• The First Public Tantrum, and It’s In Front of Your Mom

    March 20, 2026

    It happens somewhere ordinary. The post office, the bakery, the parking lot. And at first, you think you can stop it. But then it hits. Full force. The arched back. The flailing arms. The noise that feels like it could shatter glass. And it’s not the strangers that get to you. It’s your mom, standing a few feet away. The way her eyes widen. The tight purse of her lips. The secondhand embarrassment radiating off her like heat. You feel her watching you, silently narrating every move. “I never would have let you act like that.” “A good look would’ve…

  • The First Time Your Toddler Was Truly Afraid

    March 7, 2026

    It wasn’t the dark. It wasn’t monsters under the bed. It wasn’t even the vacuum, though that got a good scream or two. The first thing my daughter was terrified of was flies. Or as she named them, with complete toddler confidence: “shoo flies.” She thought that was their actual name. Not a command. Not a phrase. Just… the name of the tiny buzzing villains that had suddenly taken over her imagination. And oh, how they scared her. Not just during the day, when she’d flinch and cry if one dared to come near her snack. But at night. Every…

  • The First Time You Lost It Over a Toddler’s “No”

    November 14, 2025

    Not the Cute One. The 47th One That Day. The first time your toddler says “No”? Let’s be real — it’s kind of adorable. They say it with a goofy grin, maybe a wobble in their voice. You try not to laugh. It’s like watching a puppy bark at its reflection. But then one day, “No” isn’t cute anymore. It’s loud. It’s constant. It’s weaponized.