If the kiddos you are shopping for are like mine, then they love anything police-related! From toys to pjs to books and baby items, we jam-packed this holiday gift guide for law enforcement children. We may have even included a few firefighter recommendations, too. Ha! Many items are from police-wife owned small shops or made/created by fellow police wives in our community. Plus, Amazon deals that ship easily! Gift Guide for Law Enforcement Children: Police Croc Charms Police Croc Charms #2 Police Badge and Cuffs Daddy is My Hero Toddler Tee from Emory Click for more
Finding Yourself Through LEOW Life and Motherhood
Both motherhood and being married to a police officer come with there own unique set of challenges. But when you are trying to navigate and balance both, at the same time, it is easy to feel like you get lost within those struggles. I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Jillian from Beauty Sleep and Babies about her experiences as a new mom and fellow police wife. She was incredibly open about her journey of needing to find herself again because both LEOW life (law enforcement officer wife life) and motherhood took so much out of her. Jillian shared that it was definitely Click for more
Discussions to Have with Police Children About the Holidays
The holidays are almost here and while it can be an exciting time, it can also be a stressful time for police children. Many questions come up during this season from kids wondering why their holiday has to look a little different than their friends or other family members. In today's episode I share some discussions you can have with your kids to help minimize any confusion and validate their feelings. Here are Some Ways to Have Discussions with Police Children About the Holidays: Validate their feelings. First and foremost, let your children know that their feelings are Click for more
How to talk to your kids about the holidays as a law enforcement family
Every year I feel like I am having the same conversation(s) with my kids regarding the holidays as a law enforcement family and their daddy's job. The first few years were the easiest, actually, because they were so little so they didn't notice any differences. But as they grow and see that our family celebrates at different times than people they know or at different times of the day, I get asked questions. We use this time as a family to help our children understand flexibility, patience and that the holidays mean making the most of our time with the people we love. As a parent of Click for more
Scholarships for Children of Law Enforcement
Scholarship information found on Scholarships.com I get asked almost weekly if I know of any law enforcement scholarships. Sometimes they can be hard to find but they do exist. And you are going to want your child(ren) to apply if they meet the scholarship requirements because, as we know, higher education is NOT cheap. Getting scholarships for college these days is almost necessary, not to mention, having financial assistance can reduce your financial stress drastically. This is a comprehensive list of all the current scholarships I know of. Law Enforcement Scholarships Click for more
How to Create a Bedtime Routine for Kids when your Spouse Works Night Shift
Today's episode is brought to you by Arrest My Vest. Arrest my vest has odor eliminating spray that instantly takes away smells from body armor, tactical gear, uniforms and more. Visit Arrest My Vest at www.arrestmyvest.com and use code THANKYOU (all one word) for 15% off. Welcome to Season 2 of The Proud Police Wife Podcast! We have some amazing guests this season. If you haven't already, be sure to check out all 16 episodes of Season 1 of the podcast for support and resources for police wife life. Today we are talking with fellow police wife Melissa about bedtime routines for Click for more
Tips for Bedtime Routines for Solo Parents (from a Pediatric Sleep Consultant)
This is a guest post from Melissa P., a fellow police wife, solo parent and pediatric sleep consultant. Solo parenting at bedtime, during day shifts, evening shifts, overnight shifts, on call shifts…it’s all hard. Doing the bedtime routine as solo parents can feel like the hardest part of the day. It’s tough! You’ve already had an exhausting day of work outside the home, or you’ve been with the kids all day and you just need a break. I’m with you on that! But your spouse’s demanding and often unpredictable schedule isn’t going anywhere so let’s focus on what you CAN control and Click for more
How to Create and Foster Routines as a Law Enforcement Family
With shift work and inconsistent schedules it can feel as if creating routines for your family are difficult. But I am here to tell you, that you probably already have routines that you may not be aware of. And you can absolutely create routines based on what YOU CAN CONTROL. If you focus on what you can control vs what you can't (like your spouse being held over at work or his/her schedule) then you set yourself up for success. Helpful Tips for Establishing Routines as a Law Enforcement Family: Individual routines vs. family routines While it is important to have routines as an Click for more
Children of Law Enforcement: Q&A with a Daughter of a Police Officer
Children of law enforcement families face a unique set of challenges and experiences that many other kids may not understand. Because of that, my daughter was brave enough to come on to today's episode and allow me to ask her some questions about what her experience is like. She wanted to share in hopes of helping just one fellow or future child of law enforcement. While most of her experience is a positive one, I'll be honest and say this was a harder episode for us to get through than we both realized. One question left us both in tears and out of respect to her, I did not include it Click for more
Adorable Police-Themed Baby Gifts
We have three children, and goodness, I don't remember seeing so many cute police-themed gifts on the market when they were babies. From blankets to outfits to adorable toys, they seem to have it all nowadays! Whether you are expecting yourself, want to surprised the mom or dad-to-be with an adorable police-themed present or just want to gift the little one in your life with something cute, below are some great options. And, they are from a number of stores, including: small police-owned shops, Etsy and Amazon. Adorable Police-Themed Baby Gifts Police-Themed Click for more
How to discuss hatred for police and racism with your children
As a mother of three and former educator I know how difficult it can be to answer hard questions. Right now, it feels even harder as the wife of a police officer because we are having discussions about both the hatred police are facing and racism in the world. We want peace and understanding for both situations, which many people don't understand. I went back and forth on whether my kids were too young to know about what is happening in the world right now, but the fact of the matter is, we can't ignore it. Our children know our stresses, they feel the tension. They may even Click for more
Are police wives really solo parents?
