I’m astoundingly good at taking my own experiences and anxieties and making them into new anxieties about my daughter Lorelei’s experiences. Read More
Hardships Are Stepping Stones To Better Things
Nobody likes hardship. Not only does it put a “kink” in our plans, but it hurts. As human beings, we want to shy away from pain. But hardships are a part of life that we must accept because they’ll never go away. Read More
Being the Parent Picked Last
I was always picked last or pretty close to it when it came time to picking dodge ball teams in elementary school. Generally, I was selected just before the kid who was eating his own boogers. Read More
Being Their Best Mommy (Instead of THE best Mommy)
I had accidentally left my shopping list at home on the counter, so remembering all of the items I need before I leave town this week had to come straight from my brain. Read More
“Look at Her!” – The Words I Hear Weekly
They are three words that I hear at least weekly. I hear them at the park, at the museum, in the grocery store, at the mall. “Look at her!” Read More
When Our World Is Hurting (But Our Kids Don’t Realize It Yet)
I know that, in the not too distant future, her sheltered and perfect world will crumble, brick by brick. She will hear a racial slur, understand the context of the flaming aftermath she sees on the news, or learn that one of her friends’ parents isn’t here anymore. She’ll have questions for my husband and I that we can’t answer to her, or our, complete satisfaction. We won’t have the perfect solution. She’ll see us unsure and maybe even scared, too. Read More
In the Midst of Tragedy, Why Are We So Quick to Throw Stones?
I tend to think that outsiders blame parents because, when they admit that it’s an actual accident, they are admitting that they and their loved ones are not immune to the very same circumstances. It’s acknowledging that there are things that are out of their control; that even the most caring parent can’t completely shield and protect their child. Read More
What Being THAT Kid Taught Me About Acceptance
I was THAT kid – the kid who couldn’t speak the language properly and who wore the “strange” silver shoes. My customs and clothing had others pointing fingers and whispering. Read More
When You Lose it With Your Child: 5 Steps Toward Repair
We don’t have to be perfect parents. Really. We just have to seize those opportunities to realize when we’re off-course, and find ways to start moving in the right direction. Read More
A Mom’s Measure of Success: Was Anyone Hospitalized?
Kids don’t care if you spend a week on Pinterest searching for the most clever ways to make a party look like it came straight from Willy Wonka’s brain… Read More