family

Coffee Chat: Patti’s Thanksgiving Story

| Patti Webb

When Mary and I started talking about the holidays, I shared with her one of my particularly meh Thanksgivings. My parents divorced earlier than I can remember and I’ve been in a number of blended families growing up, making for some very awkward holidays to the say the least.

I had a Thanksgiving with my dad and grandmother where I was completely silent. I once spent the holiday with my mom and her friend who ended up being a hoarder. In 2008, I said I was thankful that Barack Obama was going to be president and an entire table of Boomer adults became unhinged. But in the story I’m sharing today, I am 20 and a junior at UF.

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From Only to First: Siblings

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Your first born is everything. Your mini-me gets all that love and attention without any real competition (except maybe from the dog). But then, your only child becomes a big sibling. As excited as you are to grow your family, you wonder how your kid will be with their new brother/sister. You can’t help but feel guilty knowing that all that time you spent with them will soon be limited with the arrival of a new baby. Despite these worries, the second child is on its way and your first born will be an influence in their little sibling’s life, whether they want one or not.

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Family Holiday Traditions: Lost and Found

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

December signals a time for family traditions, new and old, no matter your background.

A Tradition is defined as the transfer of meaningful customs, rituals, or beliefs passed down from generation to generation.

When you think about familiar holiday traditions, you might picture a big family gathered around a dinner table, a huge Christmas tree dressed to the nines, or a snowy morning where people exchange wrapped gifts with smiles on their faces. But for me, it never quite played out that way.

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Have you watched Bluey?

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

I first heard about this show last year. A friend had asked if we had seen it and suggested that we (and our son) would enjoy it. I was 5 months pregnant at the time and our son was becoming bored with the usual suspects: Team Umizoomi, Paw Patrol, Blues Clues, Blaze, and Bubble Guppies. So why not give it a try?

The world of kid’s TV is crammed with numbers, letters, and constant drilling of basic academics. Bluey brings none of that to the table. I was impressed to see that each 7-minute episode is jammed packed with humor, imagination, and lessons in parenting. Yes, parenting.

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Child(ish) Reads: Adventuring Together

| Patti Webb

Adventuring Together: How to Create Connections and Make Lasting Memories with Your Kids
By Greta Eskridge
224 pages.
Audiobook is 3 hrs and 54 mins.
This book is published by a Christian publisher; however, the content is not faith specific.
Chapters include personal stories as well as idea lists for kid adventures.

I first learned about Adventuring Together from the Minimalist Moms Podcast. It was three months into COVID and I was trying to rebuild my girls’ summer plans, which now no longer included our public park and splashpad. What could we do to make sure our toddlers weren’t spending the entire summer bored and indoors?

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