Encouragement

“Mommy?” Oh no. It hit me the second my 7-year-old’s voice drifted downstairs the other morning at 6:30 am. A sinking sense of dread filled me. I had failed as a parent. Failed to perform my sacred parental duty and keep the magic of childhood alive. I forgot to be the Tooth Fairy. How could I have forgotten?! My son’s second front tooth had fallen out during dinner for goodness sake. My husband and I had even reminded him to put his tooth under the pillow so the tooth fairy would come and get it. And we forgot. I raced up the stairs to find my son trying not to cry as he explained that the tooth fairy had failed to...

When my now 3.5 year old was 9 months old, I brought her to the pediatrician for a well check. During the exam, the doctor found that both of her ears were infected. I was so upset. This was the first time she had really been sick. I wondered how I missed it, how long she had been hurting, and lots of other thoughts that go through a mom’s head when she has a sick child. First and foremost was getting my sweet baby better. The pediatrician gave me a prescription for a 10-day course of antibiotics and instructions to come back in two weeks for a re-check. I immediately filled the prescription and began diligently giving her the...

An incredibly wise and dear friend once made the following analogy when I was describing an encounter with my own family member which left me deeply hurt. She said, 'Teflon baby. You must have skin like Teflon.' This profound statement has stuck with me over the years. Beyond everyday encounters and ups and downs of relationships, I have also adapted this motto to parenting. Nonstick surface with a very loving heart At first read, this may sound a bit harsh as Teflon is a tough chemical most commonly used to coat the surface of cooking ware. We all know the ease of cooking with nonstick pots and pans. Have you ever baked lasagna in a glass dish? Remember how difficult it...

Ok, hear me out, I don’t need my husband for the reasons you’re thinking. I don’t need him to take care of me. But I need him in my life, no doubt.I need my husband to be my partner in raising our tiny humans. I need him to help make hard decisions for them. To be a sounding board and a supportive being when things aren’t going smooth. I need my husband to sleep next to me every night. I need him as a partner in our marriage. I need his support and his advice. I value his advice and trust that he has my best interest at heart. I need my husband’s sense of humor. No one can make me...

Daughter-in-law/mother-in-law relationships aren’t always the best relationships. I find that there is a lack of communication and a need for control in the relationship with mine. It is a constant struggle to establish my place as the wife and mother of my family. She constantly undermines me and passive-aggressively makes her opinions heard. Here are some things that I feel would help have a better, working relationship. Don’t come into my house and read the things on my counter! Just because it is on our counter does not make it public reading material. We do not have an office to keep mail, so I keep it in the corner of a mostly unused counter in our kitchen and most of our...