Is your child’s backpack too heavy? The American Occupational Therapy Association recommends students carry no more than 10 percent of their total body weight on their backs.
Your child is a titan of textbooks—and they carry each and every one of them home after school. While your kiddo has to study, a weighty backpack can do physical damage.
So what can your child to protect themselves? Karen Jacobs, EdD, OTR/L, CPE, FAOTA, clinical professor of occupational therapy at Boston University said in a press release, “Practicing safe carrying techniques such as only carrying necessary items to and from school, or filling an empty water bottle at school rather than carrying a heavier filled one, can make a difference.”
Jacobs also added, “The 10 percent rule is a good one to follow, but the reality is that if it feels too heavy, it probably is.”
The AOTA also suggests that parents make sure the backpack is the right size for the individual child, adjust the backpack’s height so that it’s roughly two inches below the shoulder blades and extends to slightly above the waist, balance the backpack evenly or consider a bag on wheels. Padded shoulder straps and a hip belt can also help to reduce backpack-related physical strain.
Visit the AOTA’s website here for more information.
Photographer Rachel Perman’s oh-so-imaginative Up-themed pics of her son Elijah are awesomely adorable—and the story behind them is even sweeter.
When looking for inspiration for the birthday photo sessions, Perman went with what her kiddos love.
The mom of the three, twins Emilee and Elijah and their older sib Mikayla, said, “Elijah is very particular, he is borderline addicted to Up and has been for several years. Its the only thing he draws and colors (the house with balloons) and the only books he wants to get at the library, and the only toy he wanted when we were in Disney World last year (the only thing we found that he wanted and came home with was a coffee mug.”
While Elijah was all about Up, his twin sis Emilee picked a unicorn shoot for herself. Even though the photos are magical just to look at, Perman’s stpry is even more meaningful. The photographer explained, “Five years ago I was diagnosed with cancer right after my twins were born and had fears if I would even get to see their fifth birthday.”
Perman continued, “My oldest (Mikayla) was five at the time and I hated not knowing if I would get the same time with them that I got with her. So for their fifth birthday I wanted to celebrate the things they love with photos! Its a celebration for me and them!”
If you’re wondering who the sweet seniors in the pics are, they’re Elijah’s IRL great-grandparents. Perman said, “My grandparents are Richard and Caroline Bain and are both 90 this year. They were thrilled to participate and loved that I asked them.” She also added, “Grandpa even went to the thrift store to get the jacket and hose. He said “I noticed in a photo Carl had a hose over his shoulder”. They have never seen the movie!”
From how you feed your baby to the amount of screen time they should get, everyone has an opinion about the right way to parent and how to be a mom. While they’re certainly entitled to that opinion, that doesn’t mean you have to agree. And, as one mom’s viral Facebook post reminds us, you should never have to apologize for making your own choices.
Jennifer Lynn, mom and blogger on They Whine So I Wine, recently shared a message to all moms on Facebook with a post that has since been shared by nearly 20,000 users. In the post, she writes, “As women we worry so much about what other people think or what we think they might be thinking. We create judgments in our own heads. We hear undertone where it’s not even meant to exist. We over-analyze text messages. We worry why we didn’t get the invite. We see glances and whispers and assume they must be directed at us.”
She continues, “We waste so much of our time worrying about what other people’s opinions of us are. We try so hard to bend ourselves fifty different ways to fit a mold in hopes of somehow satisfying everyone else, only to leave ourselves feeling empty. But, why? For what?”
She goes on to remind moms everywhere that “this is your motherhood” and that we should stop worrying about everyone else’s opinion. “Stop apologizing. Stop worrying about what other people think. I know. I know. Heaven forbid we offend someone … GASP.”
If you’ve truly done something that warrants an apology, then, of course, you should give one, Lynn says, but “stop apologizing for things that are your choice. Stop doubting your own decisions. Stop looking over your shoulder. Stop trying to please everyone else.”
She concludes with some wise words to remember, “Be who you were made to be, not who others want you to be.”
Warm summer days are upon us and if your mini-me’s wardrobe is lacking, you’ll want to stock up on the options from Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh. Summer offerings in the form of breezy sundresses, patriotic colors and funky overalls are just a few of the styles that make us dream of laid-back days. Keep scrolling to see our picks that are bound to make your little’s summer super stylish.
Your mini-me never looked so adorable than when she's sporting this swan swimsuit ($16). Or go demure, with a sweet polka dot version ($16) before donning a terry cover-up ($17), cat eye sunnies ($6) and sandals ($20).
