DIY iPad Screen Replacement

Okay, mommies...

For those of you who are Mac-obsessed (like me,) I know I'm not the only one who's let their kiddos play with their iPads against their better judgement. 

I mean, really ... who can say no to those little faces when they ask you to share your "toys?"

And with that comes the risk of something we all dread: a dropped iPad. Replacing an iPad screen through Apple's services can cost you anywhere from 200-400 dollars. OUCH!

When my daughter dropped my iPad and I saw the spiderweb of cracks that covered the screen, I wanted to cry. But luckily I have a fearless husband who joined forces with me, and together we decided to attempt to tackle the replacement ourselves, after doing some research.

We bought our iPad screen HERE. (I have the iPad 2, but you can find your generation as well!) 

Before getting started, we first watched this video. Again - this video is for the iPad 2. But there are videos out there for each generation! This is just to give you a basic idea of what you're in for.

We were really nervous about breaking something as we started our replacement project, but here's what we found:

-If you use an "Exacto" type of knife or razor blade and slide it between the screen and the body of the iPad, simply avoiding the areas near the "Home" button and the "Volume" buttons, this process will go much faster, and you'll avoid shattering your screen even worse, and having little shards of glass go flying.

-The wi-fi tab is pretty obvious and easy to disconnect. Likewise, if you're careful, using your fingers near the "danger" zones where there are cables, etc, you should be fine while replacing the screen.

-It's really easy to end up with unidentifiable specks or smudges behind your new screen. I cannot stress enough that the most important thing you can do is spend the necessary time examining all aspects of the display, prior to adhering the new screen to the body of the iPad.

-The adhesive that comes with the replacement screen isn't very strong. Look into buying separate, stronger adhesive. But be aware that whatever you use may have to be removed if the screen shatters again down the road. We read a few reviews on the product site where we bought our screen that boasted of using SUPERGLUE to adhere the new screen to the iPad body. YIKES!! (Don't do that!!)

At the end of the day, we were thrilled with the results. We spent $25 and spent 2 hours replacing a shattered screen that Apple wanted to charge $200-400 to replace!!

Good luck, mommies! 

If you have questions about replacing your iPad, comment below and I'll try to help you based on my experience with my hubbie replacing ours.

Hoping you have a Merry Christmas,

This Blogging Mommy

Mommy Knows Best ...

There are so many people out there today that want to give unsolicited advice on how to parent. You can't enter a supermarket without the lady behind you telling what you're doing wrong, or go to a family get-together without someone reminding you of "how they did things" with their own kids.

I've gotten to a point in my own journey as a parent where I finally have the strength to stand up and say it ...

MOMMY KNOWS BEST!

Nobody knows their child better than that child's mother (or father.) And NOBODY, I repeat NOBODY has the right to dictate how a child should be raised other than that parent.

Parenting is a beautiful journey of trial, error, prayer, tears, and rejoicing. And there are certainly times where you'll find yourself turning to a close friend, or maybe even your own mother, and saying, "What would you do?"

But there is a huge difference between asking for advice, and having unsolicited advice cheerfully shoved down your throat ... the former is a gift, a beautiful exchange of wisdom and love, and the latter ... well it's nothing more than

CRITICISM.

When Aunt Martha comes in and tells you, "You don't let your girls play with makeup? My girls were allowed to wear their little Disney makeup by the time they were 8. It's just innocent fun," what she's really doing is undermining your right to make decisions for your own child.

And worst of all, it's Aunt Martha, who's watched you grow up and even changed your diapers. You can't just turn around and say what you REALLY want to say, which is, 

"Well, Aunt Martha, isn't that so nice. But I want better things for my daughters than to learn at a young age that their physical beauty is the most important thing about them, or that they're nothing but sex symbols at 5 years of age."

Yea. That's a big no-no, regardless of how tempting that comeback may seem.

The truth is that often times, it is absolutely the people closest to us that so definitively undermine our authority as parents, because they feel comfortable with us. They aren't as afraid of pushing the boundaries and they aren't as careful to respect your authority, because of that comfort.

In a perfect world, you could calmly confront the people in your life who are trying to do your parenting for you, and they'd apologize and back off. Afterwards, you'd relax back on the chaise lounge you were sitting on in your backyard, surrounded by mosquito netting and the fragrant smell of honeysuckle and roses as little Jackson smiles up at you from the book he's reading to you, saying, "Mommy, you're so smart. I'm so grateful to have you as my mom."

We can all dream, ladies.

In reality, when you try to nicely confront your mother about how you know she loves Mary Sue but she just can't give her panties from Victoria's Secret, because no matter how "cute" those little lace-fringed boy-shorts are, they are way too sexual for your 13 year old daughter, your mother isn't going to understand. She's going to get defensive, offended, and argue with you.

And when that inevitable encounter happens, I really hope you take a page from a very difficult lesson I've learned ... oh heck, that I'm STILL learning. When it happens, I hope you reinforce those parental boundaries with the following statement:

"Mommy knows best. I'm the mommy, and I know best what is appropriate for my children. I appreciate the thought, but I'm not okay with... (my daughter wearing sexier panties than I do now at 13 years old.")

