Photo of a woman wearing a purple active wear top and black biker shorts, stooping to tie the laces on her black adidas running shoes. This photo is featured in "Work-life Balance for Working Moms," an article by blogger and communications strategist Shandean Reid at www.shandeanreid.com
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Work-Life Balance for Working Moms

by on September 12, 2025
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A couple of years ago, I went back to school and found that even as a stay-at-home mom, finding balance in attending classes, doing homework —my kid’s and mine—and managing pickups and drop-offs, as well as extracurricular activities, was no easy feat. This year, I am doing it again as…

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Back-to-School Morning Routine: A Practical Blueprint

by on September 5, 2025
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The idea of a fresh back-to-school morning routine at the start of the school year always feels hopeful, but a bit like it’s coming too soon as well. One day, we’re enjoying lazy summer mornings and the lack of hustle and bustle; the next, we’re scrambling to pack lunches, find…

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Tips to prevent kids from getting sick - shandeanreid.com picture showing showing various children medicines on a kitchen counter top - Canadian blogger Shandean Reid Saskatchewan blogger
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Tips to Prevent Kids From Getting Sick

by on January 21, 2024
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My social circle and feed are rife with stories of kids picking up nasty bugs. It’s not just the kids either; teachers and parents are also getting wiped out for days at a time. We’ve had a brush, too–hubby and I–but not too severely. Kiddo has been fine for the…

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BENTO BOX LUCH IDEAS FOR PICKY KIDS
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Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters

by on August 12, 2023
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My daughter started school in Canada last term, and although she loved the new environment, it wasn’t without its challenges for her and us. We have to send her along with lunch. I feel like this is such a continuous scale of escalation. In Jamaica, kindergarten provided breakfast, lunch and…

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SAHM to working mom on playground with child
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SAHM to Working Mom After 5 Years

by on June 4, 2022
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When I got pregnant, I didn’t think transitioning from being a SAHM to working mom would take five years. Back then, I agonized over the job or career that would allow me to stay home with my baby for a good while. It turns out that job was being a…

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4 Alternatives to Force-Feeding Children

by on January 16, 2022
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As a young child, I recall my parents force-feeding me. After 30+ years, I remember it vividly. Sitting over a single dumpling for hours (or what felt like it to me as a child) because my parents thought they had already given me a little, so I should eat it…

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5 Ways to Stay Marketable as a Stay at Home Mom

by on December 8, 2021
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You might want to stay marketable as a stay-at-home mom if you decided to focus on your kids for a time while they are young, but intend to go back to working in your career field after the kids get to a certain age. It’s not uncommon for stay-at-home moms…

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Mom Guilt: Handling It in Real-Time

by on December 4, 2021
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Mom guilt. I’ve experienced more of it in the past weeks than I have in the last five years, and believe me, I’ve experienced it plenty. It’s ugly, messy, inconvenient and real. I’ve learned though that it’s a normal part of motherhood. It shows up when I see her quietly…

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The Cost of Having a Child in Jamaica (Kingston)

by on October 29, 2021
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The true cost of having a child is sometimes sugar-coated. As a matter of fact, many people are ragged on for not reproducing. I can’t see why. We can’t all reproduce. We shouldn’t even attempt it, but that is another story for another day. Many things are typically glossed over…

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Tips for Balancing Motherhood and School

by on October 8, 2021
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I’ve been balancing motherhood and school life for over a month now and it is one of those things that I’ve never considered until it was time to actually do it. I now think about how women are encouraged to have this plan (you know the one), where you get…

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Five Painful Pregnancy Symptoms

by on September 29, 2021
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Pregnancy is a beautiful journey in its entirety, but we mom can agree that there are some parts that are anything but. Painful pregnancy symptoms can be very common. What’s not common is how much they are discussed. Why is that? Yes, pregnancy is beautiful, but it can also be…

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Back to School List + Life Update

by on August 28, 2021
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“ Have you done the booklist for back to school yet?” This is what my mother-in-law called to ask me one hot day in early August and I immediately thought, ‘Smaddy come for this lady’. My peace was shattered because I realized, summer holidays aren’t as long as they felt…

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Mother’s Day: What Motherhood in a Pandemic Taught Me

by on May 9, 2021
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For the second consecutive year, Mother’s Day 2021 is being celebrated under the constraints of a pandemic; lockdowns restrictions, unease and anxiety our generation has never seen. Motherhood is difficult enough under normal circumstances. However, motherhood during a pandemic? Now that’s a whole different kettle of fish. All the key stressors…

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Getting Our Four-Year-Old Out [Our Bed]

by on May 8, 2021
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When I became a mom, I talked candidly with my friend about how I didn’t want to prolong having the baby in bed with my husband and me. I took great pains to avoid it those first few months. I was successful, too. For about three of them. Three months.…

