Author Archives: Raising the Humans

About Raising the Humans

Hello! I am a social worker and Executive Director of Youth Be Heard. Catch me on Instagram @raisingthehumans.

motherhood, moms, moms are heroes,

Are You Just a Mom?

The decision to stay home after having my first child was incredibly challenging. My job wasn’t family friendly and I don’t have family nearby to help. My daughter had colic, and she needed me. Still, I deliberated until the last-minute. And I questioned my decision almost daily during my first two years of motherhood.

When telling a friend (who is a VP at a fortune 100 company

Continue reading

Why I Asked My Husband to Thank Me for Dinner

My home is bugged—by toddlers. It’s easy to forget, because like most mothers, I’m exhausted from everyday kiddo demands by the time evening hits. Cooking dinner with a 20 lb. baby in one arm while my toddler tries to pull my pants down, threatens to fry my last ounce of civility.

Continue reading

The Best Sound in the World

This Christmas, my son’s most favorite gift was a used tennis ball we found in the garage.  May we all find joy in simple things, like used tennis balls and baby giggles!  Click the link below to see the video!

IMG_4768-2

Kids, toddlers, parenting

A Date without Your Spouse

“Make time to go on dates with your spouse after you have kids” is common advice from weathered parents.  I’ll admit, it’s easier said than done, but worthy advice nonetheless.  Today, however, I accidentally discovered how important it is go on a date with my two-year-old.

Continue reading

What do Stay at Home Moms do all Day?

what do stay at home moms do

I used to wonder “what do stay-at-home moms do all day?” I assumed they watched cartoons, talked on the phone, and did whatever they wanted while the kids played. Part of the reason it is so hard to know what a stay-at-home parent does is because every time someone asks this question the response is so full of small things that she doesn’t know how to answer it.  Because she is CONSTANTLY Continue reading

Who Knew? Formula Loses Quality after a Month.

 

IMG_8491.JPG

Similac formula use within 1 month

 

I primarily breastfeed my son, but occasionally use formula.  We have only used half a container after nine months.  It’s not expired, so I assumed it was fine to keep using it.

That is, until the other day, when I actually read all the instructions and noticed that it says use within one month of opening!  Whoops!  I wondered, “will formula hurt my baby if I’ve used it after being opened for more than one month?”  I mean, obviously he appears  fine, but I wanted to be sure.  The skeptic inside also wondered if the formula companies just want us to buy more.

I decided that calling the manufacturer Continue reading

Mesmerized by You

mountain railway

Our family of four attended a birthday party at the lone restaurant on the top of Mt. Baldy a couple of weeks ago.  Riding a rickety old ski lift was the only way to get up the mountain.  My husband wore our two-year old in one carrier, and I wore our 6 month old in another.  They made us ride separately because you can only have two “people” per lift.  Since when did a 15 lb person count?  Just kidding.

So the party was crazy with two tiny people to keep track of in the midst of many full-sized people.  We did a little dance, sang a little song, and it was time to ride down the mountain in the dark.  Now, I live in a city where I often get honked at because I forget to turn my headlights on at night.  There are so many lights all around me that I don’t even notice.  But Mt. Baldy is in the wild wilderness compared to my home.

So here I am, isolated by darkness… riding on this rickety ski lift. Continue reading

Hygiene Confessions of a Mom

hat hair

Everyone knows that moms are crazy busy. So, we sometimes have to take a few shortcuts to make ends meet. Meaning, we need to give up taking a crap or giving a crap.

If a mom were to divulge all of her hygiene secrets they might sound something like this:

Continue reading

How to Fly with Two Kids and Not Pay for Checked Bags

Call us crazy, but we still fly with two kids two and under without paying for checked bags.  We live in Los Angeles and our family is in the Midwest, so we fly back several times a year and usually stay for a week or two.

When we went on our first trip with our two-year old and infant, I was a nervous wreck and kept saying to my husband “how are we going to do this!?”  Well, heavens to Betsy, we surprised me and figured it out by trial and error.  We tried two different ways, Continue reading

You Know Your Life is Crazy When

I love chocolate

You are so sleep deprived that you wake up in the morning (after waking up 10 times in the night with your infant) and say this about the person six inches away from you in bed: “is that my baby or my husband? Continue reading