A Fresh Take on Overalls
While adult overalls styles come and go, the pint-sized version is here to stay. With adorable shortalls ($20), skirts ($22) and pant options ($20) from OshKosh, summer outfits just got a whole lot easier. Pair with tees, tanks or just wear alone––there's no wrong way to overall.
Dressed to Impress
When it comes to battling the heat, this pinstripe off the shoulder dress ($20) does the trick! This big-girl sized dress ranges from a size four to 14 and comes in a pull-on style that makes it great for everyday wear. Pair with a brimmed straw hat ($14), sunnies ($6) and a pair of bow sandals ($24) to complete the look!
Buttoned Down
Dress your little man to the nines this summer in light and airy button-downs like this adorable plaid ($16) number. Looking for quirky? This picnic shirt will do the trick––it's patterned with hot dogs and ice cream!
One of my missions in life is to lower the bar. Granted, most of my bar-lowering escapades are unintentional, but sharing them with the world is intentional. And fun. If slightly humbling. But that’s the point!
THE SETUP
I’m currently at a pretty humble point in my life. I mean, makeup is a crap shoot, my hair is at an awkward length, and I’m at my very heaviest. All superficial things, and I am NOT complaining. My life is rich and meaningful and I am very well loved. But I’m not at the top of my game appearance-wise. My body isn’t as fun to dress as it used to be. And I LOVE clothes. So. My mom tells me that there is a great sale at Dillard’s. 65% off racks! And she has this super cute, swingy, intricately detailed top on she’d just gotten there.
I have some time to kill in town, so I decide to check it out. I arrive at our adorably small one-story Dillard’s and pop into the department at which I always peer longingly as I dutifully march with my daughters straight to the junior department. Not the old lady department. You know, the chic-if-fully-adult ladies section. I eye some cute, discounted things and start filling my arms. I’d almost forgotten how fun this is! I’m scouring a rack of tops, clicking through hangers, and eagerly looking for my size.
Suddenly, I see that the top Mom was wearing is on the same rack. Same brand. Same style. Now, my mom has always been a sharp and current dresser, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is seventy. Has it suddenly happened? Am I shopping fashion that is appealing to the over 60 set? I’m not ready for that. I cover my grays (everyfour weeks even; it’s a real commitment). I’m not ready for the sassy silver look. And I’m not ready to dress like my mom. I’d already been informed when school shopping earlier in the year that the things I suggested my girls try on weren’t their style. “That would be cute for you, Mom, but not for me.” Well, ok. I can accept that I’m not dressing like a 14 year old girl. I’m even relieved. But I thought I was shopping the category between teenager appropriate and fully mature.
THE DRESS
I hang a hard right (maybe I’d wandered too far left) and grab a super cute ivory and black dress with some embroidery and a deep v-neck that I know my mom would never try (can you blame me? I’m trying to recover here!). I head to the fitting rooms and do the usual. I cycle through a big stack of shirts one at a time and find a cute striped v-neck front-tie top that is flattering and a steal. Finished with the tops, I throw the dress on over my cami and jeans. I’ll take that stuff off if I think the dress is a strong maybe. Just a quick look before really putting in the work.
So, I slip it on over my head, wrestle with the under layer that wants to stay wedged up between the dress and my shoulders (what is it with these built in slips? Complicates things!), get everything in place and take a look. The dress is adorable but a little unflattering mostly because it is way too small. Well, shoot. I had been hopeful. That’s ok. I’ll just pull it off, buy the cute top, and call it a modestly successful shop. But I really wanted that dress to work. One more try in the mirror. You know, that futile attempt at shifting things around to make something that just isn’t right look better? This is a trap, and I don’t fall for it. Not right. Too tight. Reject! I need a size up if anything. I bunch up the skirt in both hands and do that arm cross dress-taking-off move we’re all familiar with, but I can’t quite shimmy it over my shoulders. Ok. This is nothing new. I have the world’s broadest shoulders.
