Last weekend, while Jeff was off working in Connecticut and I was running kids to soccer games and trying to […]
Some Things I’ve Learned in Ten Years of Parenthood
I’m far from wise and I’m sure your kids are not like mine. But maybe if we combine all of the lessons that all of us have learned over the years, we won’t have to worry about being handed another parenting book by some well-meaning soul, and that’s something I can live with.
The Unexpected in My Journey to Motherhood
Now I openly share because I want my daughter to understand just how much she was wanted and that while there are no guarantees in life, I will be there for her regardless of where motherhood takes her. I don’t forget that I was one of the lucky ones who finally had her prayers answered without extreme measures. Living in heartbreaking silence is a lonely, embarrassing space, but it shouldn’t have to be. It isn’t our status as mothers that gives us value as women; our very existence is valuable because we are children of God and as such, we have more to offer the world than expansion of the population. And while that is a difficult thing for the brokenhearted to accept, that is the message women need to hear.
Never Too Old to Be Read To
As parents we are frequently told about the importance of reading aloud to our children. It’s not just important to developing early literacy skills, it also can have a significant impact on behavior and empathy. But it doesn’t have to stop once they are able to break out the chapter books and read to themselves. While studies and experts agree that there are additional benefits to reading to older children, including increasing fluency, vocabulary, and overall reading success, reading aloud to our big kids goes beyond academics.
When Mommy Gets Sick
When we’re parents, illness is often the unexpected curveball that derails us in many ways. While we plan for the moments when our kids may get short term illnesses (and dread the possibility that our kids will get long term illnesses that test our emotional and spiritual resolve), we aren’t supposed to be the ones to get sick. We’re supposed to be the strong ones changing linens and cleaning up bathrooms and checking temperatures while still keeping the rest of the family functioning.
Start Them Traveling When They Are Young
I believe that one of the best ways to tone down the rhetoric that is tearing us apart is to step outside of our little worlds and see our country through the eyes of our fellow citizens. It isn’t enough to see pictures of farmland; we need to drive through and meet the people who plant and harvest our food. It isn’t enough to watch movies set in the big city; we need to walk the streets and see the kaleidoscope of characters working and living their lives side by side. It isn’t enough to watch a documentary about our national parks; we need to walk on the trails and smell the clean air and learn from our park rangers how we can better care for our natural resources.