Parenting — Page 3

What I Learned About Motherhood from Dory on Finding Nemo – #FindingDory

Parenting Advice from Dory, of Finding Nemo… I loved this movie before I even became a mom. I used to watch it all the time when my nephews would stay with me…. And admit to watching it a few times on my own too. {And yes, I cry every.single.time when the mom dies at the beginning. Darn these Disney-Pixar films pulling at my emotions!} And, with Mother’s Day around the corner {this Sunday!} I thought it was a great time to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from watching this movie so many times. Dory may or may not be a mother {would she remember?} – but she has some great lessons to teach us about motherhood….

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 10, 2013 Filed Under: Parenting | 2 Comments

Family Travel Builds Great Memories…

“Because it’s summer, and the memories are just waiting to happen.” – Unknown… You want to hear something crazy about me? I never traveled out of my home state of Washington until I was 19 years old. And I was 23 the first time I finally boarded a plane! AND… Even though I live her near the coast, I’d never been to the beach until I visited the beautiful Oregon Coast 3 years ago while I was pregnant with Abby. I’d always yearned to travel, but never had much opportunity until about a year and a half ago… Last summer I flew to four different states, and will head to even more this year! What a change, right?

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 2, 2013 Filed Under: Parenting | No Comments

Learn How to Limit Additives in Kids Medicines

Treating cold and flu in kids – as simply and naturally as possible… When treating any type of illness, it’s best to take a “less is more” approach to treating it. This is important for every family – but is extra important for us. Keep reading to find out why, and learn an easy way to be sure that the medicines you use to treat your kid’s colds and flu symptoms are as simple as possible – free of yucky additives.

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on March 7, 2013 Filed Under: Parenting | No Comments

Does Pregnancy Cause Varicose Veins?

More than 80 million Americans suffer from vein disease, a medical condition that can lead to further health problems… Are you one of the “lucky” women who know all about varicose veins? Whether it’s the smaller “spider veins” that spread out like an unattractive net across your legs, or those bulgy veins with bumps and lumps, they often show up for the first time {or get worse, if you had them before} during pregnancy. But does pregnancy actually cause them, or something else?

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 21, 2013 Filed Under: Parenting | No Comments

Getting the Best Care for Kids with Special Needs

Do you know a child with special needs?… My family has seen it’s share of hospitals. My dad has had health problems off and on all of my life. My youngest brother was born with a defective heart valve, and had to have surgeries every couple of years until he turned 15, and they did an open heart surgery to replace it. My youngest nephew had to come into the world during an emergency c-section, was airlifted to Seattle Children’s Hospital, and spent over a month there before he was well enough to finally come home. And my little girl, Abby, was born in a ton of distress – we actually thought she was stillborn when she arrived. The NICU team was on call in my room, and whisked her away to their unit right away – and it was 2 days before I even got to hold her for the first time. She spent a week there before recovering fully – but then earlier this year, my sweet toddler started having seizures, and we’ve been dealing with an overwhelming amount of doctors and hospitals once again. So I know, all too well, how important it is to find the best care for your family….

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 14, 2012 Filed Under: Parenting | No Comments

Your Kid Doesn’t Need a Cell Phone Yet… Or Does He? – #ATTMobileSafety

“If you’ve never been hated by your child, you’ve never been a parent.” – Bette Davis... If you’ve been reading here for awhile, then you know about my slightly odd living situation – {Why bloggers have messy homes, and other thoughts on housekeeping…} Which means – my younger brother and my nephews have lived with me for the past couple of years – in addition to me, my Mister, my little girl, AND my mom. I’ve loved it, but it’s also brought challenges that I didn’t expect. Like – not to age myself, but um, the first tech I ever had was when my friends had pagers. In high school. In 1996. Yikes – I’m not good at math, but I’m almost sure that makes me old….

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 2, 2012 Filed Under: Parenting | 6 Comments

Cyberbullying Twitter Party: #uknowkids

Tweet Tweet!… We are thrilled to announce that we are throwing our second Twitter party! We are dedicating our entire party to cyberbullying because it was such a major problem during the Olympics. With kids going back to school, we want to ensure child safety and offer tips to parents. Our hosts, Tim and Steve Woda are Internet and mobile safety experts and will be available to answer your questions. We will be giving away 4 three-month subscriptions to uKnowKids to those who actively participate throughout the party. In addition…

The two participants who refer the most friends will receive:

First Prize: $75 Target Gift Card

Second Prize: $50 Target Gift Card

@Who,What, When and #Where?

Who: Hosted by @timwoda and @stevewoda. Tim is an Internet and mobile safety expert and was recently a guest on two daytime talk shows and Steve is the CEO of uKnow.com and an Internet safety expert.
What: A Twitter party dedicated to cyberbullying! Due to the number of athletes that were cyberbullied during the Olympics we want to educate parents on how to keep kids safe this school year.
When: Thursday, August 23 at 3PM EST(1 hour only)
Where: Just follow the hashtag #uknowkids
RSVP: To be eligible for prizes during the party, or for the referral prizes, you must RSVP to the Cyberbullying Twitter Party. {You can mention that Meagan from Sunshine and Sippy Cups sent you if you’d like!}

I was bullied terribly as a little girl… We moved to a new “better” neighborhood the summer before I entered 5th grade. I had loved my old school – I was class president in 3rd and 4th grade {seems funny now to think of having officers at such a young age – but it taught us SO much.} I had great friends. Loved my teachers and all of the school staff. But at my new school, the kids didn’t like that I wore dresses. They thought I was totally not cool because I wouldn’t say cuss words like they did. I liked to sit under a tree and draw during recess, instead of playing sports. That was 3 strikes too many, and I was branded the outcast. They would follow me as I walked the two blocks home each afternoon, calling me names and throwing rocks at me. I cried every.single.day. So – I know first hand the damage that bullies can do. I can only imagine how much worse it must be for kids these days, with technologies like smart phones and iPads, and sites like Facebook and Twitter that can spread rumors like wildfire

What can you do about bullying?

We all have a responsibility to stop bullying. It might mean taking steps to prevent it from happening to your own child – such as teaching them how to respond to bullies, or educating school staff on stopping it. Or it might be recognizing that your own child is a bully, even if that’s super hard to admit. Then learning how to teach your child compassion and empathy for others. It might mean owning up to your own bad behavior – the gossip that the kids hear you spreading when you have lunch dates with a girl friend, or the negative way that you and your husband speak to each other during disagreements. The more that we all ensure every child grows up feeling cared about, respected, and valued – the more we can help prevent some of the tragedies that occur far too often, like school shootings or other violence committed by angry kids. Joining this great Twitter party will help you learn new tips and skills, and about other resources to help you end bullying in your community too.