Happy New Year! 2017 was another successful year for Fairfield County Moms Blog! As a collaborative blog written by and for local moms, our primary focus is delivering valuable content to YOU, our mommy readers. This year our contributors opened themselves up and poured out their hearts, sharing personal parenting experiences and perspectives, as well as fun and creative things to do around town. In partnership with local businesses we were able to connect you to valuable information, products and services that are relevant to your lives.
Here is a list of our top 10 most viewed posts of 2017! Make sure to read the one’s you may have missed, reread the posts that you were able to connect with, and share the one’s you love!
1. PANDAS/PANS: Trust Your Instincts & Be Your Child’s Advocate
“Your sweet, smart, innocent, full of life child started having psychiatric symptoms, seemingly overnight, and you don’t know where to turn. This sounds like a mom’s worst nightmare, doesn’t it? This is a reality for Lynn Becker Haber and her son Gary, who had, and is still fighting, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, or as it as been coined, PANDAS.”
2. Mom Hacks for the Stomach Bug
“The dreaded stomach bug, it seems like it is everywhere. As a mom of two little germ magnets these hacks were born out of desperation. Today I am here to share with all of you the Mom hacks for the stomach bug aka “what to do when tummy troubles find a child near you.”
3. What Did Sophie Ever Do To Us?
“Before you slice into your Sophie, please remember that she has been there for us through bouts of teething, stomach bugs, and never ending nights. As our children grow up, they will find themselves in far riskier situations than a rubber giraffe could ever create. So, keep calm and keep Sophie intact.”
4. I’ve Been Seeing Someone {and it’s not my husband}
“For the first time in months I’m feeling like myself again. I’m laughing more, I’m not as consumed with my to-do list, and I’m doing more things for myself. The glass that I always saw as half empty, is starting to look a little more full. Small changes have been taking place in my life all due to the fact that I started seeing someone. And no, I’m not talking about my husband!”
5. Me, Myself and My Intrusive Thoughts
“These unthinkable thoughts had me question my sanity. They had me question myself as a mother. They had me question myself as a human being. I loved my baby more than anything. I cried looking at her because I loved her so much. So why was I having these disturbing images in my head? What kind of person thinks these horrible things, and towards her own child none the less? And the most difficult and shameful question: If I’m having these thoughts does that mean I will act on them?”
6. The Love That’s Overlooked in Second-Born Children
7. I’m Sorry, Baby
“I’m sorry, Baby. I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance. I’m sorry your journey never really started. I’m sorry you didn’t get to join our family and get kisses and big hugs from your brother and sister. I’m sorry, but I know these things happen. I know that so many women experience this hurt. This loss. I know my friends and family have. But I was hoping it wouldn’t happen to me. I was hoping it wouldn’t happen to you. But it has and I am so sorry. I wanted you. We wanted you. We loved you.”
8. My Daddy’s Girl :: How to Deal When You’re Not Their Favorite
“I know the “Daddy” phase is just that, a phase and it will pass. When my daughter dismisses me, I am trying to be okay with it. On the occasions when she calls for me, my husband is very sweet to point it out.”
9. Making Peace with Being the Default Parent
“Trust me when I say – I am pretty sure I did this to myself. I am a Type A parent. I work full time out of the house as a teacher. The mommy guilt is real! From the minute I wake up, to the minute I pretend to go to sleep, I am on call. Unfortunately, I am also a first born, go-getter, who loves to be right and in the know. This propels me to jumping in as soon as something needs to be done. My kids (and husband) have picked up on this character trait and are definitely using it to their advantage.”
10. Please Don’t Post That Photo
“Yet even though there are deep scars left by these devastating experiences, there is a sort of advantage in seeing through this lens, or being reminded of this guard. Your senses are heightened. Your mama/papa bear reflexes are on point. You scrutinize your decisions more carefully, and you try to come up with ways to remind other caregivers of the ugliness that can be subtly present all around us.”
