Utility Bar

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Pawcurious: With Veterinarian and Author Dr. V

Celebrating the truth that pets make people better.

  • RSS
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Google +
  • Goodreads
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Home
  • About
    • Bio
    • FAQ
  • Speaking
  • Pet Expert
  • Writing
  • Books
    • All Dogs Go to Kevin
    • Press
  • Blog
    • Picks of the Litter
    • Popular Posts
  • Contact

parenting

Top 5 Ways Being a Vet Prepared Me for Parenthood

February 1, 2016 by Dr. V

It took me a good decade, but I can finally say I think I’m getting this motherhood thing figured out. It was not intuitive for me, not easy or instantly amazing the way it was when I brought home my first pet. With my animals, I knew no matter how challenging things were, we would figure it out and it would be ok. I don’t know why I lacked that confidence with the kiddos. Maybe I’m just part dog. But no matter! We all have our strengths in life, but the one thing I wish I knew a lot earlier ... Read more »

Filed Under: Mother of the Year Tagged With: parenting, vet clinic

I’ve Got Thick Skin, and a Fuzzy Heart

November 13, 2015 by Dr. V

I was certain when I had kids that my motherhood chip would finally kick in, that I would finally start to react to babies the way I reacted to dogs and cats. Because surely that maternal instinct in my heart had merely been misdirected all these years, and was simply in need of a little oxytocin and fine-tuning to point it to the appropriate species upon which I should lavish my affection. Now my kids are 11 and 9 and I can say this with absolute certainty: not so much. Don't get me ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year, Musings, Picks of the Litter Tagged With: parenting

Nobody puts Geeky in the corner

April 20, 2014 by Dr. V

When I was six, my mother enrolled me in my first dance class. I enjoyed it, I had fun, I got to wear cute little sailor costumes and get up on stage and tunelessly tap my feet. The teacher always arranged us in two rows, and this being the early 80s before everyone had to get equal play, she arranged us not by height but by talent. The precocious dancers with the big smiles and the good rhythm were front and center, and those who tripped on their shoelaces or danced with the angry pounding ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year Tagged With: neil degrasse tyson, parenting

Headless dog cakes and other sundry sacrifices

September 30, 2013 by Dr. V

Before I get into the details of this weekend, it's important to understand the massive pile of guilt from under which I was trying to emerge. One year ago this month, the chaos began. The endless lines of people rifling through our home in an endless stream had already been going on for seven months, but one year ago was when we agreed, from exhaustion more than anything else, to sell the home. All for the promise of a better education for the kids, which necessitated a move out of the ... Read more »

Filed Under: Mother of the Year, Musings Tagged With: birthday, Brody, cake, kids, parenting

The One Thing I’m Telling You Before You Have a Kid

August 1, 2013 by Dr. V

There are few situations I dread more than a young couple with a new pet they refer to as "our child". I'm not talking every young couple with a pet, mind you, but specifically those that refer to him or her as a kid. Though you might expect these to be the most involved and conscientious owners, and oftentimes they are, just as often you see them about a year or two later with a stroller and a decidedly changed attitude. And then you don't see them at all. Note to Allison: You Personally ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year Tagged With: dogs, parenting

Love Match

September 3, 2012 by Dr. V

I can see a thousand things, and I can go a thousand places, but not a thing brings so much joy as doggie kisses on happy faces. ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Photo of the Week, Photography Tagged With: Brody, dog kisses, parenting, Pets Add Life

Using snakes to light a fire

August 27, 2012 by Dr. V

I think I could have been very happy as a biologist. It was the direction in which I was headed, though always with the intent of turning my bachelors degree in biology into a professional degree. I chose to ignore the fact that I really loved biology as its own pursuit, fascinated with taxonomy and utterly enchanted with the concept of sitting on a smelly pile of rocks in a harbor by Marina del Rey counting mussels. I understood this, the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, trying to get a ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year, Musings Tagged With: parenting, rattlesnakes, snakes

A restful weekend

February 27, 2012 by Dr. V

Normally I take the weekends as a time to unwind, refresh my brain, and get ready for the next week. Usually this is a doable thing. But, sometimes things get kind of nutty, and in those times there's not much to be done except deal with it and let all the other things you're supposed to do- like blog- fall by the wayside. My husband left on Friday for a weeklong business trip overseas. It happens, that's part of his job description. But it certainly provides for certain, shall we say, ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year Tagged With: parenting, the Mondays

A whale of a tale

February 22, 2012 by Dr. V

I haven't been whale watching since I was a kid. It seems counter-intuitive, seeing as how I live right along the path of the gray while migration, and I have a marine biology background, but I guess it's one of those things I keep meaning to do but never get around to. Just like people who live in Las Vegas never go to the strip, or those in LA stay away from Universal Studios, you tend to avoid the touristy stuff in the area in which you live. So when a friend of mine asked if anyone was ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: boating, parenting, whales

Everyone’s a cynic

November 30, 2011 by Dr. V

"Come to my store!" exalted my daughter, pulling me up the stairs. I obliged, wondering which of my possessions she was going to try to sell back to me this time. That one has always been possessed of an entrepreneurial spirit. " I have bracelets," she said, gesturing to an array of beaded items she had crafted using the bead kit she got for her birthday. "And neck-a-laces," picking up a pair of Mardi Gras beads she inherited at some point. I picked up a bracelet. "How much?" I ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year Tagged With: Christmas, parenting

Faith in humanity, restored

November 7, 2011 by Dr. V

Among one's many obligations as parent to a school-aged child is that most universal of school experiences, chaperoning a school field trip. My number got called this week, when my second grader's class went to the zoo. She of course volunteered me, assuming- correctly- that this was the sort of thing I was up for (as opposed to the kindergarten trip to Sea World), and for the most part I was happy to do it. Until I heard it was going to be raining. Now, laugh all you want, but we San ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year, Musings Tagged With: parenting

