My heart fell into a deep pit in my stomach. I couldn’t escape the painful feeling of a punch into the gut. But the truth is this wasn’t about me. It was about my son. He came home from playing at the park with his friends...bawling. The tears were coming so fast, I could barely understand what he was saying. He fumbled [...]
Boundaries, Routines and Early Bedtimes: 13 Habits That Raise Well-Adjusted Kids
Inside: With so much conflicting parenting advice, you may wonder how to raise a well-adjusted kid? Before you hide under the pillow, check out these 13 habits any parent can do. I keep seeing posts about “entitled kids” making the rounds lately. In fact, you don’t have to look hard before you see things written about how [...]
One Simple Trick to Help Your Kids Fall Asleep Fast
My in-laws were recently here visiting us in Japan, which meant it was time for another round of our son sleeping in our room again. My husband and I had a whole plan of action ready to go. He would sleep in our bed. This seemed like a great idea, but I was secretly dreading it. I know some parents are great at co-sleeping and room [...]
To the Mom of a Spirited Toddler, You Are Stronger Than You Think
I had this dream once. My strong willed toddler woke up and the entire day there wasn’t a single tear shed. It was a totally awesome dream. Unfortunately, most days that dream is a far cry from reality. Raising a spirited toddler isn't that easy. Most days you probably see me walking from my car to the house carrying a [...]
What No One Tells You About Parenting Toddler Boys
I’m probably the last person who wants to make a distinction between parenting toddler boys versus girls. There are too many gender stereotypes that create foreshadowing in life. Boys play with trucks. Girls play with dolls. Boys wear blue. Girls wear pink. Boys are rough. Girls are gentle. Sometimes we use these [...]
One Genius Phrase Every Parent Needs When Their Kids Says, “I Can’t.”
Inside: Learn one phrase that will help your child get unstuck when a challenge shows up. If your child says, "I can't" or wants to quit, this is the best response. I took two sips of coffee, sat on the couch and immediately noticed my strong-willed child creeping down the stairs. The scowl on his face said it all. I’d been parenting [...]
The Real Reason Why Parents Yell at Their Kids
Inside: The number one reason why parents yell. Plus, the 2-minute strategy that can help you stop yelling and squash the angry mom inside you. My kids could not stop giggling. I honestly didn't understand it, but they were making "monster faces" and this was, apparently, the funniest thing they ever did see. The kids hopped out [...]
7 Things Resilient Mothers Do Differently
Being a stay-at-home mom for the first time, I struggled. I blame my type-A personality that I inherited from my mother. For some reason, I thought my first baby would fit into a perfect baby book mold. I thought that he would sleep and eat and do things the way I wanted, when I wanted. Turns out, he had a plan of his own, which [...]
How Positive Affirmations Change My Mindset on the Really Hard Mom Days
“I don’t like it.” Those were the first words my son uttered at the beginning of our family dinner. I just spent the last hour dealing with two strong-willed kids gnawing at me underfoot as I prepared a meal to eat. And now? They couldn’t bear to eat a morsel of the dinner I carefully crafted to their liking. It took [...]
How to Get Your Child to Follow a Routine Without Reminders
Back in the day when I was in college, I was in love with routines. Each time there was a big exam, I would head straight to the library, lay out all my pens and notepaper, do exactly three neck stretches, and set my coffee within arm’s reach but far enough to keep it from killing my textbook should a spill occur. Because…yeah…laptops [...]