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Postpartum Realities I Wish I Knew While Pregnant

by on April 28, 2021
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There’s tons of advice aimed at new moms out there, but I think harsh postpartum realities are often glossed over when it comes to sharing realistic expectations with new moms. Yea, yea. ‘You’re going to lose sleep’, ‘Your body will look different, but accept it and love it.’, ‘You’ll need…

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How to Encourage Kids’ Hobbies

by on April 13, 2021
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When I was a little girl, my parents allowed me the freedom to pursue my hobbies (which were pretty tame) so long as they didn’t interfere with schoolwork (Nothing really interfered with that. I was an autonomous kid.), but as far as encouraging them, well that’s another story altogether. Like…

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My Husband Got the COVID Vaccine

by on March 16, 2021
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Last Saturday, my husband got the first dose of his Covid vaccine. As a healthcare professional, he is on the local priority list and was offered the option. Jamaica’s first shipment of 50,000 doses of vaccines, donated by the Government of India, arrived on March 8, 2021, and another 14,400…

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7 Dinner Hacks for Busy Moms

by on March 8, 2021
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The post is titled ‘dinner hacks for busy moms’ which would indicate moms as the intended audience, but it’s really for anyone if you make your own meals and have busy weekdays. We can all use a bit of extra help and a short cut or two. I don’t know…

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Simple DIY Body Butter Recipe

by on March 6, 2021
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Two hot seconds after I found out I was pregnant in 2016, one of the first things I did was hop on online that same day and order a block of unrefined, raw Shea Butter to make myself some DIY body butter. It was one of the best decisions I…

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How to Use Essential Oils for Congestion

by on February 25, 2021
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As a mom, the power of essential oils for immediate relief of congestion cannot be overstated. At least not for me. My daughter doesn’t get sick very often. Even just a mild case of the sniffles or a cough happens about once a year, and when it happens, I’m on…

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Valentine’s Day With Kids: 7 Ways To Celebrate

by on February 5, 2021
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Wondering how you’re going to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Kids? If anyone, knows about this one, it’s me. Between you and me, my husband and I haven’t yet had a chance to celebrate Valentine’s Day without our kids soak in the middle of it for the last four years. Mind…

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I Sent My Daughter Back to Face to Face Classes

by on January 24, 2021
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My husband and I cautiously made the decision to send our daughter back to face to face classes this January after a few false starts last year. Eventually, hubby and I assessed the situation on an environmental level, on a personal level as individual parents and as a unit, and…

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Structuring a Home Routine with a Four Year Old

by on December 22, 2020
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One of the things that have eluded me year after year since becoming a mother is structure. ;m a mom and I dont have a I want to structure a home routine with a four-year-old. It’s not that I haven’t tried. I just so often found that things were better…

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5 Minute Breakfast Ideas for the Busy Mom

by on December 20, 2020
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I am not now, nor have I ever been a breakfast person, but if I was, a 5-minute breakfast is exactly what I would be making. In fact, I used to fully hate having breakfast so much, I would dodge my mother in the mornings to avoid having breakfast or…

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The Real Mother’s Day

by on May 11, 2020
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By now, I’ve been awake for a few hours. Yesterday was Mother’s Day and if we’re being honest, I spent it in bed. All of it. Right there is where my husband brought me coffee, showed me my gift and later brought me dinner. I roamed Netflix, social media every…

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First Time Flying Solo with my Toddler

by on October 27, 2019
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The other day, the need arose for Sio and I to travel alone. Up until that time, we traveled as a family. My husband was a tad concerned, asking numerous times if I was sure I’d be okay mostly because our child is frisskkyy!

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Becoming Mother: Three Years A Mum

by on October 21, 2019
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To accurately describe the still very young journey of motherhood that I’m on is to fail, and do so miserably. What I can say, is that although I remember life before my nugget, it strangely seems she has always been here. Maybe it’s her energy that was here, helping us…

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Siobhàn Is TWO!

by on October 26, 2018
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On October 13, 2018, my angel turned two years old. Can you believe it? How we got here so fast, I will never know. It’s a wonder I didn’t bawl like I did when she turned one. My beautiful, sweet, happy, smart child. I am so proud of her. I…

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Siobhán Update – 18 (20) Months Old

by on July 3, 2018
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I cannot believe how fast this time is going! Then again, I can believe it. When I watch my once mild tempered child catch an attitude and lash out in 0.0001 seconds flat, I can believe it. She is not here to play bruh.

