Hey Y’all!

Welcome to Fairytales and Mud Puddles. The blog about old fashion parenting with a modern day dose of love and fun! My goal is to connect with fellow parents and share some advice on practical parenting.

Let me start off by telling you I have 5 kids. Yes 5! Not quite enough to get us our own television show, but enough to make most people gasp when they hear the number and to make our minivan cringe after the last passenger has been safely strapped into their car seat. My oldest is only eight years old though, so if you are looking for advice on parenting teenagers please stop back in about five or six years!

I should probably be honest and let you all in on a little secret. I have never read a parenting book. Yep that’s right, not one. I only mention this because often I will have parents ask me what books I would recommend to learn more about “such and such”, or what books I have read along the way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ignorant to the modern day lingo of such concepts as “sleep training”, “conscious discipline” and “baby led weaning”. I have also listened to and witnessed friend’s successes and failures as they attempt to implement some of the common and more trendy parenting practices.

I don’t know what category my parenting style fits into. I do know this though, I demand respect, kindness and above all manners. Here’s the kicker…wait for it…I want all of that in an environment filled with love, hugs, kisses and snuggles. Sound impossible? I am here to tell you it’s not!

One of the reasons I started this blog is because I am frequently asked for ideas and advice on tackling parenting issues we all struggle with. “How do I get my newborn to sleep?” “How do I get my toddler to eat vegetables?” “When should we transition out of the crib into a big girl/boy bed?” People also ask me how I go about discipling my children and how do I consistently get them to behave so well. I think the answer to that is fairly obvious…I pay them! Ha, ha! Obviously I don’t pay them and just as obvious we have days where “well behaved” couldn’t describe a single one of them. My family is not perfect. We are far from it actually. I believe parenting is an ever-evolving learning process and I learn something new everyday. What works for my family may not be a good fit for yours and I get that. However, if by chance, something you read here sounds like it may benefit you and yours then by all means take it for a spin!

I want this blog to be a place where people can come for advice and also to serve as a resource for parents of newborns, toddlers and young children. I look forward to your comments and if you have any issues you might like advice on please feel free to comment about those as well. I am always looking for new topics to blog on!

It’s a great day to be a parent!

Megan