to leaving my kids every now and then, and every trip I take, it gets a little easier. But every single time I leave, I suffer the same ailments ...
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5 (Questionable) Ways to Capture Pictures of Your Kids

posted by Jill Smokler April 22 at 7:30 AM in Big Kid

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I posted this picture on Facebook over the weekend. It was met with countless "how did you manage to capture all three of them?" and "that's a miracle!" responses.

Yes, folks, after five years of unsuccessfully attempting to capture all three of my kids in the same frame, I've finally discovered the secret behind it. Well, five of them. And it's your lucky day, because I'm sharing ...
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5 Things I Miss Most When I'm Away From My Kids

posted by Jill Smokler April 15 at 8:34 AM in Big Kid

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Last week, I spent four days away from my children promoting my new book in NYC. I had a bed all to myself, a bathroom door that remained shut when I closed it, and didn't have to make one lunch or Band-Aid one boo-boo the whole time. In other words, for four days, I wasn't much of a mom. The trip was exciting and thrilling and fun, but the best moment of all was the one when I walked back through the door into the arms of three kids, who were just as happy to see me as I was them.

So, in honor of that moment, I'm skipping the snark and focusing on the things I missed most when I was away from my kids; surprisingly, they are some of the things I tire of most easily when I'm home non-stop ...
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