?WWAD (what what Ariel do)"? we ask ourselves in story meetings. Just back from mat leave with her scrumptious son, Cal, senior editor Ariel Brewster is our resident new-mom muse. That?s why I?ve invited her to take over this month to share her hard-won wisdom from the first year of parenting. ?Sasha
I had been working at Today?s Parent for three years before I had a baby, but that doesn?t mean I had any idea what I was doing when we welcomed Cal to our family in November 2014. Nothing prepares you for the day-in, day-out hard work of parenting. Though I?m pretty new to the scene, I?m happy to share what I?ve learned along the way so far.
1. 75% is the new 100%

Forget giving anything 100 percent. I will never be able to stay at work as late as I?d like, and I will never get dinner on the table as early as I?d like. I will never exercise as much as the magazines tell me I should, and I am newly at peace with the fact that my kid is going to be the one with marker streaks on his pudgy toddler hands and a little bit of leftover breakfast oatmeal in his hair. Feeling good about a 75 percent approval rating?and striving to please most of the people in my life most of the time?is my new normal. 2. Zippers, not snaps

Repeat after me: zippers, not snaps. Zippers, not snaps. I don?t care how cute or on-sale those snap-up footie PJs at Baby GAP are, resist all buttons and snaps and fussy outfits with multiple components. You may adore washing, folding and organizing the...