Take a deep breath, exhale, and try again. Nope. Won’t budge. Um, I’m stuck. I look in the mirror and feel the pre-panic rising up my chest to my face. No, Joanne. Stay calm. Think! This fabric is so stiff. Maybe there’s a zipper. Yes!!! There is a little side under-arm zipper I hadn’t noticed. Sweet relief! I’m so ready to get out of this thing. I slide the zipper down and repeat the dress removal maneuver. Still can’t get it over my shoulders. Right then, the sweet clerk comes to check on me. “Doing OK?” Gulp! I need to buy some time. I pull the dress back into place and open the door. “Do you have this dress in an extra-large?” I ask her. She scurries off to check, and I resume the squirming, tugging, and wriggling. I try combining the cross-armed move with the little hops (you know the ones). That move combo works even with sweaty, skin tight sports bras. But no. I still can’t get this dress off!
My heart rate and temperature start to rise, but I’m not giving in to panic. No matter what I do short of ripping the seams or dislocating my shoulder, I can NOT get this dress off. The clerk returns, knocks, and says that she doesn’t think the dress is made in an XL. Well, there’s some good news. The largest size they make is too small. And I’m trapped in it. There’s only one thing left to do. I open the door, stick my head out, and say real quiet “Can you come in here? I need help. I’m stuck in this dress.” And God love that woman, she joins me in the 9-square foot room without a word and shuts the door behind herself. Reinforcements! Did I mention that I am not the only customer in the fitting room? I have a neighbor in the very next stall. I can see her feet. I can just picture her giving herself a wide eyed look in the mirror, thinking “Better her than me!” and then listening real hard to see what happens next.
One thing is comforting me at this point. At least I have clothes on under the darn dress, so when we finally get it off, I won’t be subjecting this nice lady to that awkwardness. She gathers up the free fabric in her hands for what seems like forever. As she starts lifting, I raise my arms above my head like a cooperative toddler. I feel a tiny sliding sensation. We are moving in the right direction! Wait. Why is she stopping? And why is it so hot in here? Can she smell my fear? She tells me that she can’t lift her arms any higher because she has an injured shoulder. Well, I don’t want to further injure the poor lady, so I squat a little and then more, hands still above my head. Can you picture me, arms and dress up over my head now in a deep, deep squat, with a stranger tugging upward to the point of shoulder failure? I could die. Finally, that poor dress is free of me. Thank goodness!!!
THE AFTERMATH
I’m not sure what happened next. My memory is foggy. I own the cute top, so I know I left the fitting room, purchased said top from my liberator, and somehow found my car. I don’t think I made any crazy attempts at saving face, but I can’t be sure. I think we probably both just tried to act like it hadn’t happened. Can you imagine? I do remember considering asking her how often that happens. I decided I couldn’t face hearing that I was her first, so I refrained.
Sitting in my car, my mood is equal parts amusement, shock, and mortification. At least I didn’t damage the dress. My next stop is to pick up Bailey and a friend from gymnastics. I end up telling them the story, and we all three howl with laughter as we fly down the interstate in the dark. It’s funnier once you’re free. By the time we arrive home, I feel only amusement. I decide to look online to see if I can find an XL. I really did like that dress! I check Dillards.com. Nope. Hmm. It’s such a good price. Oh what the heck. I order the large online. I pay shipping. I know! That dress is now hanging in the front of my closet. It isn’t mocking me. I’m going to win. I have a new goal. Mark my words, I will wear that dress.
And that is how you lower and raise the bar all in one story! To benefit from more of my bar-lowering escapades, check out the links in my profile to read articles about why I’m glad I got toilet paper stuck to my pants, how I injured myself shopping, or an observation regarding my rear-end made at full voice by my toddler in a public restroom.
What embarrassing stories do you have? Let’s chat and laugh at ourselves!
I am a family physician turned stay at home mom and blogger. I am developing a women's loungewear line, Shelfies, that will revolutionize what we wear in the {no-bra-zone} with soft fabrics, supportive but cozy shelf and just-enough-coverage cups.
As if they weren’t already awesome enough, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s new family tattoo shows just how super-sweet these super-celebs are. Teigen recently revealed the couple’s new ink in an Instagram post and we’re loving this awesome family-inspired art.
Their inner arm tattoos feature each family member’s name. Teigen and Legend’s matching body art features their kids’ names, Miles and Luna, along with each other’s names. In other words, Teigen got “John Luna Miles” and Legend got “Chrissy Luna Miles.”
Teigen joked in her IG pic caption that she and Legend can only talk to other tattoo families now that they’re “a cool tattoo family.” Hey, it’s not like the couple is the first celeb fam to get tot-themed tats. Jessica Alba recently got cute constellations inked onto her arm, representing her kids’ birthday zodiac signs.
