Latest news with #momlife
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Mom-of-11 reveals how she spends over $1,000 on groceries in a single trip and is forced to use FOUR shopping carts
A mom-of-11 has revealed that she spends over $1,000 in one trip to the grocery store, and has to use a whopping four shopping carts when she stocks up for her enormous brood. Alicia Dougherty, 44, from Pittsford, New York, has four biological children and eight others she adopted with her husband, Josh, 44. The mom-of-11 often gives people a glimpse inside her life on TikTok and Instagram, where she has about 9.1 million followers collectively. In a recent video, she documented a shopping trip to Walmart, and left viewers stunned over the immense amount of stuff that she had bought for her family. Alicia started the video by showing a clipboard with her immense list of items. It then cut to her four full carts, the first of which held toiletries and medicines, a kiddy pool, a case of printer paper, cleaning supplies, and matching family shirts in two colors. The second cart held most of the dry food items including dressings, jams, and crotons. It also held other food items including tomato products, pasta, bread, cereal, coffee, mints, and muffin mix. Alicia then spotted red and blue Gatorade and Jello cups so she joked that she 'had to get them for the kids for Memorial Day.' She also stocked up on sodas, teas, and juices. Cart three held the family's produce items including fruit, avocado, tomatoes, potatoes, Lunchables, and salad. Alicia also got 'the meats for the week,' including, '20 lbs of chicken for grill night, ground beef for taco Tuesday, and pork chops for slow cooker night.' The fourth cart included 10 dozen eggs, yogurt, orange juice, cheese, and nine different kinds of milk. Her last stop was in the freezer section, where she placed frozen pizza, fries, Pizza Rolls, White Castle burgers, four gallons of ice cream, and a slew of different treats. At the end of the video, she showed two long receipts for her purchases, which came out to more than $1,000. In 2023, Alicia came under fire after she fed her kids out of a baby pool. In a viral video, Alicia showed viewers how she prepared a 'nacho party' that saw her dozen kids munching out of a baby pool. She began by pouring tortilla chips on the bottom of the pool before adding ground meat, cheese sauce, lettuce, olives, tomatoes, and sour cream. At the end of her video, the busy mom showed the children digging into the pool and indulging in the Tex-Mex-inspired meal without any forks or napkins in sight. While the pool platter proved to be a hassle-free feeding strategy because it had no dishes involved, many viewers couldn't believe how 'unsanitary' the mom's 'party' was.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Getting sober while my kids are teenagers is the best parenting decision I've made. I get to be fully present for them.
I stopped drinking about a year and a half ago. It's been a game changer in my relationship with my two teenagers. Being a sober parent shows my kids that we can do hard things without turning to alcohol to cope. I've done a lot of things right while parenting my kids, but I've also made plenty of mistakes. My "babies" are 17 and 15 now, and my greatest parenting achievement just might be that I've always been open with them about my mess-ups. Yelling when I shouldn't have, looking at my phone too much, taking their dad (my husband) for granted — these things all make the list. No parent is perfect, and over the years, I've apologized when necessary and made lots of changes to my parenting style. Still, if there's one regret I still have and one thing I'm glad I course-corrected in my parenting journey, it's my relationship with alcohol. I started drinking in high school and maintained a pretty run-of-the-mill relationship with alcohol throughout college and my 20s. At 28 (and again at 30), I had a baby, and, like so many moms, I turned to my nightly glass (or bottle) of wine to cope with the stress of having two little ones. Surrounded by messages like "rosé all day" and "mommy needs wine," I felt like I was part of a special club that knew the secret to relaxing after a long day of parenting. By the time my kids neared middle school, every part of parenthood felt tied to alcohol, from making sure there was a cooler of beers for the parents at my kids' birthday parties to taking ride shares to "moms' night out" activities because we knew we'd all be drinking. I was sober-curious long before I stopped drinking completely. I knew alcohol was creating problems in my life, like strained friendships, increased anxiety, and spending too much on tipsy, late-night, online shopping splurges. After years of reading quit-lit, listening to sobriety podcasts, and analyzing my relationships with alcohol with friends, I woke up one morning (with a hangover) and decided to stop drinking completely. It's been nearly 600 days since I've had a drink, and I've never looked back. Alcohol disgusts me now, and thoughts of my drinking days fill me with shame. There are plenty of reasons I'll never drink again — one of the biggest being my kids. Since I quit drinking, my daughter went through a tough break-up, and my son was diagnosed with ADHD and autism. There were thousands of smaller moments where my kids needed me to be of sound mind to offer them advice: whether to quit a part-time job, how to handle a disappointing theater audition, and what to say to a close friend during an argument. I'm so glad I was fully present without a wine buzz, so they could trust and confide in me. There have been happy moments, too, that I'll always be grateful I was sober to experience. We've traveled, celebrated holidays, and made beautiful memories together that I'll remember so much more clearly. Like all of my parenting mess-ups, I've spoken candidly with my teens about my choice to live an alcohol-free lifestyle, sharing everything from cautionary, embarrassing drinking stories to insights from my therapy sessions, and how much more manageable things like anxiety and depression feel. [Photo: 4 diet coke] An unexpected perk? My teenagers are incredibly proud of me — I know, because they tell me. Often. And it's something I never tire of hearing. Not only are they proud, but they've told me they're also taking notes on how sobriety has led to my improving my physical and mental health and forging deeper, more intentional friendships. My sobriety is allowing me to model to my teenagers that alcohol isn't a necessity to have fun, be social, or make friends. They're seeing in me an example of what it's like to do hard things and not only succeed, but thrive. Most of all, my kids are seeing that mommy doesn't need to drink just because they exist, a message the media sends kids that sends shivers up and down my spine. Because I choose not to drink, my kids see that stress and tough times are normal parts of life, and that the best way to handle them is to be present and work through them, not numb out with a drink. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mom Slammed After She Admits She Doesn't Talk to Her 11-Month-Old Baby, Says Dinner Is 'Just Quiet'
