Kristen Hammaker
Kristen Hammaker is a Dayton native who recently moved back to the best city in the world. As a Daytonian, of course her writing inspiration is Erma Bombeck. She has two young children and works as a school counselor and Orton-Gillingham Practitioner. Since she has a son and a daughter, she understands how each kid is different and you can't over-generalize anything about gender differences in children. Her current Mom Fantasy is dreaming about a day when she won't have to constantly scrape melted fruit snacks off of all surfaces of her car.
Celebrating Spring and Women’s History Month
I wanted to share my favorite relevant book as we encounter another beautiful intersection of early Spring and March, which is Women's History Month. "The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes" written by...
My Favorite Tantrum Tamers
My kids were most recently voted Most Likely to Throw a Tantrum (by me), so I'm definitely not coming from a place of expertise. This is guidance gleaned from years of doing everything wrong...
More Tips for the New 2024 FAFSA
I did a presentation with my group of senior parents and they expressed some issues with the new Better FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). I wanted to provide some more specific tips...
10 Things NOT to Give to a Mom on Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air this month for our littles and us moms alike! While it can be easy to pick out gifts for the moms and other galentines in your life (think chocolate,...
Tips for the New FAFSA
The new Free Application for Federal Student Aid has launched in a soft launch that went live on Dec. 31. There will be some additional updates coming out, but parents can empower themselves with...
Mom’s Version of Jingle Bells
Are you ready for a mom's version of Jingle Bells? This hilarious parody of what it's really like behind all those charming Christmas photos will have you laughing all the way!
Dashing through the mall
Trying...
5 Things to Do If You Think Your Child Might Have Dyslexia
As an Orton-Gillingham Practitioner, I will give some of my thoughts on what might work for your family if you are concerned about dyslexia.
In my opinion, early intervention is best.
Don't be dissuaded against doing...
New Halloween Lyrics to a Favorite Spooky Song
I'm not sure if you have heard the "Spooky, Scary Skeletons" song by Andrew Gold. It's a Halloween classic for sure. It's one that my kids have listened to, to the point of singing...
October 2023 Dayton Dozen
Happy Fall, ya'll! This is my favorite season, and it's October 2023 - my favorite month. I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it! Join with me in my pumpkin fun this month,...
Tips for Introducing Foods to Your Baby
Maybe you are doing baby-led weaning, purees, or just going with the flow when feeding your baby. My son had some food reactions that I then had to investigate, so I have the following...
Baby, You’re a Firework {Celebrating My 4th of July Baby}
To my Big Kid,
I remember 3 years ago, when I was running around with your sister, hugely pregnant, during COVID times, trying to figure out a way to still have fun with a toddler...
Is My Family Actually Ready for Kindergarten?
My daughter turned 5 and nobody could possibly turn her away from wanting to go to kindergarten. Ever since she started in the preschool class at her daycare, she told herself, "I am going...
An Onomatopoetic Poem About Vacuuming My “Mom Car”
I drove by a carwash that advertised,
"Free vacuum with a wash."
I thought, "Those suckers won't know what hit them!"
This was the one drive I had when I didn't have the kids in the car.
"Got...
Our Favorite Dayton Parks
We have been checking out some great parks lately and I wanted to give you an update on them. For those of us that are potty training, I'm including information on the bathroom situation...