Tag: parenting
-
The Dangers When Your Children Watch You Diet
Sure, maybe you don’t think dieting or disordered eating has anything to do with your children. You may think they don’t even notice. Or you’re setting a good example. Teaching them how to be “healthy” or “disciplined. Whatever your rationalization, it’s time to get radically honest with yourself. And to look at the dangerous messages…
-
Learning To Embrace Life On Life’s Terms Through Surrender
The first time I heard the expression “life on life’s terms,” I was sitting uncomfortably on a crisp white coach. The fuzzy throw pillows surrounding me were also stark white. I have no idea why the therapist who designed that office space chose EVERYTHING in white. But instead of being calming, the blaring bright white…
-
Finding Light in a Pandemic
When the superintendent announced our schools would not open this fall for face-to-face instruction, I wasn’t surprised. We were in the middle of a pandemic. Perhaps it was my intuition; maybe it was my natural tendency to prepare for the worst… most likely it was a little bit of both. For whatever reason, a deep sense…
-
How To Cope With Mom Guilt Now
When I joined the local mom’s group almost ten years ago, I had no idea what lay ahead in the next decade. Becoming a mother turned my world completely upside down, as I learned an entirely new way of being. Thankfully connecting with other women in various stages of this journey called motherhood helped tremendously.…
-
How to Cope with Involuntary Homeschooling When You’d Rather Hide
Today marks the fifth week since my kids have gone to school. What the teachers cutely call distance learning, I refer to as: Involuntary Homeschooling. Maybe because it reminds me of my years working in Community Mental Health when we involuntarily committed patients against their will during a crisis. Putting the involuntary into homeschooling Homeschooling…
-
Have You Found Any Hidden Lessons in Pandemic Life?
All over the globe, the COVID 19 pandemic has turned life upside down. While we attempt to adjust to our new “normal,” the uncertainty of what the next day or even the next hour may bring looms over us all. Adjusting to pandemic life is a roller coaster. Anxiety and hysteria run wild making it…
-
This Moment Right Now
From my well-intentioned mother and older sister, from the sanctimonious veteran moms I encounter in person and online, and even from strangers in restaurants and checkout lines. Over and over again I hear, “Enjoy this moment because it won’t last.” And it aggravates me every single time.
-
It’s Not About Your Kitchen Sink
When I was a brand new mother trying to navigate a world ruled by feedings, diaper changes, and growth spurts, I felt like I was drowning. Deep down I believed there was some secret, some formula, some checklist that I hadn’t yet gotten my hands on. Once found, it would make this mothering thing a…
-
The First Day
My eyes popped open and I was instantly filled with anticipation. Still dark outside, I reached for my phone to check the time. 4:55 am. I knew I was awake for the day. It was not any ordinary day. This was the first day of preschool for my youngest son. I have been waiting for…
-
GI-Hanks
I have always loved holidays and having children makes them even more fun. What is more fun than dressing up in a hilarious costume? Dressing up your little child in one! What is more fun than decorating? Seeing your children’s faces light up when you pull out the decorations. For me, holidays with children are…