Don’t leave the vet in charge

October 28, 2011 by Dr. V

I have a new Baking With Brody post ready to go that just needs a couple more pictures. I'll have it up this weekend, just in time for Halloween. So in the meantime, a corollary to yesterday's post: One of my tasks as kindergarten room mom, a job I grudgingly agreed to despite my better judgment, is to decorate the booth at the kid's Halloween carnival. I thought we would be provided with games and we would simply be in charge of manning it, but oh, no, we need to actually come up with an ... Read more »

Filed Under: Mother of the Year Tagged With: parenting

Underachieving Moms Club

October 27, 2011 by Dr. V

I am possessed of the vague and disquieting sense of disease that comes from knowing you are incredibly behind in everything you are supposed to be doing. Case in point: I promised my kids a month ago I would make them banana bread. I've tried three times, and every time I go to do it someone has eaten the bananas below the requisite number needed to make said bread. So they have been eating the Frankenberry cereal that one of the grandparents bought when we were in Africa for the past three ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year, Musings Tagged With: parenting

That’s my Girl

October 18, 2011 by Dr. V

Last week, my daughter's Girl Scout troop was decorating t-shirts for Halloween. Now, ever since we've gotten back from Africa the only thing my little Jane Goodall can talk about is all the animals we saw, and when can we go on another safari, and can she please come. She even made me a picture book of drawings of all the animals we showed her. She was not even scared when I told her we came across a giraffe that had been eaten by a lion on the side of the road. She is, for sure, my ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year Tagged With: art, parenting

We all have our talents

September 28, 2011 by Dr. V

I volunteer in my kids' classrooms on a quasi-regular basis. I do it because they need the help, not because I have a great deal to contribute to the average 5 year old. Yes, even now, they still scare me. The first time I went in, the kindergarten teacher had several tasks for me to choose from. One, pull a bunch of papers out of some books and then sort them. Admin stuff. Two, call the kids back one by one to work on writing their names. Uh oh. Interactive stuff. I never know what to do ... Read more »

Filed Under: Mother of the Year, Musings Tagged With: bad art, parenting

Blackout

September 12, 2011 by Dr. V

When the power went kablooey on Thursday, I figured the most lasting effect would be a resurgence of interest in knowing where we kept the spare batteries. It's never that simple, is it? Well, first of all, the local sewage treatment facility dumped 3.5 million gallons into the ocean, shutting down the beach and delaying the Surf Dog-a-thon to a day we absolutely, positively cannot make. Brody and I are so, so sad about that. Worse things have happened, of course, but we're still ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Musings Tagged With: Helen Woodward, News, parenting

Born to Be Wild: finally getting a movie right!

August 18, 2011 by Dr. V

You all remember the Tyrannosaur movie debacle? It's taken me all this time to work up enough nerve to go to another science museum movie after leaving the theater with two howling kids in tow. In the interim, we went to see Disney's African Cats, which was another hot mess ("Mommy, why are all the kittens dead?" etc) and didn't help my opinion of modern nature documentaries. When I was reading all the sad reviews of African Cats, dubbing it "most depressing nature film ever made" and that ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year Tagged With: Born to be Wild, movies, parenting

Kitty Purry

August 11, 2011 by Dr. V

Here's one of the great things about raising pets: sure, your lack of training may turn them into ill behaved mischief makers, but it's much harder to really screw them up psychologically than it is kids. Teach them sit, stay, and a few basic manners and for the most part, you have harmony. Kids, on the other hand, are almost impossible not to mess up. You either neglect them or spoil them, demean them or overly praise them, treat them like Oliver Twist or Veruca Salt. No matter what you do, ... Read more »

Filed Under: Daily Life, Mother of the Year Tagged With: Katy Perry, parenting

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Picks of the Litter

Popular Posts

  • Much Love to the Cat Guys
    Much Love to the Cat Guys
  • Why I Hate That Stupid Mom Pie Quote
    Why I Hate That Stupid Mom Pie Quote
  • What You Should Know About the FDA Alert on Grain Free Dog Foods
    What You Should Know About the FDA Alert on Grain Free Dog Foods
  • The Seven Deadly Sins: Lust
    The Seven Deadly Sins: Lust
  • Flash Mountain
    Flash Mountain
  • Animal Use in Pet Food Research: The Hill's Approach
    Animal Use in Pet Food Research: The Hill's Approach
  • Global Pet Expo: A few of my favorite things, part 1
    Global Pet Expo: A few of my favorite things, part 1
  • Too old to adopt?
    Too old to adopt?
  • An Open Letter to My Veterinary Colleagues
    An Open Letter to My Veterinary Colleagues
  • Cat in a Box: The Litterbox Chronicles, Part 1
    Cat in a Box: The Litterbox Chronicles, Part 1

Posts by Topic

Posts by Date

Footer

On Instagram

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

On Facebook

On Pinterest

  • Game of Thrones Houses
  • Is It OK To Text a Vet Friend For Free Advice? – Pawcurious: With Veterinarian and Author Dr. V
  • How Not To Kill Your Cat This Easter
  • Infographic: "42 Funeral and Burial Rituals from Around the World"
  • Throwing a dog friendly Bark Party is the best way to meet new neighbors! Check out my tips for a successful dog meet-up and giveaway, sponsored by @StateFarm!
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • PR, Giveaways, and Brands
  • © Copyright 2009-2025 Pawcurious, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
  • Web Design by Moxie Design Studios
Scroll Up