Need Some Topics and Ideas That Concern Moms

Hi P.,

My name is M. Perrone, you can read more about me at www.martaperrone.com and www.domesticpulications.com

Apart from owning a nanny agency, I have authored a book to help mothers and fathers find and hire their childcare. There are many issues associated with this subject that are of great concern to parents. It is a good area to discuss. If you need any advice, let me know. I also have started a blog www.dearmarta.com

Best of luck,
M.

Hi P.,

I wish someone would've told me that the 1st year of having a baby is really very difficult, and changes the dynamics of the entire household. I wish someone would've told me that when you have a baby, you have to instantly become "mommy" where "daddy" gets to ease into things over that 1st year, and most "daddies" don't just assume the role instantly like "mommies" have to without being given the chance to adjust.

Hi P.,

I have been noticing with concern the number of significant medical questions that mothers have been posing to this site, rather than seeking the advice of a licensed practioner. If this site is indicative of the general population (and I have no idea if it is or not), there seems to be a growing distrust of the medical establishment, promulgated by the idea that doctors are owned by big Pharma. I shudder when I see a question from a parent where the answer ends up being "get your child to a doctor NOW", or in some cases, 1 or 2 days ago. A parent's first recourse for anything that looks like an emergency situation should be the ER or their pediatrician -- not a website. I'm happy to see that a number of professional women in the medical field are beginning to offer good advice, but there are still plenty of respondants who are happy to pass on incomplete and uneducated solutions to potentially serious problems.

I'd be very happy to discuss this further with you if you like. My personal email address is ____@____.com, although I might actually see messages faster if they're sent through Mamasource.

From one writer to another, congratulations on your new column!

R.

here's just a couple ideas, my kids are grown now, but the memories of them growing up are priceless.

Will I loose my idenity when i become a mom
What if my baby doesn't like me ( I had a young mom to be ask me that question)
when the rocking days are over
My baby's first day of school
How to deal with baby's first illness
First time mom
Hugs that make my day
A child's smile

I'm not sure exzctly what you are looking for, I keep a (my thoughts book) and i write to my kids in it, and i write thoughts and feelings of mother hood and being a wife, and I write about many different things. If this isn't what you are looking for let me know. where do you live and what paper is your coulmn in? J. L.

Advise on how to deal with dads who regress.
Organic vs non
homemade food vs store bought food
Easy food to make at home that babies, toddlers, kids will love
Mother's in law, the good the bad the ugly, how not to get a divorce over your crazy mil...
vacinating over not why it is that doctors recommend when each one is to be given.
The absolute basic must have is a baby tub. It was the only thing we didnt get, cause we had a tub =). oh, and a rocker...

Nipple butter is Very Important to not hurting...

Kids are smarter than we give them credit for.

Good luck
R

Hi P., here's a topic that young moms need to know about- it's a very emotional subject and moms prefer not to think about drowning or the possibility. You can help change that ...safety and prevention are core values of Moms...and you can spread the word. May was Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Month (well everyday should be pool safety day!).

My name is M., I'm a board member of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, and a member of Safe Kids San Diego's Drowning Prevention Task Force (and other organizations). Drowning is the leading cause of death of children is San Diego- last year there were 7 drowning deaths of children 5 and under in San Diego...everyone was preventable. Drowning is preventable but predictable. The most vulnerable children are those ages one and two. I can provide you with statistics, and more importantly, strategies that moms can use. Drowning is preventable with the multi faceted combination of active adult supervision of children, layers of protective barriers between the water and the home, quick rescue and response if an accident happens (with immediate CPR) and swim and survival skills for all.
Drowning prevention is everyone's business, and Moms have the most pressure to keep kids safe! Please call on me - ____@____.com

A few things that I wish I knew about before having kids:

1- save money by buying baby, infant, and toddler items used...craigslist, thrift stores, handmedowns from older cousins, etc. Put that saved money away for their college education! It never occured to me to buy stuff used. We got a lot of nice handmedowns for my first child from an older cousin (thank goodness!). Other than that, we bought everything new. We could have saved thousands of dollars if I just did a little research and bought things used.

2- that the disrespectful behavior and attitudes start way earlier than puberty/teenage years. Try age 3! I expected the tantrums and meltdowns, but not the sassy attitude at such a young age.

3- that "Mommy Guilt/Worry" can be so overwhelming.
4- that it's really okay to not be "Super Mom" and to be selfish sometimes and put yourself at the top of the list. I still feel bad about spending money on myself by getting massages every couple of months and taking Saturday afternoons to be by myself, but I know I need that time away from the duties of children, husband, and household. I'm a better Mom and wife because of it. I just wish I knew that during the first 2 years with my first child.

How to handle my 11 year old little girl who is pre "menstration" her additude is unbelievable, how to stop the back talk, and how to know if I am helping her grow into a young lady or if I am holding her back too much. So scary and hard for both of us to understand each other. I just wish I could enjoy her like her teacher's and other people she is arond. I am always told she is so pleasant and eager to please, and a joy to be around. It has to be the pre pms that is dividing us. I go back and forth with myself to be more stern, and then I feel harsh and try ease up. When will I find that happy medium we once had. OH if she was only 5 again. lol

That is wonderful that you have an opportunity to write for the newspaper. I think that it would be helpful for moms if you could discuss the following topics: using money wisely to benefit your family, dealing with illnesses or unexpected events regarding your children or family(ex. terminal illness, severe learning problems, ADHD), keeping the love alive in your marriage after the children come along.

