It’s been a while since I’ve posted an excerpt from my book, Mommy A to Z: An Encyclopedia of the Joys, Wonders, and Absurdities of Motherhood. But lately I’ve been thinking about the blessings of motherhood — those small, wondrous moments that often get overlooked between frantic sprints to the bus stop and never-ending piles of dishes and laundry. And yet, that wonder is always there, brightening each moment, giving each day texture and warmth. And so, without further ado…

J is for . . . Joy

Motherhood is surreal. Despite your best intentions to be a “cool mom,” it’s often hard to refrain from bursting out with absurdities like “We don’t eat iPhones in this house” or “Get your tiara off the cat.” Yet, despite the numerous moments of frustration and anxiety, motherhood is filled with many more moments of joy. Joy in that first moment you see your newborn’s sleepy little face, or the first time your daughter draws a picture of the two of you holding hands, or that moment you look at your spouse and realize you’re traveling side by side in the greatest adventure of your lives. Pure, exquisite, unbounded joy.

It’s hard to list the joys of motherhood—they are innumerable, vast, and at times overwhelming. However, in my experience, the best moments are often the small ones—those fleeting wonders that might seem insignificant to others, but that sneak up on you and make you realize, in one quick breath, how simple and beautiful love can be. I call them Mommy Moments. Here is a list of some of my most memorable Mommy Moments, which have brought me enough joy to last a lifetime. Continue reading

The Mommy A to Z Manic Mondays Blog Hop Is Live!

Link up at the Manic Mondays blog hop! Last week’s hop featured inspiring posts on everything from the surprises of fatherhood to tips for surviving as a new mom. To see which posts were featured, visit this week’s blog hop!

Now it’s time for this week’s party! Link up your favorite parenting post, recipe, craft – anything you like! As always, one post (or more!) will be featured on Mommy A to Z and on Twitter. So come link up your favorite post, meet some other great bloggers, and have a great time!

Buy the book! For more Mommy madness, check out the new book, Mommy A to Z: An Encyclopedia of the Joys, Wonders, and Absurdities of Motherhood, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.

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It’s time for another edition of Wednesday Weird Parenting News. This week we feature some weighty stories…

• According to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, women with bigger butts may have smarter babies. According to this study, fat supplies in a woman’s buttocks and thighs help a baby’s brain develop. I suppose that’s good news for women craving Ben & Jerry’s while pregnant. Read the full story.

• And a story out of Colombia: a 10-month-old who weighs 44 pounds (around the same as my 5-year-old)! Fortunately, she’s under medical supervision and is expected to slim down to a more typical weight…but her mom will have some unusual baby photos to show her future boyfriends! Read this story.

• And finally, a school in Alabama has come up with an unusual reason for a canned food drive. The school has asked students to bring in cans as part of a lockdown drill — to practice throwing cans at potential gunmen who enter the school. This move has generated some controversy… what do you think? Read the story.

That’s all for this week’s Weird Parenting News. See you next week, with more odd reports!

Buy the book! For more Mommy madness, check out the new book, Mommy A to Z: An Encyclopedia of the Joys, Wonders, and Absurdities of Motherhood, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.

Like this blog? Click below to vote for Mommy A to Z on Top Mommy Blogs!

To My Beloved Toddler and Kindergartner:

You have it pretty good around here. Lots of toys to play with, story-time galore, never a moment of hunger ignored. And, in my humble opinion, you deserve it all. You’re pretty good kids, if I don’t say so myself — sweet, kind to others, and relatively good listeners. Even you, my dear toddler, will reluctantly slink off to your “time-out” Elmo chair after some transgression, only to return afterwards with hugs and kisses for all. Unfortunately, amid all this love and good cheer, there is one person whose ever-so-modest needs often get left out of the mix.

That person, sadly, is Mommy.

Too often has Mommy gone without eating or gotten dressed before an audience peppering me with so many questions, I feel like I’m playing Naked Trivial Pursuit. But today, that all stops. Because today, I am issuing a Mom’s Bill of Rights. Here are 6 rights that are going to become law around here. Ignore them at your peril… Continue reading

Last week I published an article on the Washington Post, about why we chose to return a tablet that my daughter received as a holiday present. The article, “Somebody gave my 5-year-old a tablet,” has attracted a bit of attention.

Apparently, people feel quite strongly about this issue. I’ve received some pretty irate comments from people finding our decision “juvenile” and “selfish” and advising me to “get a shovel to dig myself out of my cave.” And, my favorite comment:

“Meredith Hale is quite simply out of her mind.”

It seems the article has touched a nerve. It’s even been republished in the New Zealand Herald for some foreign input. And now, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Below is an excerpt and a link to read the full post. I’d love to hear your opinion on this issue!

Suddenly, we were faced with the prospect of our kindergartner owning a tablet, on which she could play games, practice reading, or surf the Internet. On the one hand, it sounded innocent enough. After all, we want her to be comfortable with technology and keep up with her peers. There are plenty of educational apps for young kids – not to mention opportunities for her to keep busy during long road trips or stints at the doctor’s office. Plus, it was a gift from a family member, who wanted to share something special with her during the holidays. We couldn’t object to that.

And yet we had some serious reservations. Talking it over, we came up with a list of reasons we were uncomfortable letting our daughter keep this gift. Read the full article. 

Returning the gift wasn’t easy (thankfully, we did it before my daughter saw it). We talked to the amazing and generous gift-giver, who tolerates our idiosyncrasies and loves us anyway. And, one day, we’ll explain our decision to our daughter, who will probably roll her eyes and go back to watching The Voice, season 300 (spoiler alert: Blake’s team wins). Of course, by then we’ll be having that conversation via holograph…

Buy the book! For more Mommy madness, check out the new book, Mommy A to Z: An Encyclopedia of the Joys, Wonders, and Absurdities of Motherhood, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.

Like this blog? Click below to vote for Mommy A to Z on Top Mommy Blogs!