Not A Hipster Mom

If you’re a parent with an Internet connection, you’ve probably read the recent story about David Beckham and his four-year-old daughter’s pacifier. Earlier this month, Beckham was photographed out with his little girl, who had a pacifier in her mouth at the time. The UK’s Daily Mail then published a story in which “experts” criticized him for this parenting decision, saying that she may end up with “speech or dental issues” as a result of the pacifier use. They added that as a celebrity he is a role model, and people seeing the pictures will think that this is normal behavior when it’s not. In a real-life move that I applaud wholeheartedly, Beckham took to Instagram to respond, defending himself and slamming the paper with the following statement: “Why do people feel they have the right to criticize a parent about their own children without having any facts?? Everybody who has children knows that when they aren’t feeling well or have a fever you do what comforts them best and most...

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always had a special relationship with the Fourth of July. My parents tried to make the holiday fun for me and my siblings -- they always made a special effort. And now as an adult, while other people might stress about what they’re going to do on New Year’s, I care more about where I’m going to barbecue on the Fourth, and how I’m going to make it the perfect day. This year, I will be celebrating by enjoying a barbecue with my boyfriend’s family and each of our daughters, so I know I’ll have a great time. But lately I’ve found myself thinking about the holiday in a way that goes beyond barbecues and fireworks. Perhaps because my plans are set, or because my daughter is getting older, or maybe because of everything that is happening in our country right now, I’m thinking about what it means to celebrate the fact that we are Americans, and what I wish for my daughter’s future here. I have always had a strong personal connection to this country in a...

My boyfriend and I just got back from two days at Disneyland with our daughters. We planned the trip in celebration of their birthdays, which are just a few weeks apart at the beginning of the summer, thinking that rather than buy them a bunch of stuff, this year we would give them an experience they could enjoy together and maybe even remember. That’s the funny thing about being a parent: everything sounds so awesome and doable in theory, and then reality spits up in your face. While the girls loved our Disneyland vacation, and we all had a lot of fun, it was not without its challenges. With that in mind, I present to you my five real-life, tried-and-true steps to the best Disneyland family vacation ever. You can thank me later. 1. Leave the kids at home. Seriously, they’ll be fine, and if you bring them with you they’ll just slow you down, like a lot. 2. No, but really, accept that this trip is for the kids. You did not go to Disneyland to frolic through the park and ride Space...

When you’re expecting, or just had a baby, everyone wants to give you advice, from your second cousin to the checkout lady at the grocery store. And while I received many helpful (and some decidedly less helpful) tips, there were some things that I had to discover for myself. Here’s a list of ten fun things no one told me about parenting a young child. Can you relate? 1. Your child will unknowingly say or do things that remind you of something dirty, and you and your partner will laugh your asses off while she stares at you like you’re clinically insane. 2. They grow up so gradually that you don’t even notice it, until the day you really notice, when she’s arguing with you and winning. It’s like one day your child is a toddler sitting backward in the backseat with limited understanding and no long-term memory, and the next she is a fully-functioning human who asks you what song lyrics mean while you frantically change the channel looking for a song without the words “lick” and “boo...