Encouragement

Once upon a time, I had a rule.  The rule was a good rule. It fit into our lifestyle and was not stressful to keep. When my seven-year-old was merely a tyke, when I was mothering one easy-going child, our rule was that my daughter would only watch one television show per day. This was a compromise of sorts. I didn't want her to watch any TV because of all those studies out there that recommend against children under age two having screen time. But alas, she enjoyed TV, so I figured one show a day wouldn't hurt too much. But then the second child was born. You see, the day before my youngest child came into the world, I thought...

I'm a perfectionist. I don't like messes. I like need things to be clean and organized. I pay attention to details. I try to be everything to everyone. Trying to be perfect drives me crazy, but it's just who I am. At least, that's what I tell my therapist. However, I'm also a mom. And if there's one thing that motherhood has taught me, it's that it is messy. And I'm not just talking about sticky fingers and snotty noses. I mean that being a mom gets you into some messy situations. And I was recently reminded of just how messy motherhood can be when my son bullied another little boy at the mall playground. Yep, I just said that. My son was a...

“So when are you two going to have a baby?” It’s a question we hear on a regular basis. I’m not offended by it (I think), for I often ask myself the same thing. And I also know that what I have right now is really all I need and want. However, I have oscillated between the “when” and “if” recently because the desire has started to grow. Much more than when my son was first born 5 years ago and with all that surrounded the aftermath, there was no decision to be considered then. Impulsively during my transition into single motherhood and out of the infant stage, I rid my home of anything baby—clothes, gear, bottles— all donated with...

Being a mom is hard!  We somehow have to be an entertainer, a cook, a maid, a doctor, give magic hugs and scare away the monster under the bed, sometimes all in one day!  Then after the kids finally go to bed and you have just a moment to breathe, you remember there is this handsome man with whom you share your house.  How are we supposed to have time to be a wife too? My husband and I recently celebrated our 12th anniversary. As we celebrated, we reflected on years past. We have an almost 11-year-old son who will soon be starting middle school and an almost 5-year-old daughter who will soon be braving the halls of kindergarten.  A few...

Motherhood is hard enough without life throwing you a curve ball. When something unexpected happens, it can be hard to see past the chaos and you may lay your head down at night feeling defeated and discouraged and not enough. I know because I've been that mom, and I'll be that mom again someday since life is full of unfortunate surprises and unavoidable tough experiences. Maybe you are learning how to be a single parent or navigating a divorce, maybe you are are caring for a sick or differently able child, maybe you recently lost somebody close to you, maybe you are making a big decision that will impact your child, maybe you are processing a trauma, maybe things are just hard right now...