It’s the Mother of All New Year’s Resolutions: Get in shape, lose weight, eat better, go to the gym.  However you want to phrase it, we’ve all told ourselves this at one time or another.  And we all have obstacles standing in our way, like kids, work, money, and time. The truth is it doesn’t take a drastic lifestyle change or huge chunks of time to make a difference. Start small:  As I browse my Facebook feed, I see all the gym regulars complaining about the recently resolute clogging their precious treadmills. “Just a few more weeks until they all go back to their couches,” one friend writes…

Coming up on my son Desmond’s second birthday, I’ve been fondly reflecting on this past year. It’s amazing how far we’ve come. This time last year he was just crawling, had a handful of definable words, and was still eating soft foods. Now he’s running everywhere, talking in full sentences, and eating everything in sight. From baby to little man in the blink of an eye. Over this holiday vacation I had the pleasure of watching my 5-month old nephew for a couple of days. The experience was full of flashbacks to baby-hood. That first year came back to me like it was yesterday. It was not that …

As we come to the end of 2011, most people take time to reflect upon the year and consider positive changes going forward. Eating healthier and exercising more are always in the back of my mind, but I thought I would also set some realistic resolutions around parenting. These are my hopes for me, my son, and my family in the new year. Unplug: This applies to everyone in our household. Many times during a typical day I find that I will have my laptop open, while my husband is on his smart phone and my son sits in front of the TV. These things are all okay in moderation, but it’s easy to get …

I am one of those annoyingly festive people who actually loves this time of year. But there does come a time in the middle of filling out holiday cards, baking cookies, decorating the house, checking lists, and shopping for gifts when it all becomes a bit overwhelming. There are ways to simplify this season so that we’re not running ourselves ragged by the time New Years comes along. Cut down on travel: This may be an unavoidable necessity if you live far from family. But while your kids are young, you may want to reconsider the need. Travelling with little ones is always a hassle. Add in the…

It’s easy to fall into a rut when it comes to meals, especially when time is limited. Most evenings you want what is fast and uncomplicated. When you add picky eaters to the mix, the rut-factor is doubled. My sweet, naive pre-parent self asserted that this would not happen. I would encourage my child to develop diverse and healthful tastes! He/she will eat vegetables! And sushi! And tofu! Cut to the reality that is toddlerhood, where chicken nuggets and mac ‘n cheese are king. Toddlers are notoriously choosy about what goes on their plate and into their mouths.  I have found that simply …

There are certain toys that will send parents running for the ibuprofen. During the holiday season, the phrase “Some Assembly Required” is like a dirty word in most households with young children. And I’ve been known to plot the mysterious disappearance of anything with loud repetitive sounds or flashing lights. Maybe I asked for it. In my pre-parent days I purchased a drum and tambourine set for my niece, thinking I was helping to expand her creative side, not realizing that I had given her parents the gift of incessant noise. They turned to me with pleading faces and rolling eyes, even …

Shopping with kids is not on my list of top 10 favorite experiences. It involves a test of patience and wills and maybe a tantrum or two, for both parent and child. And while I’ll do most anything to avoid it, inevitably during this holiday season I will find myself at a local mall with my son, along with many other parents in the same situation. There are ways to make the experience a little easier for all involved. Be aware of his schedule. Make sure your child is not overtired or hungry. If it’s right around nap time, it might not be the best idea to take him out. Or if he hasn’t had lunch…

It’s a situation to which many can relate: Driving back and forth between two (or more) houses on Thanksgiving Day, splitting time between families as judiciously as possible. But even after years cultivating finely laid plans for the holidays, I still get heartburn before I’ve even had a bite of turkey. Don’t get me wrong, I adore spending time with our families. One of the things I am most thankful for is having our family close by, and that they are actually fun, enjoyable people to be around. But Thanksgiving Day seems to have a general malaise about it; perhaps it’s all the turkey and …

When both parents work outside the home, sitting down to dinner as a family is not always realistic. But even if it doesn’t happen every night, it is important to us that we make it work as often as possible. After we’ve spent the day going our separate ways, it’s a great way to reconnect and eat a healthy meal as a unit. But it takes some planning ahead to make it happen. Meal plan. Create a menu at the beginning of the week and stick to it.  This helps set a streamlined shopping list and cuts down on wasted food.  It also helps give peace of mind and minimize those moments of standing in …

Perhaps I’m jumping the gun covering the topic of holiday shopping in early November.  But since the winter weather has already hit us with its first punch, I figure it’s time to get a head start on the holiday season too. There are huge advantages to shopping early.  One is avoiding the December chaos and constant crowds at every mall.  After you’ve already finished shopping, driving by a packed parking lot instead of fighting for a spot comes with a certain smug sense of pride.  Starting early also takes the edge off the inevitable budget strain of the season.  Spending money over a number …

