Dogs are ALWAYS happy to see you. They will listen and console without judgment. The simple act of petting a dog brings a sense of calm and helps relieve anxiety. Who doesn’t need more love, comfort, and stress relief in their lives?
The more I learn about app dating, though, the more I’m considering forcing you to go vegan, wear a helmet when you drive, and sleep in a hyperbaric chamber. If you recall, you were pretty solidly stuck with me already back when online dating was still for weirdos. Ours is an analog love story. Please, please, for the love of God, don’t make me go out there. I won’t survive.
As my oldest son has demonstrated trustworthiness, we are building the skills he needs to gain further independence. He no longer has to hold my hand to cross streets, because I know he'll stay close and not run recklessly. Now when we come to an intersection, I ask him, ‘Are we safe to cross?’ He gets to make the decision — but I have to sign off before we move forward. Before I trust him to do it independently, I am teaching him the skills he needs to do it safely.
We are so hard on ourselves, as women, and we hold ourselves to standards none of us can achieve. When was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror and thought you were beautiful or had belief in your abilities? In the world of social media, we tend to have a skewed perspective. Everyone’s life seems perfect, and everyone looks beautiful under the veil of an Instagram filter. If we are judging ourselves harshly, our daughters will do the same. We need to be kinder to ourselves, so they know how to be kind to themselves too.
"Because, friends, our daughters are watching, and we get the privilege of being their first model of what it looks like to be strong, beautiful, capable women. Women who like themselves, speak kindly to themselves and others, and don't stagnate but actively pursue growth."
Everyone gets so excited when family members or friends have a new baby, and we immediately want to see them. I have done the same. Each friend who has had a baby, the first question I used to ask is, "When can I come meet him/her? What can I bring you? I'll watch the baby while you sleep!" But, things have changed. My son got meningitis at 4 weeks old.
I know this sounds silly. Because Gary Chapman's bestselling book, 'The Five Love Languages,' has been around for nearly 25 years. But I never knew what the love languages were until very recently when I stumbled upon an online 'love language' quiz. It was a major game changer.
"Over the years I have had mixed feelings about 'autism awareness.' It has never sat quite right with me, and being a completely burned out mom with three kids, I've never had the energy or time to really think about what I want to say. But the past year has hit us hard at home and at school. Now that my son is getting older, his behavior and quirkiness are more obvious to others, including his peers and his younger sister. It is making me realize awareness is not enough. What I need, as a parent, is autism acceptance and autism appreciation."
"I don't really have any answers, as I know that I have more than I can reasonably do, especially during the winter disease season that eats chunks of my time and simultaneously makes my children need me even more. I do know that hearing about other moms' (especially those I admire) struggles with the same issues helps me realize that this may be more a matter of all of us having too much to do, rather than being a personal failing on my part. That really helps."
As soon as your kids are preschool age, consider calling to order a Family Meeting. It’s a way to give everyone in the family a voice (and to take those little voices seriously), to practice democracy, and to show that we’re part of a team with common goals. And, it’s — yet again — a way to slow down and touch base with one another.
Even when they weren't playing the game, it was all they could think about. They were addicted to Fortnite. Talking to other moms about it, I found that Fortnite addiction isn't limited to my own house. It's running rampant in the tween-age set.
This year, for the first time, some students are starting to have 'just boys' or 'just girls' parties. To be honest, there are some things that were appealing about that, especially with a son who wanted a football party. There's nothing wrong with that choice, and it's very possible we'll make a different one next year. But we chose to keep it co-ed this year, and here are some of the reasons I'm glad we did.
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TV Shows for Kids That Won’t Drive You Crazy!
If the dinner's not done, there's poop on the floor, or mom needs a shower, who do you turn to for 20 minutes of...