Okay, let's get down to it. We constantly hear that as police wives we are destined to be solo parents. But is this the truth? Or is this just another scare tactic that people are telling you. Yes, our spouses work a lot and shift work can make parenting challenging. But does that mean you are going to be a solo parent because your spouse has an opposite shift than you and the rest of the family? We are going to dive deep on this topic and hear the opinions of fellow police wives. I polled law enforcement wives on different platforms and here is the honest truth regarding solo parenting Click for more
The easiest thin blue line craft for kids
My little ones love decorating the tree and creating new, homemade ornaments every year. The homemade ornaments are always the most sentimental to me and those go on our main tree in our living room. We also have a small thin blue line tree that we put up in my husband's man cave every year and this year when decorating it, our kids asked to make special ornaments for it just like they do for our main tree. In an effort to keep the craft fairly easy, I figured why not do a spin on a classic craft my kids love: Thin blue line candy canes! How to make this easy thin blue line Click for more
Must-have baby gear for police families
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Tactical Baby Gear. All opinions are honest and my own. When our oldest child was born, I wanted all these cute accessories that matched the theme of her room. Bad idea- just bad. I quickly got tired of that theme and color scheme because I saw it alllll the time and when it came time for our second baby, I wanted all new baby gear because I was using a different theme/color scheme with the new baby. Can you say expensive? More recently, we changed up our baby gear to something a bit more tactical, meaning something both my husband and I wouldn't Click for more
Unique gift ideas for expecting law enforcement parents
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Tactical Baby Gear. All opinions are honest and my own. Congratulations are in order! Whether those congrats are for you or expecting law enforcement parents, congrats! My husband and I have three little ones and while we truly appreciated any thoughtful gift we received when each of them was born, there were some things we just really needed. As opposed to another newborn outfit that our kids would grow out of in about two weeks. Instead, let me fill you in on what new or expecting law enforcement parents really want but Click for more
Amazingly Good Books for Law Enforcement Children
With three little ones at home, reading is something we always do before bedtime. Our children also ask questions about their daddy's job a lot, so I have found that one of the best ways to answer their questions is with picture books. If the book has good illustrations and describes the job of police officers then most of their questions are answered in an easy to understand way. We have a great list of books for law enforcement families on the blog but time and time again I get asked about books for children specifically, so I figured it should be a post all on it's own. My Click for more
The best tactical baby gear for dads
This post is sponsored by Tactical Baby Gear. All opinions are honest and my own. My husband has always been a super hands-on dad and he loves to take our kids out for little day trips including Lowe's, our local tractor supply and Bass Pro Shop. But let's face it, when our first daughter was born, he didn't exactly want to carry around my flower patterned Vera Bradley diaper bag. And I can't quite blame him. My husband is in law enforcement, drives a large truck, loves to be outdoors and hunts in his spare time so flower bags weren't exactly his style. My husband needed a Click for more
3 things my kids need from their police officer parent
With three young children and one now in elementary school, my husband and I have had to adjust to their needs throughout the years (and each child has different needs). The needs I am referring to in this post are what our kids need regarding life as children of a police officer and how we parent to these specific needs. This lifestyle brings many unique situations, and ones that they don't see their friends or even close family going through. So whether your kids are toddlers, school-aged or teenagers, we have to pay close attention to how they may be feeling (or Click for more
10 funny police elf on the shelf ideas + 5 bonus ideas
My family and I have had an Elf on the Shelf for about four years now. To be honest, we used to think "that damn elf", but the last two years we have really tried to make it fun for us and the kids. Don't get me wrong, we still have those "oh, crap" mornings where we forget to move the darn thing, but we have gotten better at coming up with something on the fly. Being that this is a police wife blog, I had to come up with some funny police related ideas for your elf on the shelf pleasure. I even had some fellow police wives help me out by sharing their pictures, too! But don't worry, I Click for more
How to throw an easy + DIY police themed party (with FREE party printables)
Our cute little guy just had his 2nd birthday and we could not wait to throw him a police themed birthday party! He loves being just like daddy and carries around his little K9 pup all the time so we knew this was the perfect theme for him! But with three kids, a blog, and an officer that works an unpredictable schedule, I knew I needed to make the planning of this party pretty easy. I LOVE Pinterest, but all of those crazy over-the-top parties were not what I could accomplish. So I want to show you how EASY it is to plan a police themed party, on a budget! You can make it look Click for more
What to bring to a thin blue line photoshoot: quick and easy ideas!
