Encouragement

One phrase I hear more often than not when it comes to being a solo parent with a somewhat demanding job is, “I don’t know how you do it!” Most days I don’t know myself. I do know that I rely heavily on prayers and coffee, amirite?! So in case you're wondering, here is what a “normal” day looks like for me: 6:30-7am My tiny alarm clock goes off, and 2-3 nights a week he ends up in my bed. This means it is a precious wake up call where he squeezes my face and says “I love you so much, can we turn on the TV?” 7am I turn on an episode of Mickey (or whatever the flavor of the...

Scene: Parent/child waiting area at a kid activity. Kid 1: "Moooooooooooooom! She's not SHARING!" Kid 2."I don't want to share with HER!" Kid 1: "But MOOOOOOOOM! Mom: "Kid 2, share with Kid 1." Kid 2: "No." >screaming< Mom: "Come here. Sit down." Kid 1: "No." Mom: "I SAID come HERE." Kid 1: "No." >screaming<  Oh, and THAT wasn't the end of it. Kid 1 tested the boundaries of aggravating physical contact with Kid 2, refused to act after a threat of punishment and was forcibly removed from the room (by mom), winding up outside on a bench. These were not my children and that was not me - not this time. I was at an activity for my daughter, waiting with some other parents when one poor mama was tested by...

I’m a generally upbeat and positive person. I have a faith that grounds me and calibrates me. But sometimes, y’all I get down in the dumps. I think, damn (am I allowed to say that!?) I’m missing out. This usually stems from going too deep into the weeds of social media. Realizing a friend from before pregnancy has unfollowed me or, worse, blocked me on Instagram … “What have I done!?” “How have I changed?!” “I’m still who I used to be!” “Why don’t you like me any longer?!” Then I realize, I wouldn’t want that pre-kid life back for ANYTHING. I’m stable now. I have a son. I own a home. I’m salaried. WITH benefits. But still my mind can wander...

So many stay-at-home-moms want to make money without working outside the home but don't know where to start. I was one of them. About a year ago, I realized that although I consider myself very fortunate to be able to choose to be a stay-at-home-mom, I needed more in my life than toddler play, diaper changes and temper tantrums. And, after having worked for over 15 years before becoming a stay at home mom, I really wanted to contribute something to the family income. I knew I didn't want to work outside the home, but I also knew that after getting a quality education and working in marketing at a fast growing tech firm for nearly a decade, I had something...

Yesterday I shared my story about how I was bullied as a child. This was the first time I've ever shared about this in a public setting, and you can read it here. Bullied Part 2 :: How You Can Help a Victimized Child Thirty years later, here I am. Time and self-care have healed my wounds, but it's an experience that will forever be a part of me. I don't want any child to experience what I did. So today I am sharing some lessons I've taken from my life experience so that you as parents and caregivers can in turn share them with your children who are involved in bullying in any capacity. Let's put a stop to this...