Month: August 2019

August 08, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC When I was a teenager, there was absolutely nothing more awkward than talking to my mom about my sex life. But, now well into adulthood, I’ve found something to top it: Talking to my mom about her sex life. She recently started dating again—exactly three years after my dad passed away—and we’re having a little bit of trouble working out the whole “boundaries” thing. Especially given that neither of us has ever been in this situation before (she and my dad were married my whole life), figuring out how to handle this new normal has been a complicated undertaking. But based on conversations I’ve had with friends, colleagues, and random strangers on the Internet about the experience of parents dating, this overwhelming sense of it being “awkward” and “complicated” are themes that resonate nearly universally. But since that ubiquity alone doesn’t make me feel good about the situation, I asked experts to share their tips on how to navigate the murky, uncharted waters. The secret, perhaps unsurprisingly, is to double down on communication and honesty…as long as you’re not talking about sex (honestly or dishonestly), that is. And also, cutting yourself some slack for not necessarily being jazzed from the get-go about your parent joining the world of dating. ad_intervals[‘408589_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘408589_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Parents dating can bring up a lot of emotions There are two very distinct scenarios that commonly lead a parent back onto

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August 08, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC —When it comes to the first few months postpartum, everyone’s focus is almost always on the baby: how they’re sleeping, whether they’re eating enough, posing them for Instagram-worthy photo shoots in duckling-printed onesies. This fixation is pretty understandable—babies need a lot of care, particularly in the first few weeks. (Plus, they’re pretty damn cute.) However, that focus on baby means that postpartum care for mom—who just pushed out a brand-new human being or underwent major abdominal surgery with a C-section—is often an afterthought. Not only is it standard to be discharged from the hospital within 24 to 48 hours after delivery, you’re often not given any information about what to expect when you’re recovering. The reality that peeing for the first time since giving birth will burn like hell, that it’s normal to bleed for at least two weeks straight after a vaginal delivery (and that light bleeding and spotting can be normal for another six weeks), that you might develop hemorrhoids or have stitches from vaginal tearing during delivery… all of that is typically glossed over and left for new moms to discover (and deal with) on their own. ad_intervals[‘413798_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413798_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Chelsea Hirschhorn, a mom of three and CEO of baby brand FridaBaby, experienced this first-hand when she was pregnant, which is what inspired her to launch the brand’s newest line: Frida Mom, a collection of affordable, must-have postpartum essentials addressing

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August 08, 2019 at 12:38PM by CWC After four long years, I recently threw down some of my hard-earned money for a cleaning service because, well, I didn’t want my incoming roommate to think our apartment was a mold factory. I am, let’s say, a little not-diligent about wiping my counter-tops—the cleaner was in my kitchen alone for three hours. After this experience, I wanted to find a way to be less gross about the apartment, because you know, half a decade of bacteria build-up seems bad. That doesn’t mean I’ll be scraping out my fridge on the regular (lol) or doing my dishes every night (double lol), because who has time? Instead, I decided to develop a kitchen cleaning checklist that would help me tackle the germiest spots efficiently without having to spend hours at a time scrubbing away like a Brooklyn version of Cinderella. Obviously I’m not a cleaning expert, so I decided to call on Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of The Germ Files, to help me determine the dirtiest kitchen spots that need the most love. If you’re feeling like being a little less disgusting, feel free to dive in with me on this magical disinfecting journey. ad_intervals[‘413772_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413772_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’);}); } }, 100); Your kitchen cleaning checklist, based on the most germ-infested spots According to Tetro, the dirty four areas of your kitchen that should be cleaned most often are: The area around your kitchen sink Your cutting board The handle

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August 08, 2019 at 12:29PM by CWC Whenever I first start dating someone, I tend to romanticize their every action. (“Aw, he used my toothpaste and left a glob in the sink—how cute!”) Once we call it quits, the once rose-colored memories turn black. I can’t believe I’ve overlooked major (and I mean, major) warning signs, many of which screamed “You’re dating a narcissist!” through a megaphone. Praise be, it looks like that particular oversight may be in the rearview mirror. A very 21st century study of 1,087 men published in The Journal of Sex Research found that (hang onto your hats, singles) participants who reported sending unsolicited dick pics also tended to show the traits of narcissism. As if that weren’t reason enough to cancel those who send you junk mail without your consent, those particular individuals also “endorsed greater ambivalent and hostile sexism than their non-sending counterparts,” according to the study. You know, all the qualities you look for in a loving, caring, respectful soul mate. ad_intervals[‘413977_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413977_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); To come to this (obvious yet helpful) conclusion, researchers gave participants an online survey and a questionnaire that measured narcissism, exhibitionism, erotophilia-erotophobia, and sexism. And just like that, we had science to prove that no (no! no! no!), you should not hit send on that below-the-belt selfie. If you’re a narcissist trying to go undercover as a lovely human being, please, dear me—save it for your camera roll. To those

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August 08, 2019 at 11:18AM by CWC “It’s common for us to schedule a routine visit to the doctor when we aren’t feeling our best, so it should be common for us to check in with our mental health to ensure that we are physically, mentally and emotionally in tune,” writes author, expressive coach, and licensed social worker Minaa B. on a recent Instagram post. It’s true: a 2018 poll conducted by Well+Good found that of the 2,700 people surveyed, 95 percent struggle with stress and 92 percent struggle with anxiety. However, 20 percent had never shared their feelings about either because they believe such mental obstacles are no big deal. The daily grind has a way of distracting from the basic human need to take an emotional time-out. Now that mental health realness is the order of every day, caring for your brain should no longer be an afterthought. Still, it’s not always easy to separate yourself from a looming deadline or children who need your attention whenever your mental health comes calling. But these five questions (courtesy of Minaa B.) should be stashed in your back pocket for whenever that happens. A Q&A with your mental well-being isn’t an indulgence—it’s a necessity. Make an appointment to do it every single day. ad_intervals[‘413906_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413906_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); 5 mental health questions to ask yourself every day   View this post on Instagram   ✨ mental health check-in ✨ — it’s common

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