Photo Credit: K.A. It almost feels like a right of passage to have some kind of police or thin blue line themed photoshoot if you are a law enforcement family. I love seeing all the ideas trending on Facebook or Pinterest. Anywhere from those adorable, little newborn sessions where the baby is holding daddy's badge to couples draped around the Thin Blue Line Flag during an engagement session. They are all priceless and undeniably meaningful as law enforcement impacts the entire family. I always see wives searching for some inspiration for an upcoming photoshoot. So why not have Click for more
14 Day Solo-Parenting Challenge for Police Wives
You get that text message, your officer will be late again. He is missing bed time with your little ones. Or maybe he has to leave in the middle of a birthday party. We have all been there. Our kids are crying and as police wives, we have to hold everything together. We have to wipe those tears, be brave when we are sad too, and keep moving forward even when we are unbelievably tired. We hold the line at home. We are married but on the days our officers work, we feel like single parents by default. It can be down right hard and there is no changing it. So why not challenge Click for more
25 ways to keep your children entertained when your spouse is on night shift & sleeps during the day
Remember the days when your officer would come home after a long night shift, head straight to bed and you would keep the house perfectly still in fear of waking him? Nah, me either. Those memories are in the FAR distance. Now all I know is that on most days my house sounds like a circus and the word 'quiet' is pretty nonexistent. Keeping my kids quiet, well okay, fairly quiet, takes A LOT of planning my end and I am left most days feeling like I wrestled lions. So I think it is fair to say that having to keep our children quiet when our spouses need rest for their very important job is no Click for more
How to balance pregnancy and police wife life
First, congratulations! If you are reading this then you are probably either pregnant or trying for a baby. Preparing for a little one in your life is one of the most exciting times of your adult life. My husband and I have 3 little ones and each time we were expecting was a joyous and special time for us. The last thing I want for you is to let the stress of law enforcement life to take over your feelings during a very happy time. It happens to many police wives. Our emotions are constantly changing during pregnancy and it can be hard to balance your emotions while your husband is away Click for more
I’m Afraid Your Teddy is in Trouble Today Book Review
This is a sponsored post, but all opinions and reviews are my own. Besides being a police wife, I am also a mother of three little ones and a part-time reading teacher. So when I read I'm Afraid Your Teddy is in Trouble Today by Jancee Dunn, it combined my love for picture books and law enforcement. I am always looking for books that involve law enforcement to read to my children because police related books are few and far between. To my children, their father is their hero for the job that he does. So they naturally gravitate to books that involve law enforcement. They feel Click for more
Daddy Dolls: The perfect solution for when your kids miss a loved one
Proud Police Wife received a Daddy Doll in exchange for an honest review. Having a loved one be away from home is never easy. When a parent or loved one has a career in law enforcement or in the armed forces, separation can be frequent. Explaining separation to a child that is crying, upset, and too young to understand can be rather difficult. For the last 5 years, I have watched my daughter stand at our front window, waving and saying "Goodbye Daddy, You are my HERO!" It is seriously the sweetest thing ever, but as he pulls away, her eyes well up with tears. I have Click for more
Your First Year of “Solo” Parenting as a Police Wife: What to Expect
I recently wrote about ways to rock "solo" parenting as a police wife. Having kids, especially young ones, while living the law enforcement life can be difficult, no doubt. But after posting this article, I kept thinking about the police wife that is just entering this lifestyle maybe after a career change or the police wife that has a new baby. The first year is by far the hardest. The ones that truly need the most help are not the veterans or seasoned wives, it is the newer wives when it comes to parenting. The "unknown" is what makes this life hard to navigate. As a newer police wife or Click for more
How to be a rockstar solo parent when you’re married to a cop
So I know what you are thinking, "this is not what I signed up for". When you are married and have an involved spouse, it does not always seem "fair" to be a solo parent so much of the time. Let's be real here, shall we? We live a VERY unique lifestyle. One that many do not understand nor do they try to understand. Many do not understand why we (police wives) show up to events without our spouse. I often feel like, people who don't know me, think I am truly a single parent. As police wives, we too, go through so much because of our spouse's law enforcement career. One part of that is Click for more
Law Enforcement Life: Confessions from a Cop’s Daughter
I have always wondered, as I look into my children's eyes, how they view our lifestyle. The law enforcement lifestyle, that is. At such young ages, I know they see a difference. They ask questions about why their daddy is working at night when their friend's daddy's are at home. They question why he sleeps during the day and why we can't have friends over during the day to play. They noticed these things more when we moved into a neighborhood full of families. We play with neighborhood children whose families don't live the law enforcement lifestyle. I always answer their questions as best as Click for more
THIN BLUE LINE HERO CRAFTIVITY
THIN BLUE LINE HERO CRAFTIVITY During Police Week, I always try to find ways to get my kids involved in the support of law enforcement. They love to show support for their dad and his co-workers. They also love to make crafts and projects, so this activity is a win-win. It is important to our family that our children show support for first responders and others within the community. While making this activity, we talk about why we are making it and who we would give it to. Of course, they want to give it to their father because he is law enforcement. But any child can make this craft and Click for more