The very best of luck,
J.

1. How to network with other mommies i.e. Facebook, Mamasource, etc.
2. Working mom and stay at home daddy... this is how we do it and so do several of my friends... it is a growing trend
3. How to make a family blog or ways to keep the memories alive (because we will forget the little moments)
4. How a marriage changes when you become a mommy and how to work through that
5. Being active in your child's education... volunteer in classroom, PTA, support your child at home by reading/assisting with homework
6. Creating family traditions

Just a few of my ideas. Sounds like a great idea for a column. What newspaper? I think you should also start a blog with your articles.
Love,
J.

I would find some older ladies who have successfully raised a family and ask them questions. When I was involved in MOPS many years ago we had older mentor moms give talks on various things. Their children had left the home and were doing very well, including having healthy relationships with their parents. Their advice and feedback was invaluable. Even though I have six kids I still think about things those ladies shared well over 10 years ago. Perhaps you could have that as a segment of your column, among other things. Also, the importance of how a wife can help, love, and support her husband, even if he's difficult, cannot be underestimated. Anyway, what a great privilege and responsibility you have with your column. How fun! God bless you!

You can talk about breastfeeding! I am a SAHM first time mother who is only nursing! Nobody told me to build up your milk supply you must pump after every feeding! Wuuuuh I was a little angry needless to say! But any advise on breastfeeding actually helps! Also on when your nipples feel better after you start nursing! It took about a month of bleeding and pain for them to be tough and not hurt anymore! A lot of mom's give up so quickly because its constant pain and agony! Hope this topic helps a new mom somewhere!

Circumcision... I wish someone had educated me a little bit more about what it was like and what it should look like when it was finished.

Something that I'm a fighter about is the topic of vaccination vs. immunization... how our country confuses the two.

I wish someone told me that you raise ONE child differently then you would raise TWO or more LOL. I had ONE child for five years, then I had my first son two days after my daughter turned five, then a short 14 months later had my second son ~ third child! I laugh at how I was with my daughter, cleaning everything, the way I washed her bottles and such, her clothes her always clean and so forth. When the the boys came things CHANGED!! Half the time the boys are in thier undies ~ who needs the extra laundry, and the dishwasher is a great place to wash bottles =} And you REALLY start choosing your battles, based on the wons you KNOW you will be able to WIN. And I hardly ever have the time to 'talk' to the children about what and why they did this wrong, since I am sure they tag team me while I am trying to teach one something the other two start interupting so that ONE conversation is never complete LMAO! It has been very intersting to say the least =}. I have two cousins (sisters) who had babies at about the same time, one has one daughter while the other has TWIN boys, I see how they parent diff as aposed to the single child and the multiples. My kids are now 10,5,4 and I enjoyed most of it and laugh ALOT, but no one told me how much harder and DIFFERENT life is when you go from one child to 2,3,4.....God has blessed me with my trio of terror and a good sense of humor.

Ger vs GERD
Reflux vs Colic
Bottle vs Breast
Demand vs scheduled feeding
socializing your toddler
introducing baby number 2 (to baby number 1)

I am a therapist for children with special needs; and whether they have special needs or not I think that the most impt topic you can discuss is keeping boundaries consistent. Parents don't realize when they keep moving boundaries (or punishment) all over the place it sets them up for failure later on. What is cute at 2 is not so cute at 12!

Hi! Well, I had a MAJOR thing with going out to dinner or anywhere public from the time my little girl turned 2-1/2. She was so hyper if she was confined for more than 10 minutes, there was jumping on the seats, running around and finally, an all out tantrum. So I wrote this book, The Restaurant Rescue Kit & Guide. I was on Fox News and the formula for stopping the tantrums is: Distract, Engage and Channel. If you'd like to offer this solution to moms, and perhaps even mention my website, I'd love that. Dr. Laura put the book on her show also. See what you think on the website. www.RestaurantRescueKits.com. It literally changed my life! The Airport one and Road Trip versions are coming out in a couple of months.

You could write about stay at home moms vs working moms and why we mommies are always judging and fighting each other because some work and some stay home. How to keep the romance going at home after you have kids. How to find daycare, and schools and what kind of questions you should ask when looking. Maybe you could touch on the subject of using old children's furniture and car seats, etc. I know most people have had their mom or mother in laws trying to pass down their last childs old crib and stuff like that and they don't always realize that it isn't exactly safe anymore. Hopefully grandmothers or soon to be grandmothers will read that and not try and push old stuff onto others anymore. Finding time for yourself with out feeling guilty. I hope this helps you, looks like you have alot of ideas from everyone.

Hi P.,

First, congratulations on your column.

I have seen lots of wonderful ideas on here but I noticed most are about when the children are babies or toddlers. Well as a mom of a 7 1/2 and 3 1/2 I must say that even though we not considered "new" parents, it still feels like that everythime something new comes up with our oldest child. That's because everything that comes up with her is a "first" for my husband and I.

How about some topics on how to handle older children. For example, until I posted a question on here recently, I had no idea children could have acne before puberty. Nobody told me that. Nobody told me that children are developing earlier either, or how peer pressure starts in 1st grade and how to help your child deal with it. (I also didn't expect there to be "Divas" in the 1st grade but there was.) What about the age old battle of, "Joey's mom lets him do it." Discipline: Spanking vs time out vs time in the corner. A Huge topic is how to find balance between momhood, working, time for self, etc.

Good Luck,
R.