Jamie Kenney
Jamie Kenney is a staff writer at Romper. Her writing has appeared in Parents, Playboy, McSweeny's, the A.V. Club, Bustle, and Jezebel's Powder Room. She has two children she talks about a lot on social media, but in a charming and entertaining way. She strives to live her life as all four Golden Girls at once.
What Do Teachers Really Want For The Holidays? The Most Popular Reply Is So Sweet
If you're like me, the same question plagues you every single December. You talk about it with your partner, with friends, with online strangers. You Google it. I'm speaking, of course, about what the hell to get your kid's teacher for the holidays.…
By Jamie Kenney
13 Things Only The Best Mother-In-Law Does During The Holiday Season
I love my mother-in-law. I'm not just saying that on the off-chance she will see this article. I mean it! She's great, and it just so happens that the holidays are her absolute favorite time of year and her joy is contagious. So let me tell you some…
By Jamie Kenney
What To Say When Someone Thinks You're Pregnant Postpartum
It's happened to so many of us. We're out with our brand-new baby — days, weeks, or months after giving birth — when some rando comes up to us and utters those horrible words, "Oh my gosh! When are you due?!" Maybe they'll even rub our deflated but…
By Jamie Kenney
Every Real Hot Mess Mom Experiences These Embarrassing Moments Sooner Or Later
Women are held to absolutely absurd and impossible standards. When women are also moms? Double the ridiculousness and the impossibility and, insidiously, the pressure we're under to achieve perfection. This crap is hard for any mom, but it's…
By Jamie Kenney
The Most Pointless Parenting Advice I've Received From Strangers In Public
Being a parent is hard. With the best preparation and resources and support, it's still a series of fumbling through until you sort of find your groove. And even that is always changing because your child is always changing. One nice thing about…
By Jamie Kenney
Moms Share Gifts They Got That Were A Total Waste & There's Definitely A Theme
Based on other aspects of my personality, I feel as though I should be a talented gift-giver. I am not, and it's painfully highlighted during this time of the year. I've tried, but I always feel like my tokens fall just a little bit flat. I've been…
By Jamie Kenney
These Snarky Letter Boards Totally Sum Up 2018
It's been a wild ride, hasn't it? Whether it was the plethora of wild pop culture events or the frequency of horrifying political and environmental events, 2018 feels like it lasted a decade (to put it in context, this time last year we were three…
By Jamie Kenney
How Katie Bower Became The Most Hated Mom On The Internet, & Why She Won't Be The Last
Katie Bower is a pretty typical mom of five. She loves her kids, loves DIY projects for her home, travel, style... and she just happens to have more than 53,000 followers on Instagram. Going through her photos — of her adorable children, beautifully…
By Jamie Kenney
I Refuse To Bother With My 4 Year Old's "Homework" And I'm Not Sorry
My daughter is in her second year of pre-K and she loves school. Monday through Friday, I drop her off and I'm lucky if I get a hug and a kiss before she runs in the door. I pick her up three hours later and get to hear all about her specials and…
By Jamie Kenney
The Laughable Piece Of Advice We Give Moms Who Want To Breastfeed
The world is full of bad advice: "pack your favorite leggings in your hospital bag," "get yourself some bee-sting therapy," "vote for Jill Stein!" This is especially true of pregnancy and postpartum, when the bad advice just comes flooding in. And…
By Jamie Kenney
10 Pre-Baby Fears I Had About Postpartum Sex That Were Completely Unnecessary
Sometimes society sucks. Take, for example, the way we view motherhood and sexuality... or how we refuse to believe there's any sort of intersection between the two. According to society, once you're a mom your sexuality is non-existent. This belief…
By Jamie Kenney
13 Things Your Baby Wants You To Know About Exclusive Breastfeeding
For plenty of moms, exclusively breastfeeding is a coveted and important parenting goal, to the point that it can be romanticized to a ridiculous and often damaging degree. While it's recommended for the first six months of a baby's life, and there…
By Jamie Kenney
I'm An Attachment Parent & These 8 Stereotypes Are *Totally* True
My kids are older now, but when they were babies I found myself naturally gravitating toward what I eventually learned was attachment parenting. Based on the idea that parents should be physically and emotionally responsive to all their baby's needs…
By Jamie Kenney
13 Thanksgiving Rules My Kids Do & Don't Have To Follow
Thanksgiving is upon us and with it the many collective "feels" people have about the day. I have a sort of love/hate relationship with Thanksgiving. I hated it as a kid, grew to enjoy it as an adult, and have always wary of the problematic cultural…
By Jamie Kenney
13 Of The Best Things You Could Do For A Woman Being Induced
"Induction" refers to an artificial beginning of labor, and for some moms the word alone is scary. She might need or choose an induction for any number or reasons and may have any number of feelings about this turn of events. Some women happily…
By Jamie Kenney
11 Weaning Moments That Prove You're An Absolute Badass
In seven years of parenting, weaning remains one of the hardest challenges I've faced. I never had any second thoughts about whether I was doing what was best for me and, ultimately, my family, but that doesn't mean there weren't moments when I…
By Jamie Kenney
11 Challenges Of Having A School-Aged Child *No One* Tells You About
Every stage of parenting is hard. I feel like there's this myth about certain milestones ushering in an easier time for us parents, and I believe many of us believe that myth in the beginning. And while some things do become more manageable, the…
By Jamie Kenney
15 Moms Share The Practical Ways They Center Themselves
Balance — mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, romantic, work/life, etc. — is a feat for any human being with a modicum of self-awareness or responsibility. But I contend that for parents, whose lives are necessarily revolved around the care of…
By Jamie Kenney
Sorry, But I Refuse To Apologize For Always Talking About Breastfeeding
It's been more than two years since I last nursed my youngest child and I'm still talking about breastfeeding. Personally and professionally, nursing continues to be a topic of interest and discussion for me, even though I no longer have skin in the…
By Jamie Kenney
13 Cool Things About Having A School Aged Child No One Tells You About
I know a lot of parents who get extremely emotional about their children growing up, and I get it. Our kids go from infants in our arms to full-blown humans moving around wearing pants and having a favorite Ninja Turtle before we know it and what am…
By Jamie Kenney
