Balancing Love & Discipline with MomAssembly

Years ago, my nightstand was home to an array of lip glosses, novels that substituted for reality as long as I continued to turn the pages, notes about upcoming lesson plans, and a framed picture of yours truly and my soon-to-be-husband.

Almost ten years later, my nightstand is hidden beneath a cluttered stack of parenting books. And one lip gloss.

I don’t know about you, but the second my pee stick read PREGNANT, I went into Mom Mode and bought a book on every topic relating to becoming a mother:

carrying a baby
birthing a baby
nursing a baby
keeping a baby alive
anticipating baby milestones
coping when baby doesn’t reach said milestones when books say he should

I wasn’t super paranoid about becoming a parent; on the contrary–I was super excited! I wanted to know all the things because I enjoyed it. Today, I am the proud owner of a 3-month-old, a 3-year-old, and my son just turned 5. I kinda sorta almost know what I’m doing with the baby (Mom for the win!), and despite never having a 5-year-old before, things are going well on that front mostly because my son is easy. Know who’s not easy? Know who has me scrambling for help on a daily basis? Who spurs me to Google “will she EVER stop whining?” She does:

 

Do not be fooled: though she be but sweet, spontaneously affectionate, and constantly telling me I’m “boo” tiful, she is infuriating.

The thing about my 3-year-old is that I know what works in terms of disciplining her; it’s my teacher voice: loud, stern, and apparently, a little frightening. The only problem? She thinks I hate her guts every time I have to correct her. Which is about every fifteen minutes. I growl, and then she runs to me, clinging to my legs as if to say, “Please don’t sell me on eBay! I’m sorry!” It’s pretty heart-wrenching.

Thankfully, I’ve got an ally. No, not Kahlua in my coffee, MomAssembly.

MomAssembly is an online vault of educational videos, a university of sorts. Don’t let the term university scare you; there are no tests, and you only have to take notes if you want to. The best part? You’ll never be late to class! The videos and courses are available 24/7, and if you sit down to start one and Junior starts using your toes as his teething ring, you can take a break and come back to it whenever it’s convenient for you.

MomAssembly caters to us, ladies! Info ranges from pregnancy tips to parenting special needs children to maintaining your marriage throughout it all. There’s also a spot for losing the baby weight, where I’ve been spending a lot of time. Ahem. Let me introduce you to the women behind the wisdom.

Together, Jill Spivack, LCSW and Jennifer Waldburger, MSW founded MomAssembly in 2012. These ladies aren’t your typical pediatrician trying to dole out textbook advice; Jill and Jennifer have nearly 20 years of experience as family and parent educators, and they spend a good portion of their lives in the trenches with crazy exhausted parents like me:

They are the co-founders of Sleepy Planet Parenting in Los Angeles, where they offer guidance, support and community to help moms address the entire constellation of parenting interests…Motivated to bring their same unique offerings of parenting information, support and sisterhood to moms everywhere, Jill and Jen co-founded MomAssembly in 2012. They are also the co-creators of the award winning book and DVD The Sleepeasy Solution, have been featured in a wide variety of media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Los Angeles Times, Parenting and People. They are also consultants for the hit show The Pajanimals airing on NBC and Sprout.

 

I mean, come on: The Pajanimals?! Impressive, ladies.

Now back to me.

The other day at a friend’s house, my three-year-old threw a monster fit. It was so bad that we had to go outside to calm her, and me. I was frustrated, embarrassed, and a little sad because the huge tears spilling out of her eyes seemed like they would never stop. The issue was clear: how she was behaving was unacceptable, but I didn’t know how to best handle it. I needed a way to stay STOP THAT with a side of love.

Boom: Master the Art of Balancing Love and Discipline by MomAssembly. Here’s a snippet of the video; it is just one of MANY from the MomAssembly library. It spoke to me for obvious reasons.

 

 

http://youtu.be/Sy_pX7hVs8I
If you’re a mom who could use a little (or a lot!) of help, consider MomAssembly your online village. For only $7.99/month, you’ll have over 500 classes and over 50 downloadable handouts & workbooks at your fingertips. AND you can add up to 4 family members & caregivers to your account for free. If you’re ready for the annual plan, sign up for the whole year for only $3.99/month!  If you’re a commitment-phobe, don’t stress because both options come with a 7 day free trial. The help is there, it’s affordable, and it’s considerate of our time. Most videos are under 10 minutes, so go ahead and lock yourself in the bathroom for some uninterrupted learnin’. Again, you’ll want to LOCK yourself in…

If you don’t have the extra cash right now, be among the first 10 of my fabulous readers to complete sign up and receive your first month FOR FREE: 

Sign up HERE.

(Note that you actually have to sign up for a plan and enter your credit card – but the card will NOT be charged until the end of your free trial.  You will receive an email from Jill or Jennifer notifying you that you are the freebie winner!)

 

Possibly my favorite thing about MomAssembly is that these ladies know moms are more than just parents. Jill and Jennifer

…have plenty of offerings to help you look and feel your best, explore your creativity, and discover other interests and passions you may not know you had. Too busy or tired to read a book, or too far geographically from that expert whose seminar you’d love to take? No problem – we’ve assembled the world’s top parenting gurus, lifestyle and beauty experts, and health and fitness trainers, all available with just a click of your mouse. Bring your curiosity, your imagination, and all of your questions – and get ready to learn, grow, and love.

 

 

I was compensated to write this post, but I assure you I am sincerely clueless when it comes to my 3-year-old diva. MomAssembly may have given me the goods, but the opinions (and experiences…) are all my own.