Parenting moments that involve teaching and shaping kids’ perspectives amaze me with their opportunities for my own continued growth. Several weeks ago, as my husband and I helped our son navigate a frustrating experience, we gently offered guidance for future interactions. My husband mimicked glasses, holding up circled fingers to his eyes, as he reminded …
I just wanted to share this post for all the mamas that are also drowning in worry. A soft landing spot on the internet for the middle-of-the-night “Am I worrying too much?” or “Will my anxieties ruin my kids?” searches. You’re not alone.
This summer, I have been exploring with my kids one of my favorite hobbies, reading. As my kids’ interest in reading has grown, their literary journey has gotten me to think about books from my childhood and their significant impact in fostering my love of reading. It is fascinating to recall ways that a handful of stories unexpectedly influenced my hopes, dreams, and life goals.
I have found some peace when I am intentional about changing my mindset to focus on gratitude. As Thanksgiving nears and I continue with this busy fall season, a shift to gratitude seems especially important. I will share some of the things on my current list and encourage you to consider your own list. What is saving your life right now?
This post is such a beautiful reminder that sometimes the best lessons in life are found right in front of us. I loved re-reading about joy, kindness, laughter, and praise through the eyes of a child.
As I thought about this, I wondered what was pulling me away from enjoying the moment. I realized it often wasn’t the “What’s next?” question, as I had expected and wrote about in my last post. Although, my emotions were still focused on the ingrained future-thinking, there was a key difference: “What’s NOT next?” What is part of this moment that won’t be the same in the future?
From the small library down the street from my house to the museum-like city landmarks, I am always in awe of the role libraries play in our communities and the impact they have had on my own life. The last week of April was National Library Week, and in celebration of libraries everywhere I am sharing a few of my favorite library memories.
My eight year old son was recently plagued by a recurring nightmare. This nightmare disrupted our sleep and exacerbated his already slow moving, groggy mornings. Being no stranger to sleeplessness due to middle of the night awake sessions, I turned to a handful of tricks to try to ease his night fears. Interestingly, some of the kid-friendly nightmare vanquishing tips have actually helped me with my own overthinking. Parenting has an amusing way of ensuring I am learning as much as I am teaching.
As we enter another holiday season, I’m reminded of the reality that the anticipation of the celebrations and the initial enthusiasm for the traditions can sometimes be derailed by the nuance and contradictions of the season. Excitement can be deflated by stress and unrealistic expectations. The busyness of the holidays can distract from the joy of the season. While navigating this year’s festivities , I took the opportunity to reflect on a past post, “The Little Things”, and to revisit the question of “What is saving your life right now?”
Although the ongoing changes of the past few months have created a season of upheaval for my family, there is something about this transition to Kindergarten that feels so final, even more permanent than a change in address or employment. It is something that we cannot turn back from. The school years have begun.
the unexpected ever afters 