All across the country, parents are preparing to send their kids back to school. And some, like me, are sending a child off to Kindergarten. For some, it's a time to celebrate freedom. For others, it's time to turn on the waterworks as they watch their babies grow up right in front of them. This … Continue reading What Kindergarten Means to Me
Every parent was once a child. Sometimes it feels so long ago, as though it couldn't have happened. Other times, it's like it was just yesterday. Today, I am a mother. But, once, I was a child, a child with a mother. Not every child has a mother, and not every child has a mother … Continue reading Finding Magic in Motherhood, Part 1: The Mother was a Kid, too
The mom I admire is a bit harried, a little scattered, and definitely missing a marble or three. She constantly wonders how she's stacking up against every other mom, especially the one without a hair out of place. She spends all day begging her kids to eat, clean up after themselves, and stop screaming. And … Continue reading The Mom I Admire
I always thought my parenting was simply informed by my background in psychology. To a large degree, that's true. But, one afternoon, I was out to lunch with my family, watching my husband and I interact with our kids while the book I was currently reading flowed through my head. It hit me then: I … Continue reading My Parenting Philosophy
Many parents, my own included, look forward to sending their kids back to school as soon as summer vacation starts. Actually, I liked sending myself back to school, too. But I know my mom, and many other parents, look forward to having some child-free time again, look forward to some degree of freedom knowing their … Continue reading Looking Forward to Having Both Kids Home All Summer
My siblings and I were three peas in a pod, at least until I got older and wanted my own time away from them. That was closer to my pre-teen years. My kids are two peas in a pod. They're a couple of months short of being three years apart, but that doesn't stop them … Continue reading Two Peas in a Pod
I spent a lot of time in psychology classes. I guess that's what happens when you decide you want to be a psychology major and then get a higher degree in it. Though my focus was on clinical psychology with the goal of working with people with psychiatric disorders, I was more interested in children … Continue reading Parenting with Psychology: Erik Erikson’s Stages of Development
My kids have free access to tablets and sometimes their dad's smart phone (I still proudly use a flip phone, so it's not as much fun). When we're home. With the exception of my husband's phone (of course), all devices stay home as a rule. I started this as soon as our oldest child had … Continue reading The Devices Stay Home
"Because I said so" has no place in my home. As soon as my kids were no longer newborns, I started giving them reasons for why they couldn't do something. "No, you can't eat paper because it's not food." "No, you can't have the scissors because they're sharp and you might hurt yourself." "No, you … Continue reading I Give My Kids Reasons Instead of Saying “Because I Said So”
Over the past couple of months, I've been thinking about the direction I want my blog to take. I loved doing what I was doing last year, but not when it comes to my motherhood posts. Sometimes I would write a post and then worry so much about it that it would never get posted. … Continue reading My Mom Truths
The Lily Cafe 