5 Things Parents Need to Stop Saying to Non-Parents

First, I should say that I am 100% guilty of all of these. I know this reads as an advice list, but really it's advice I'm giving myself. The "you" I am addressing in this piece is me... unless it applies to you; then it is you.

I ran head first into this parenting thing, and have gladly and gratefully let it redefine me as a person. One unforeseen side-effect has been that I view everything through the lens of parenting. Sometimes that is a good thing. For instance, I don't leave steak knives lying around as much as I used to. Sometimes, and this is what I've recently learned, it can alienate my non-kid having friends. Here are some things that are better left unsaid. 

1. Dogs are not kids. 

It usually goes like this. "Ugh. You know what really bugs me? When so and so compares her dog to my kid. Or when so and so refers to their dog as their kid. Dogs are not kids! She has NO IDEA!" 

He finally started sleeping through the night!

Teaching Our Toddler About Charity - Champions for Kids

Let's get the business side out of the way first, and then I'll tell you the story of trying to teach a three year old what charity is. As part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias® we recently had the opportunity to teach Duchess a little about charity and giving. If you know me, or read this blog regularly, you know that charity is something I care a lot about. So when I saw that I had the opportunity to participate in the Spin Into Action SIMPLE Service project with Champions for Kids and Spinbrush, I jumped at the chance.

The objective: Teach Duchess about giving.

The mission: Gather donations and toys, and give them to our local childrens hospital.

The reality: It is really hard to teach a three year old about giving.