A mom was met with backlash after she posted a video saying she rarely talks to her baby "Does anyone else like not talk to their kid or their baby?" she asked in a since-deleted TikTok Many users pointed out that talking to young children helps their speech developmentA new mom took to TikTok to ask whether it was normal not to talk to her baby, sparking a wave of criticism. TikTok user mak_and_momlife posted a now-deleted video looking for input from fellow parents, and they did not shy away from sharing their honest thoughts. "Does anyone else like not talk to their kid or their baby?" she began the video. 'My daughter is 11 months old and me and my wife spend most days with her together," she explained in the video. "Today, it was just me and her all day, and I realized sitting at dinner that it was just quiet and we weren't even talking, which she can't talk about, but I don't talk to her." 'Is that weird?" she asked. "Should I be saying things so she can learn how to talk? I make noises, I do funny faces, I dance, but I don't converse." The video quickly went viral, with many users even screen recording and stitching the original clip to share their opinions. PresitgeTea reposted the video in its entirety, and many of the commenters were quick to call out the TikTok user for not talking to her little one. ''She can't talk' how do you think she's going to learn?' one person commented, quoting the user. 'It takes a massive effort to not talk to your baby,' another person added. Other commenters were quick to mention the scientific and developmental benefits of talking with your children, with one adding, 'Your 11 month old should already be saying words. Not full sentences but some words. Kids learn by you speaking to them.' Diane W Bales — Child Life Program Director at the University of Georgia, professor, and extension human development specialist — strongly recommends talking to your baby, calling it 'the most important step you can take.' 'Some parents feel silly talking to a baby who can't answer them,' Bales writes. 'But your baby is listening to your speech and learning from it even before he can respond with words of his own.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Other baffled users joked that they even talk to their pets. 'Girl I talk to my cat," one user wrote. "I have always talked to my kids even when they were still in utero. How can you not talk to your baby? Poor kid. It's one way you form a bond with your child.' Since then, the user has posted several videos talking to her baby, adding more context to her original clip. In one of the videos, she tells the infant that they "have to give the people what they want." "They keep saying, 'Have you talked to your daughter yet?' I never said I never talk to you, I just said sometimes it's awkward," the mom explains. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
These 12 Amazon summer tops look expensive — but they're all under $50
Summer weather has been slow to arrive for parts of Canada — but I promise, it's on the horizon. But if your warm weather wardrobe is anything like mine, it might need a serious overhaul — especially when it comes to tops. More than a few of my well-worn tanks and tees are in rough shape, and can someone please tell me why I own so many black blouses? If you could use some inspiration, I scrolled through Amazon and found a dozen tops that I'm eyeing for summer. From sleeveless tanks (I didn't start taking HIIT pilates for nothing — let's show off those arms, mama!) to cute button-down casual tees, I can see all of these shirts fitting right into my wardrobe as a 48-year-old mom of two. The best part? They're all under $50 — but they look way more expensive. Shop all Amazon tops for summer Amazon tops: Top rated Amazon tops: Bestsellers Amazon tops: New in Amazon tops: Under $25
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Parenting experts weigh in on viral video of mom saying she doesn't talk to her baby
A mom is under fire after claiming she doesn't talk to her 11-month-old baby at all - and sometimes just sits in silence. 'Does anyone else not talk to their kid,' the mom-of-one, who posts under @mak_and_momlife, shared on TikTok in a now-deleted video. 'My daughter is 11 months old and me and my wife spend most days with her together, and today it was just me and her all day and I realized sitting at dinner that it was quiet and we weren't even talking,' she continued, pointing out her daughter she can't talk yet. 'But I don't talk to her. I don't know, is that weird?' she asked. 'Should I be like just saying things so she can learn how to talk? I make noises, I do funny faces, but I don't converse.' In a follow-up video the mom clarified she does talk to her daughter, explaining the post was about the moments of silence where she feels 'awkward.' 'It doesn't mean I'm not trying,' she continued, adding it is her first time being a mom. 'I was just sincerely trying to share a human moment that moms - new moms - have, and I was looking for that connection point. But the video sparked outrage from many parents who criticized the mom for not chatting to her baby, slamming her for making videos rather than talking to her infant. Experts have since weighed in on the matter, explaining it is vital to talk to your children - even if they can't respond. 'I'm learning something new every single day, this is how it works,' she continued. According to parenting experts, interacting with infants is vital to their development. 'Creating a secure attachment with our children is crucial to their development,' Kamini Wood, certified parent coach and a parent to five, told 'Talking to them and engaging with them helps develop a secure attachment, as they hear and feel your presence and learn from your tone,' she added. Wood explained that having conversations with infants creates a 'safe anchor' for them. 'In addition, talking to our babies engages them and allows for other forms of development to occur, such as cognitive growth, emotional regulation, and language development,' she added. Wood added that even though it may feel silly talking to a baby who can't talk back, parents should be doing so. 'When you talk to your baby, you start teaching them how much they are seen and heard. One thing our kids truly need is to be seen and heard by us,' she urged parents. Robyn Koslowitz, a clinical child psychologist, agrees, explaining that babies are 'neurologically wired' to prefer the sound of their mother's voice over others. She added that even if it doesn't come 'naturally, it's a skill that can be learned.' 'Simply narrating, for example, as the baby smiles saying oh you are smiling you like that! This can teach the baby how to equate the word like and smile with the sensation of pleasure that she is feeling,' she advised. 'When the baby sees something new, pointing that out to them, see the yellow flower? It's a pretty yellow flower! Helps build the vocabulary muscle in their brain,' she said.