Drew Barrymore is definitely a tattooed parent who could hang with Teigen and Co. The actress got her daughters’ names inked onto the inside of her wrist. And don’t forget about Angelina Jolie’s shoulder tattoo, featuring the geographic coordinates of each of her kiddo’s birthplaces.
So, it looks like Teigen and Legend have plenty of fellow “cool tattoo families” they could hang out with, now that they’ve become the social club’s newest members.
If you haven’t heard Kate Hudson’s birth story, leave it her very own mama, Goldie Hawn, to tell it in a classically comical way. When the mother-daughter duo recently co-hosted The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Hawn dished on her time in the delivery room.
When Hudson gave birth to daughter Rani Rose, her mother was right by her side. Okay, so maybe “side” isn’t exactly a fair representation of Hawn’s place in the birthing room. During their co-hosting stint on Ellen, Hudson joked, “As you might know, we had my daughter.” And by we, the actress didn’t mean herself and boyfriend Danny Fujikawa. Nope. Instead, she meant herself and Hawn!
So where exactly did Hawn position herself during Rani Rose’s birth? According to Hawn herself, as the doctor leaned down to deliver the baby she was “trying to get in on him to try to look over his shoulder.” Hawn went on to add that as she saw the baby’s head come out, and go in again, the doctor said, “Goldie, if you get any closer, you’re going to fall in!”
Thank goodness the pair have such an awesome mother-daughter relationship!
When my daughter was in fourth grade, she sang a solo in her school’s production of Schoolhouse Rock. I was sitting in the auditorium behind two men. A few bars into her rendition of “Elbow Room,” one turned to the other and said, ”I’m guessing this ain’t her first rodeo.”
Of course, I was thrilled to hear this compliment and it was all I could do to keep myself from tapping the guy on the shoulder and gushing about how she takes voice lessons and dreams of being a stage performer.
I share this because this week my daughter and I will head downtown to sign a contract with her first talent agent. As I sat in the waiting room during her recent audition and heard her nail a high note in a song from the opera The Sorcerer, I marveled at how she, at 12, teaches me to aim higher, be braver—and in the words of Theodore Roosevelt by way of Brene Brown, to “dare greatly.”
My daughter has maintained a single-minded focus when it comes to her vision. She says things like, “When I’m performing in a stadium…” or “When I live in New York and sing on Broadway…” She lets her imagination run free. She believes in herself.
So by the time she sang in front of the agents, they too could tell that this wasn’t her first rodeo, either.
Which got me thinking: What are my talents? How far back can I trace them? And in what ways do my experiences count for more than I allow?
If you’re like me, you may not give yourself credit for the bumps and bruises you’ve endured, or the many the times you’ve been knocked down and gotten right back up on that horse. Maybe you don’t want to remember the failures or, worse—believe that you’d be farther along if you’d made different choices.
The interesting thing about a rodeo is that it involves feats most people would never undertake. It’s scary. Participating in one requires an extremely specific skill set (or a huge dose of craziness). Success is measured in split seconds.
I’ve been to a rodeo only once. In my early twenties, I worked for a concession company and had a one-night gig selling beer in the grandstand at a rodeo. I was also working in my first real job as a copywriter and just beginning my first novel. I didn’t think that one night at a rodeo would contribute in any way to my dream of being a writer.
But here it is: 30 years later, showing up on the page.
My point is that I’ve realized something important: everything I do is in service to my dream. Every frightening moment, every detour, every cringe-worthy experience. And every success, shining moment or surprising achievement.
That night at the school assembly, I heard my daughter sing, “The way was opened up for those with bravery.”
Yes, bravery is required.
Life is like a charging bull or a wild horse. It will buck me off. All I can do is embrace the failures and the chaos, make mistakes, be willing to fall on my face in front of others, to show my underbelly, to be less than perfect. I can keep doing what I love; in my case, that’s writing.
And I can thank my daughter for reminding me to dream big. I can remember that, whether I see it or not, there are throngs of people waiting, watching and rooting for me.
Tammy Letherer is an author, writing coach and blogger. She holds a degree in Journalism from Indiana University and has enjoyed a long, varied professional writing career. She is the author of a memoir, The Buddha at My Table (release date October 2018) and a novel, Hello Loved Ones. She lives in Chicago with her children.
Dude! Get ready to pull that gray-streaked hair back because banana hair clips from the 80s are back! The elusive clip has been seen in action on the runways at Fashion Week this year, but we don’t need a bunch of fashion-forward pros to tell us what we already know––that the curved clip is, like, all we need in a hair accessory.
