Robyn Welling's Blog

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I'm writing in partnership with Clean Air Moms Action (but of course all thoughts and opinions are my own) to talk with you a little bit about rules, even though I'm not usually a huge fan of rules.

Especially the ones I have to make and then enforce in my own house because, ugh, that's a lot of work.

But I DO like the rules that make parenting easier, and life easier in general. Because, as I mentioned, I'm not the hugest fan of work, and anything that does some of the heavy lifting for me...

When I was pregnant with my first baby, the doctor noted (with some alarm) that, for some reason, I wasn't vaccinated for rubella.

Getting the shot while you're pregnant can carry risks, so he marked my chart with all sorts of red pen arrow scribbles and neon yellow highlighter to GET VACCINATED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING BIRTH.

"Until then," he advised, only half joking, "steer clear of any polka-dotted children."

As if you need another thing to worry about when you're carrying your first baby...

The other day my mom referred to me as the “athletic one” in our family, which made me laugh so hard I almost pulled a muscle (something, incidentally, that probably wouldn’t happen to someone who was actually athletic).

As I tried to catch my breath, my mom had to agree that the standards for athleticism were pretty low at my house when I was growing up. “Well,” she explained, “my parents always emphasized academics over sports. Heck, my sister was considered the athletic one when we were k...

Whether you're a huge football fan or you don't even know a touch pass from the score zone (both of which are probably very real things, I'm pretty sure), football season is here. For many folks, that means it's time to watch their favorite teams battle it out and, more importantly, it's time to stuff their faces with classic tailgating foods like nachos and chicken wings.

See? Even if you don't like football, there's always something to love about football season. Mmm, nachos...

But if you...

Cough and cold season is here, and I'm teaming up with Boogie Wipes and Saline Soothers to help you and your family feel better faster with a Cough & Cold Giveaway.

When Kids Get SickFrom the first sniffle to feeling downright sick, Boogie Wipes has tips, tricks and hacks to guide you through the entire cough and cold season (including great information on how to keep germs from spreading between siblings!)

Click here to read through their cough and cold survival guide and be prepared for t...

There are few things as important to parents as communication with our kids. From the time they’re born we can’t wait to hear what they’re thinking—like what’s going on in their heads when they spend 20 minutes laughing crazily at a beam of sunshine, and why do they insist on eating random things they find on the sidewalk?!? We want them to understand us when we say, “Don’t put your gum on the dinner table—this is why we can’t have nice things!” and for them to be able to just tell us what’s...

If you've spent much time on this planet, at some point or another you've felt pressure to be perfect. Maybe that pressure was coming from someone else, and maybe it was coming from within yourself—a little teenage-you voice inside your head telling you that a pimple on the end of your nose was the end of the world, or a mom-you voice saying that you should do more baking or crafting or that you should actually be able to remember all your kid's friends' moms' names, which frankly I don't ev...

As much as I hate getting stuck on the phone with a robotic voice every time I try to call the cable company, I understand why it’s a necessary evil. I mean, they can’t possibly have a real person field millions of random requests and complaints 24 hours a day!

Hmmm…. who else does that? Oh right! Moms.

Wouldn’t it be nice if moms could set up our own automated menu to sort through the constant demands from our kids? To decide which ones are legitimate requests in need of real live help a...

I swear, I try my best to raise my kids right.

Well, maybe "try" and "my best" are a bit too strong. And "right" isn't exactlythe word I'm looking for, either. But I amusually nearby while they're growing up, so they can't help but soak up some of my parenting, even if it is mostly accidental.

And like most parents, I thought I should teach my children that honesty is the best policy. Because they should always tell the truth, no matter what. Right?

For the most part, this has worked out...