The inevitable is upon us. We are slowly but surely barrelling into the winter season. And while there are certain things I love about this time of year: the holidays, cozy sweaters, hot chocolate, and watching the snow fall from the comfort of my couch, there are also some definite down sides. One of the negatives is not being able to go outside easily, especially with an energetic toddler running around. As the temperatures dip to bone-chilling lows, there are times we start to get a little stir crazy in our house. So we are constantly on the search for ways to get out, yet stay warm …

It seems every year just as the weather starts to turn, my house gets hit with the Cold of All Colds. It starts with one and snakes its way through each of us, leaving a trail of phlegm in its wake. That time is upon us. While I am only at the beginning stages, my husband and son Des are a few days into the inaugural illness. I would gladly take the brunt of any and all sickness if it meant Des would go unscathed. Is there anything worse than watching your child suffer when there's little you can do to help? Most colds are just a waiting game until it's over, but there are some things you can…

Last year was our first Halloween as parents. I’ll be honest; I wasn’t super excited about putting our son in a costume. Dressing him in regular clothes is a chore with our littler squirmer. The thought of wrestling him into a bulky costume that he would likely despise for five minutes just to take photos and “make memories,” well... I’d rather take a nap. I’d pretty much rather take a nap than do anything else since giving birth, but that’s beside the point. The part of me that thought it would be a travesty to simply ignore Halloween prevailed, and about a week before the big day I started …

It may not feel like Fall out there, but the calendar confirms that it is, in fact, October. While Mother Nature continues to play mind games, I am ready for the crisp weather and fun family activities that come with this most New England of all seasons.Before we head into winter hibernation, when leaving the house is a chilly chore, I’ve been doing my best to get my family outdoors as much as possible.We’ve already been to Honey Pot Hill in Stow where my older nieces and nephews climbed the trees picking the best apples off the tallest limbs. My son got a kick out of being pulled by a real …

Prior to having a baby there are a variety of classes out there to help guide you through the amazing journey into parenthood.  There are pregnancy and childbirth classes to teach about all the wonderful and not-so-wonderful aspects of the road to baby.  There are also newborn care and breastfeeding classes to help show you the ins and outs of caring for this tiny, screaming, pooping person for whom you are now responsible. My question is: Why do they stop there? Where are the classes for dealing with toddlerhood and the pre-teen years?  And we all know that parenting teenagers is no picnic. …

Last year Brian Hiltz Jr. of Woburn died tragically and unexpectedly at just 6 years old. Even without knowing the family well, the loss of a child is absolutely heartbreaking. But it hits especially close to home for those of us who have kids of our own. I can’t imagine the pain the Hiltz family has suffered. Brian and his father shared a love of sports, particularly of baseball. Brian Sr. plays in a Woburn league called the Men’s Night Baseball League. In his son’s memory, many players in the league rallied together to throw a fundraiser called ‘Homers for Hiltzy.’ It was a homerun derby …

Every mom feels guilt. It’s in the job description, whether you stay at home or work outside of it. My personal perspective is from that of a working mom and this week has been especially guilt-ridden for me. I’ve been on a business trip for a number of days, my first real time away, a practice I can only hope is infrequent. It has not been easy. Guilt comes in many forms. I feel terrible that my boy may be missing me, although he is still at the stage of remaining mostly unaware that I’m even gone. No matter how much we prepared, I feel guilty that all the day-to-day responsibilities fall …

This week I’ll be traveling for work. I am dreading it with the heat of a thousand suns. I will miss my son and husband fiercely. If I could, I would pack them in my suitcase between my blazers and white button-down shirts. Family time already feels so limited with both parents working full time. But I understand that this is part of having a career and a family. Many working parents must face the inevitability of traveling, whether it’s just once or every other week.  Even in the age of Skype and conference calls and constantly being connected, digital communication is not always a …

One day recently, after arriving home from a busy and notably napless day at daycare, Des took a late afternoon snooze. He barely made it to the crib before his eyes started closing. Skipping a nap at daycare is not totally out of the norm for Des. Our daycare will inform us at pick up time, and we usually expect him to go to sleep as soon as we get home. The unusual part of this particular afternoon was that he woke up less than an hour later, crying in his crib. I sighed, bracing myself for a very crabby, exhausted little boy. I went into his room to soothe him, but he didn’t settle down. …

Editor's note: The column Baby Steps normally appears on Sundays at 2:00 p.m. This week, considering that Sarah is focusing on what to do with children during a storm and Irene is expected to hit tonight, we decided to feature the column today instead of tomorrow. Enjoy and stay safe in the storm.  I have touched on the subject of indoor activities previously during a string of snow days this past winter. With Hurricane Irene barreling toward us, it’s time to revisit the topic. This bout of inclement weather arrives just as we’re hitting Threat Level Orange in the tantrum department with our …