Perspectives in Parenting

At home, on any random day, you’ll find me and my two boys running around the house as superheroes. It’s always the best. We even have our own hero soundtrack. Most of the time we do random karate moves, preparing to save the Earth from “bad” guys. It’s great exercise. But when my joint “pops,” Jack likes to tell me I need more oil. It’s great emotional exercise as well. My heart always fills with joy. I think it’s important that we remember and hold tight to the principles of superheroes. There’s so much to be admired about them. Superheroes are the epitome of integrity. They’re honest. Superheroes aren’t perfect. A lot of their scenarios start with a hero making a...

Dear Mom, You have worn so many different hats throughout my life. From teacher to cheerleader. From personal chef to magic boo-boo healer. As I’ve gotten older you have turned into my most trusted confidant and go-to advisor. Throughout my life, you have played a role that no one else can quite fill. Even as a grown adult, with my own children and family, I still need you. I will always need my mom in some way. No matter how old I am, I will always call her for assistance with keeping my many plates spinning. I can always count on her My mom will always be a safe place. She is the one person I can count on to be there, on...

Family is complicated. Family is where you are from. It is your DNA. It is your childhood memories. It is the people you are obligated to until the end of time. It is also not the people you choose. Family is assigned, not selected. In a fairytale world, your family is the people you have the most in common with. The people who (act like they) love you the most. Family has your back and works hard to resolve conflicts that inevitably arise. But on planet Earth, family is a loaded term that can mean all of the things. Good, bad, tough, loving, inconsistent, loyal, cruel, absent, dramatic, neglectful, supportive, aloof, stable, frustrating, infuriating, benign- in reality, the list is even longer. Especially if...

Having children changes your life in so many ways. Of course, we can all remember how naïve we were pre-kids, saying how things wouldn’t change – that we would still regularly get together with friends, go on date nights with our significant other, and travel. But in reality, things don’t ever stay the same once those little bundles of joy arrive. Here are four things that I’ve given up since becoming a parent. Being well rested Like ever! I never wake up feeling refreshed and fully rested since having children. I had no idea what I was talking about pre-kids when I said I was “so tired”. Several times I have had to be a functioning member of society with only a...

Hard times in life are inevitable, unfortunately. I rather despise difficulties when they come up in my own life, but it is a part of the experience. We live in an imperfect world, and when hard times hit, they can hit hard. Some difficult times are predictably terrible. Divorce, death, legal issues, sickness, miscarriage, infidelity, financial ruin … it’s no secret that these experiences can be traumatic. Some would suggest that this would be an opportune time to show compassion, help, or wish hurting individuals well. These dark moments are when your “village” should show up and cover the hurt with their love. If only life were perfect. But for narcissists and other “hurting people who hurt people,” it is irrelevant that...