From the moment our kids open their eyes, the day’s a symphony of instructions: “Brush your teeth! Get dressed! Hurry up—we’re late!” By bedtime, we’ve told them what to do so many times it feels like we’ve become human to-do lists. But here’s the thing—what if constantly telling them what to do isn’t the only…
The holidays are almost here, and maybe you’re feeling the pressure to do it all—buy all the gifts, send all the cards, and attend every event. But as a parent, with so much already on your plate, the idea of adding more can feel overwhelming. What if, instead of doing more, you focused on the…
Expressing gratitude can be tricky … for kids and adults. It’s so easy to freak out when we think we are raising ungrateful and unappreciative children… or we think others may think that of us. The reality is that gratitude can be tricky to manage and express – for adults, too! Consider these two scenarios:…
As I always say, anxiety is a B@%#! Anxiety when you’re a parent? If you know, you know? As a lifelong anxiety struggler, I’ve worked hard to get my anxiety under control. But here’s the thing, even though I’ve learned how to manage it, it’s still there, always lurking in the background. It’s an extra…
When our kids melt down or have tantrums, we tend to, well, freak out ourselves. Angry thoughts pop into our head, our heart starts to race, and our palms get sweaty. As a result, we tend to react in these situations, rather than respond purposefully – and we unintentionally make things worse by adding fuel to the…
Summer colds are annoying. I’ve been home the last three weeks with a cold virus I can’t seem to kick. It’s frustrating to sit on my tushy for days on end, and to have lots of “at-home” time with very little to show for it. As a result, I’ve been spending a lot of time…
I recently wrote a blog about how we parents tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to create a “perfect” summer for our kids. But what does perfect look like? Who defines “perfect?” Are we terrible parents if we don’t fill our kids’ summer with long beach days, trips to the water park…
If I had a dollar for every time my kids snarkily asked me, “Aren’t you a parent coach?” I’d be sipping wine in Italy right now. Salute! Yes, I am a parent coach. And yes, I am also an imperfect parent. And the beauty of what I do is that both truths can exist harmoniously….
This is how I started my response in a local moms Facebook group, the second time in a week I was moved to respond to a post.In this case, a mother was seeking advice for consequences for her 14-year-old daughter, who was failing her classes and spending a lot of time on her phone. She…
Your child has thrown themself on the dirty ground, screaming incoherently, in the middle of the food court. It’s official – this is your child’s public meltdown mode. Your first thought, “OH S*@$! PEOPLE ARE WATCHING.” Suddenly it feels like everyone in the food court has stopped in their tracks to watch the public display…