It’s almost as if we are programmed to compare. Whether we blame it on the Jones’s, or on the highlight reels we are bombarded with on social media, it’s a daunting task to separate “us” from “them” and not pay attention to how and if we are measuring up. Believe me, this is a battle I fight as well. These almost-automatic comparisons I make when, for instance, I can’t help but notice the family sitting at a table across from …
Are You Screwing Up Your Kids?
This is a question I ask myself all the time. Yep – as recently as last night. (Well, not about you and your kids, but about me and mine). And I know I’m not alone. If we’re brave enough to shed our superhero capes and admit it, we all question our decisions surrounding parenting – whether it’s the big, blatant ones, or the hundreds of teeny, tiny ones throughout the day – which is going to be the thing that …
Welcome to My Mess
We have a puppy. A very big puppy. She’s 4 months old and already over 60 pounds. It looks like PetSmart vomited all over our house. I have two sons and a husband. Somehow papers, bouncy balls, lone socks and half empty water glasses are covering the areas that are not already occupied by said puppy explosion. And then there’s me. By no means super organized, tidy or clutter-free by any means, but craving order and sparkly clean no less. …
Man Hairs, Magnifying Mirrors and Parenting
I thought I had done a great job. I was attentive, thorough, present and thoughtful — and had all the most important bases covered. I was confident. I felt proud. I may even be so bold to say that I had a little “mom swagger” in my step. Yes, I got all of those little wiry, unsuspecting suckers. Success! I put the tweezers away and left on our much anticipated vacation. However, unbeknownst to me I had been the fool. …
The superpower all parents need…
If you are struggling to find just enough energy to get through the day, or feeling like you have to rush about with little time to eat (or take a deep breath) in between “what’s next,” then you are probably not showing up as your best self. This is a hard truth to swallow, and it feels near impossible to pull it all off without dropping a few balls here and there. I get it. It’s still hard for me to this day. All we want is to provide and give …
5 Reasons to Calm Down About Screen-Time
Screen-time is definitely a touchy subject for parents. How much is too much? What is good screen-time and what is bad screen-time? There’s so much information out there it can be overwhelming to even begin to sift through it all. And then the guilt as a parent sets in as you wonder if you’re doing this whole screen-time-monitoring-thing right. I recently wrote an article on “screen-control” (which you can read here) that gives some easy tips that you can apply in your home now to reduce the stress that screen-time can bring. On the flipside, I …
A smile is life-changing
I thought we’d keep it light again this week 🙂 Did you enjoy the memes from last week’s email? Laughter really is a powerful form of healing. The more we have of it in our lives, the better off we are! Parenting is probably the most challenging job any adult can have. Without support from other parents who understand the struggles and triumphs that come with children, the path can feel very lonely. But we have each other in our …
Keep calm, and have a laugh
Okay, so I know we’ve had some big topics the past few weeks, that I hope have helped you work through different struggles and come to some epiphanies around parenting and the stories we are telling ourselves. So today, I thought we’d keep it light and keep the laughter coming. And what better way to do that than with memes, right? Some of these are my own, and others I just had to share because they are so true, and …
LOVE your calendar!
Don’t stress the schedule… If you’re like me, just the thought of looking at your calendar can create a sense of anxiety. Many of us have our days filled — from the moment we wake up, until our head thankfully hits the pillow at night. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is a sense of great accomplishment when you are able to put all of the puzzle pieces together and get everyone’s schedules in sync. That’s the beauty of …
Do you feel lonely, sometimes?
Parenthood can feel lonely sometimes, can’t it? Even with our spouses by our side, or especially if we are a single parent, raising children is no easy task and we can sometimes retreat, rather than reach out, when we struggle as parents. This is something we ALL go through at some point. As a mom of two boys, I’ve been there many times myself. I worry about my children, question some of my actions and reactions, and can certainly get …