Real Talk

Please Don't Runaway, Little One It’s happened twice now. Once when she was four, and most recently when she was six. I’ll be completely honest with you, I took it very personally. It hurt my feelings and I felt a sadness in the core of my heart. In both instances, as I tried to understand her logic and point of view, I failed to remind my face that I was a strong person, and tears laced my cheeks like a warm, inviting blanket. She was so serious, too. She carefully, but messily packed her clothes into a suitcase. While she packed her favorite stuffy, she not-so-quietly whispered to Baabaa, her stuffed cow that she thought was a lamb half her life,...

As a busy mom, I put a lot of things before myself including my social circle. I feel as though my social life is always last. Everyone talks about how moms extend their arms for everyone else, but taking care of themselves is hard to come by. I understand that if I am not 100%, how can I be the best version of myself that I can be. Honestly, I thought I had my groove going, and I had a rock solid social life (some moms and some that are not) until I met the PTO moms, this past school year. Whew, that is a whole other breed of moms, in a good way. I just can't keep up...

Why I Choose to be a Great Stepmom When I met my stepdaughter, or bonus daughter as I like to say, she was the sweetest little six-year-old that I had ever encountered. She immediately bonded with my biological daughter who was three, and assumed the role as big sister gracefully and naturally. My husband and I were married within six months, falling madly in love with our blended family and our similar passions. My daughter’s biological father passed away when she was two, and my husband seamlessly and lovingly stepped into the full-time daddy role, adopting my daughter and becoming her superhero. The future seemed bright, but we had a very long and tumultuous custody battle ahead of us with his...

Disclaimer: While the writer does hold a perinatal mental health certification and is a licensed therapist, this is informational and is not to be taken as medical advice. As always, talk to your health care provider. I’ve heard it more times than I can count, “I don’t have postpartum.” The reasons are varied: Maybe she thinks it's not that bad, or depression and anxiety are not something that is discussed in her family or her culture. Maybe there is a fear that she will be labeled, or that it's just hormones or that she's the only one who feels this way.  It seems we (women/society) have been conditioned to think pregnancy and mothering should always be sunshine and flowers and pure...

“I look tired and feel fat.” “I have no energy and still have so much to do.” “Everyone else seems to have it all together and I struggle with even the basics of everyday life.” You don’t look the way you want to look, act the way you wish you’d act, and “mom” the way you wish you’d “mom." Sound familiar? Most of us have been in, or are currently in, this toxic relationship with … OURSELVES. It’s unhealthy and perpetuates habits of thoughts and actions that become engrained in who we are. We focus on what we do wrong, what our spouses and kids do wrong, what is not done to our standards and likings, and what falls short...