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Life & Marriage Update

by on May 4, 2018
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Hey, guys! I know you can tell I have not been around WordPress as much as we would like, but you also know why. My book launch is drawing nigh and I really am just trying to stay afloat with everything. Between Siobhán, my book, the launch and making some family…

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Potty Training My Toddler

by on March 27, 2018
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Hey guys! Let’s talk about potty training your toddler. Okay, my daughter has really been potty training a few months now, technically. I started her at 12 months when I noticed she would poop and then march right over to me pulling at the diaper. Now if you’re thinking it’s…

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Lessons in Motherhood

by on March 25, 2018
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If motherhood has taught me nothing else, it is the true meaning of the phrase “beautiful mess” and the preciousness in appreciating every day and not letting life pass you by. This whirlwind of a journey has been indescribable from the start, but more importantly, I now understand the true preciousness of…

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Siobhàn – The Story of Her Name

by on January 23, 2018
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The one question I can now count on daily is someone asking the pronunciation of my daughter’s name, the origin and the meaning. There’s also the severely funny look we get when we provide her name to someone unfamiliar. Usually, if her name is to be provided for writing, I…

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Life Update: Where Have I Been?

by on August 20, 2017
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I know I’ve been MIA lately on the blogs, so the short answer is that I’ve been around. Spending some quality time with the family, balancing the transition from being a mother to a young stationary baby and a rambunctious, overzealous (now walking) toddler whilst managing my freelancing and even…

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Becoming Mother: 6 Months Update

by on April 13, 2017
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I had my daughter 6 months go today. WOW! Just… wow! Already I have found myself several times over looking at pics from the day (night) she was born. She changed, grown so much. Will it always be this fast? My heart might not be able to take this.  I love…

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Must-Haves for the New Mom

by on January 28, 2017
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Hey loves, I wanted to share six must-haves for the new mom with you guys. When I had my baby, I was starting from ground zero on the knowledge of comfort scale. Most of the women I had giving me advice hadn’t had a baby in at least 10 years,…

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Becoming Mother: 3 Months Update

by on January 22, 2017
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So much has happened in the land of new motherhood since my last blog post, it’s very hard to believe its only been 14 weeks (or 101 days). My life before giving birth has actually started to blur already. (Whadya know?) Siobhán‘s hit  a few milestones already and has me feeling…

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Becoming Mother: The First Month

by on November 19, 2016
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My baby is so tiny and stinking cute! Of course, I’m aware this is more than a little bit influenced by my exponentially biased ‘mom glasses’. But who cares, cya tell me notn. Mi baby a tek life! Lol Breastfeeding  On a more serious note though, she is such a…

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Becoming Mother: Postpartum Body, Mentally Acclimating

by on November 12, 2016
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It’s been a month since I had my little Pepperseed and it seems the time has gone up in smoke. That’s easy enough to feel when it comes to the baby. My body, not so much. This part feels like its been forever. Forever and a day. When will the…

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Pregnancy to Becoming Mother 

by on November 8, 2016
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Now that First Pregnancy Series is over, I am taking on the next chapter, Becoming Mother. I stare at her a lot. Cuddle her, kiss her, sniff her. I’m so proud. The little voice that squeals  “I made her inside me!” has not yet gone away.  Production at Shan’s Uterus R…

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Labour (Or a lack thereof) & Delivery Story

by on October 27, 2016
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Finally, after months of fretting about what labour would be like and my ability to handle the pain, needless to say, I had resigned myself to letting it happen. I’m pretty sure whimpi-er women have done it, right? (Feel free to jump in and back me up anytime here). Losing…

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Third Trimester Pregancny Update 

by on October 23, 2016
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I’m fat. The third semester was daunting as the last stretch. In the beginning, it went by kind of fast, but by the time I had 2 months or so to go, it was as though time became a sloth. A cruel pace. It seemed everyone I knew who was…

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A Husband’s Perspective on Pregnancy

by on September 14, 2016
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I haven’t made a blog in quite some time. I’m more inclined to make some comments about football and write a long ass post about it. But nope…this is not one such post. So if that’s what you were expecting please leave now. If you’re interested in what I have…

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Pregnancy Update: The Growing Bump

by on September 1, 2016
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When that first positive appeared on the stick, one of the first things I envisioned was my growing belly. How would it look, how would it feel, would I like it? I was excited. And then I was disappointed. Months passed, and my body felt just horrid and different on…

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Pregnancy Update: My Husband is Pregnant Too!

by on August 13, 2016
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My husband is pregnant. Well, not physically. (Obviously) We are prone to forget that while our many symptoms as pregnant women are felt by us first hand,  our partners are experiencing it too and not less strongly, just differently. Be mindful I speak of supportive and committed partners, not ‘baby…

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Pregnancy Skincare Routine

by on August 5, 2016
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“Beauty is skin deep”. Yes, yes it is. It would appear ny pregnancy pieces are all bout phenomenons I found shocking and/or enlightening throughout my journey. Nevertheless, here’s a bit of information on an impressively important aspect, Skincare. For us first timers in this pregnancy business, (well for me at…

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Pregnancy Update : Second Trimester

by on August 1, 2016
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You know how they said it will get better in the second trimester? Well…. I’m happy to report that was indeed my experience. This isn’t to say there weren’t discomforts, there were plenty, trust. I did however get one beautiful reprieve that I believe will be the one thing I…

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