Spring is on its way and that means it’s time to tidy your house before the summer’s madness and mayhem arrive. If you are dreading the task of clearing the closets and wiping the dirt from the walls, try reframing your mindset. Instead of looking at spring cleaning as an overwhelming chore, think of it […]
Parenting
Posted inBend Nest
Summer Safety
Parenting tips for summer fun, in and around the water
Summer in Central Oregon means soaring temperatures, water play and of course, loads of festivals and events. Parents are right to experience some level of worry as they head out into the High Desert heat with the kids in tow. With a little education and preparation, though, parents can keep the summer carefree and focus […]
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The Next Phase
Important moments for parents of teens
From, “What to Expect When You are Expecting,” to an arsenal of books claiming to have the answers when it comes to raising young children, parents may be overwhelmed with parenting information the moment they find out baby is on the way. But what happens when that child sheds their babyface for stubble or budding […]
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Taking A Toll
Parental Compassion Fatigue: Coping with kids and COVID
Parenting through over a year of COVID shutdowns, quarantines and ever-changing restrictions was challenging for most parents. It meant extended stretches of time in intense parenting mode broken only by switching into teacher mode and sometimes counselor mode to help soothe children’s fears and anxieties. Even with school back in session, parents have a heavy […]
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What’s for Lunch?
Simple Ideas to Keep Lunch Healthy, Interesting and Fun for Everyone
After months and months of home-based schooling and fractured in-class learning time, many families across Central Oregon are looking forward to this back-to-school season with more anticipation and excitement than ever. Along with gathering supplies and making sure there are shoes and clothes, the next question is, “What’s for lunch?” If your family prefers packing […]
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Bad Mommy Bad Writer
Examining the messy path of building a career while staying home with the kids
The pandemic made working from home while caring for small children all too real for many parents. Growing a career alongside the kids is at times impossibly difficult, positively hilarious and just rewarding enough to keep anyone from walking out on the job. Are you a parent immersed in the double-duty of working alongside your […]
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Play Date Etiquette
Navigating COVID & kids in these uncertain times
In 2020, your kids spent months isolated away from their friends with only siblings and parents around for entertainment. If your family had a learning or friend “pod,” perhaps they knew one or two peers who were allowed to socialize with them on occasion. Either way, interactions with those outside the immediate family have been […]
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One Step Ahead
Anticipating the school year and the pandemic’s impact on kids’ mental health
Even before 2020 took the U.S. by storm with COVID-19, anxiety and depression were prevalent among our youth. Now more than ever, with the new school year quickly approaching, parents are faced with the challenge of figuring out how to not only calm their children’s fears of becoming and getting others sick, they have to […]
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Family Milestones
How to know if you’re ready.
Parenting is an epic adventure. The day you find out you are bringing another person into your family is the beginning of a wild ride that includes many firsts. From deciding when to start potty training to figuring out when to let your teen work or drive, there is an endless number of important decisions […]
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Back Off, Mama Bear
Why rescuing your kids might actually be harming them
Our society celebrates the Mama Bear. You know, the mothers who ferociously protect and rescue their children from any and every difficulty that appears. And why shouldn’t these women be idealized? Isn’t a child’s welfare a parent’s top priority? Even before the children are born, homes are baby-proofed and every protection possible is put in […]