The banana hair clip (which gets its name from the contoured shape that resembles a banana. No duh.) made its debut in the 80s and was hailed as a fashion-forward way to pull hair back off the face but still give ladies length and style. It paired perfectly with those feathered bangs and major shoulder pads, and pretty much gave us the mullet-style without committing to a full-on “business in the front, party in the back” haircut. Totally radical.
Shockingly, you don’t have to pay vintage collector prices to snag your own banana hair clips. A quick search yielded tons of budget-friendly options from pretty much every drugstore and Amazon. The good news is, you don’t have to pair your banana hair clip with the fashion choices from the 80s to relive your glory days. The contoured hair clip is a great way to say bye to the mom bun, but hello to some righteous style.
As a business owner and a mom, I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with all the other parents out there who meet the challenges of raising kids and navigating the workplace. It’s not always easy, but I know I’m in a unique position to give my children something special. As an entrepreneur and a parent, you are too.
Have you thought about how much you can teach your kids based on the things you deal with every day at work? When our children are young, they still listen to us. When they grow older, their independence grows too. With luck and love, we can teach them early on and help them develop strong values and practical skills. I try to do it with ideas I bring home from work.
When my husband and I were starting up ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba in Chicago, I almost gave birth at the office twice. Maternity leave just wasn’t an option. My daughter is 7 now and my son is almost 6, but they both got to know our workplace at an early age while they were in their cribs. They still enjoy spending time here, and they even have small jobs they do around the office. That probably explains why both of them have grown up wanting to run their own company some day.
I know I was motivated to be my own boss by the things I learned from my father. Watching him operate his small business taught me so much, and I want to do the same for my kids. I use my experience as a business owner to teach my children these five important life skills.
1. Smart Money Management Pays Off
Even though they’re small, the kids have schedules for chores at the house and things they do at our workplace. We pay them for the tasks they take care of at the office, and that makes them feel like a real part of our company. The children don’t get everything they want, but they save up for special things. My husband and I take them to the bank, and they fill out their own deposit slips. While their pay is small, it makes them feel very empowered. They’re also learning the value of managing their money.
2. Good Communication Starts With Listening
Sometimes, our teams at the office disagree over project details. The kids have seen us sit together and work it out by really listening to each individual’s input. I remind the children of this “stop and listen” policy when they start to argue. The strategy doesn’t head off every fight between the kids, but it does calm them down so that they can disagree without yelling. They know it works at our office, and I know it helps them develop good communication skills.
3. Getting the Job Done Is a Team Effort
When my son or daughter wants to go with me to a job site, I see it as an opportunity for teaching. The restoration process is very hands-on, so the kids see my crews in action working together as a team. Back at the house, they often pitch in and help each other with their chores. When they come to me with big smiles saying they finished in record time, I congratulate them on doing a great job and getting it done together.
4. Leadership Means Not Being Afraid
For now, the kids believe they want to grow up and be just like me and my husband. They already want to run their own business. I want them to have the courage it takes to be entrepreneurs even if they change their minds later on. At work, I’m never afraid of starting something new. Being a leader means being fearless. I try to teach the children that it sometimes takes courage to get things right. I want them to be brave when things go wrong too.
5. Every Dream Deserves Encouragement
My son likes to work on skateboards, and it’s a challenge for him at his age. I’m so proud of him for not giving up. My daughter wants to start a summer ice cream business. She might change her mind later, but she’s making plans now. If I hadn’t dreamed big when I was little, I might not be the head of my own restoration company today. As an entrepreneur, I encourage my children to be entrepreneurs. They may choose a different course, but as long as they follow their dreams, I know they’ll be successful.
They Teach Us, Too
Never underestimate the countless opportunities you have to set a good example as a working parent. When the kids look up to you and see you as a role model, you’re positioned to share your experiences and help them build their own personal and professional success in life. As much as I teach my children, they teach me too, and that’s one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned.
I take pride in the success of my restoration business, but the pride I take in watching my kids growing up happy and healthy is priceless. As an entrepreneur and a parent, I know you feel the same way.
Diana Rodriguez-Zaba is a successful mom entrepreneur who owns and operates ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba. Since 2008, she and her crew have taken care of residential and commercial properties throughout Chicago and the suburbs. Diana and her team strive to make a positive difference across the community on a daily basis.