Feel free to insert in the blank whatever inappropriate gift you're protesting for whatever child you're trying your darndest to protect or raise into a respectful, responsible human being.

Trust me when I say that if you don't start enforcing that particular present rule early on, you'll find yourself stressed out, frustrated, and feeling resentful of Grammy for buying Jimmy a ridiculously expensive pair of Adidas you insisted no 7 year old boy needed, or for buying Sheila that teeny tiny mini skirt she'd been begging YOU to get her for months.

As much as the loved ones in your child's life want to spoil them, spoiling should not come at the expense of your rules. Gosh, when I think of all the prayers, tears, and thought that have gone into the rules I've created for my children, I feel an overwhelming certainty of God's hand in my parenting. 

And woe awaits anyone who tries to get in the way of that.

So remember ... when unsolicited advice-givers start banging down your door with more persistence than those pesky magazine salespeople during the summer months ...

MOMMY. KNOWS. BEST.

Prayers for you and your journeys of motherhood,

This Blogging Mommy

Competitive Moms Not Allowed

Moms. We're hard-wired to want the best for our children.

We want to see them shine.

We want them to feel loved and so incredibly special. 

And so we commit what I think is possibly one of the worst mommy crimes possible. We become that mom. The competitive one. We all know at least one of these mothers. They boast on social media about how their precious Francois is potty-trained and at ten months to boot! Attention all other mommies: bring on the insecurity.

These moms just can't wait to tell you about how smart their sweet little Brittany is, how she is writing her name already at two, asking oh-so-innocently whether you've begun teaching your little one how to write. After hanging out with them, you inevitably feel like your child is a total failure, you somehow have sub-par genes, and like you are quite possibly the world's worst mother. I mean, you'd have to be to send your child to Kindergarten without bouncy curls complete with a homemade bow in her hair. How could you have failed to cut her sandwich into the cutest little heart shape, or not seen the importance of the picture-perfect first day outfit, sure to make all other five-year olds wish they had a mom as awesome as you??

Newsflash: Nobody likes you, Competitive Mom.

I've always wanted to say that. Gee, thanks for raining on my parental parade with your not-very-subtle comparison of our children in which mine comes up lacking. Thanks for constantly gushing about how great life is and how perfect your child is, making me wonder if my in-house meltdowns with my toddler are a result of something I'm doing wrong or some personality disorder in my two-year old. 

In a world filled with mothers with so much self-doubt, insecurities about doing things right, and undeserved criticism over our methods of parenting, the last thing we mommies need is other moms making us feel like we are somehow failing because our kids aren't "up-to-speed" with theirs in one way or another.

I got sucked into a group of mommies like this early on in my mothering years. I showed up to a group play-date, and the topic of the day was early potty-training. After hearing about how the Queen Competitive Mommy's daughter was completely potty-trained at twenty-two months, I set out on a mission to achieve similar results. At eighteen months I had my daughter sitting on her mini-potty watching thirty minutes of "Elmo's Potty Time," waiting on edge, with bated breath for the sound of tinkling. We did this every day.

Three months later I had a hysterical child who hated Elmo's Potty Time, had a major meltdown at the very sight of a potty, and my nerves weren't just frayed, they were shattered.

What was I doing wrong?

Nothing.

Here's the thing about parenting and children that goes completely over competitive mom's head - 

Every child is different. Their needs are different, their development is different, and your parenting will have to adapt because of it.

I have two children and I have parented them in two different ways, because their personalities dictated altering my approach. Allowing yourself to get sucked into a game of comparison does nothing but put unnecessary stress on yourself as an evolving parent, and on your child, as a developing individual.

A few years has brought me the wisdom to understand -  Competitive Mommy is just as insecure as every other mother out there. She hides her fears in overachieving and bragging about her offsprings' accomplishments. But that doesn't make it okay, and it doesn't mean that I want to surround myself with that negativity.

So what can you do if you have a Competitive Mommy in your social circle?

Well, for starters, kill them with kindness. Knowing that Competitive Mommy is really just as insecure as you are, give her tons of encouragement and emotional support. Let her know that you think she's doing a great job.

Feel free to tell her politely that you don't like to compare your child to anyone else's, when she asks about where your little Megan is at developmentally or otherwise in comparison to hers.

Finally, if worse comes to worse - do like I did with the group of Competitive Mommies that were toxic to my emotional well-being as a parent and remove yourself from the equation. There are plenty of other moms out there who are eager for play-dates, companionship, and commiseration over their own fears. Honesty in any form of friendship is a beautiful thing, and if you can't find it in the midst of all the stifling overachieving, find someone who won't make you feel inadequate with your normalcy.

And if you're asking yourself if you ARE Competitive Mommy, it's not too late! You can change your MO and become supportive, honest about your day-to-day struggles as a mom, and encourage other moms to accept that they aren't perfect.

You can stop comparing your child to other kids out there.

Most importantly, you can become a better mom by letting go just a little bit. I promise you, your child will shine in their time with your love, attention, and encouragement.