Why our pediatrician vetoed the freezer and pushed a beissring holz
It was 2:14 AM on a Tuesday, and I was standing in front of the open freezer in my boxers, holding a bright blue plastic hippo filled with mystery gel. Our eleven-month-old son was in the other room, screaming like...
Why Your Plastic Baby Rattle Might Be A Terrible Idea
My mother-in-law brought over a solid silver shaker straight from a jeweler in Delhi. A woman in my mom group swore by a terrifying plastic monstrosity that flashed strobe lights and played generic techno beats. My doctor looked at both...
Beißring Holz: Why I Tossed the Plastic for Wooden Teethers
I'm literally sitting on the floor of my laundry room right now, picking golden retriever hair off a neon green, gel-filled plastic teething ring that my three-year-old just excavated from the dark abyss under the living room couch. It’s sticky....
That Terrifying Sound: When Babies Start Grinding Their Teeth
2:14 AM. A Tuesday. I was wearing a pair of my husband's college sweatpants that hadn't seen the inside of a washing machine since the Obama administration, clutching a lukewarm mug of yesterday's French press coffee—don't judge me, caffeine is...
A letter to past me about teething jewellery for mums
Dear Marcus of six months ago. You're currently sitting on the beige nursery rug at 3:14 AM. The thermostat is set to exactly 68.5 degrees. Sarah is attempting to nurse the baby, actively wincing because a tiny, razor-sharp fingernail is...
The Great Baby Block Myth (Why Your Kid Only Throws Things)
It's 6:15 AM on a Tuesday, and I'm wearing yesterday's yoga pants and holding a mug of coffee that has already been microwaved twice. Leo is ten months old, sitting on the living room rug. I've just constructed a magnificent,...
A teething necklace for mom saved my sanity and my shirts
It was a Tuesday in early November. I was sitting in the corner booth at Red Roasters wearing a ridiculous emerald green silk blouse that I had absolutely no business wearing to a coffee shop with a six-month-old. Maya was...
Pädagogisches Spielzeug ab 1 Jahr: A British Dad's Guide
It's exactly 5:43 in the morning, four days after the twins’ first birthday party, and I'm sitting on the living room rug staring at a plastic farm animal that has been singing the same off-key rendition of 'Old MacDonald' for...
Spielzeug für 2 jährige Mädchen: A Letter to My Past Self
Dear Jess of exactly six months ago, You're currently hiding in the laundry room, sitting on a pile of unfolded towels because it's the only room with a lock that actually works. Your two-year-old daughter is out there somewhere in...