Mom and stress. Some would probably say the words are synonymous. And there's no question, mamas: Some stages of motherhood are defined by a unique kind of craziness. Need an example? How about the newborn stage with its inexplicable crying, endless feedings and diaper changes, … [Read more...]
Yes, Moms, You CAN Survive Being Home with Your Children
It's been seven days. Seven. Snow moved into our area last week, and then more came in at the close of what was already a 3-day weekend. Around here, it doesn't take much snow to cancel school, and so students have been at home now for 7 consecutive … [Read more...]
A Moment’s Neglect — The Day I Left My Baby in a Hot Car
I used to have them regularly, these nightmares of finding my child drowned. That's dark and morbid and hardly the kind of pleasantness I prefer writing about, but it was something that truly tormented me for a time. My youngest son was terrifyingly fearless as a toddler. He … [Read more...]
Why Our Frustrations with the Kids are So Often Our Own Fault
Listen, the last thing in the world I want to do is mommy-bash. If ever there was a woman who is sympathetic to the plight of all the hard-working, long-suffering, over-committed, under-appreciated, desperately sleep-deprived moms out there, surely it's me! And in writing … [Read more...]
7 Tips for Raising Kids to Reject the Christian Faith
Yeah, I'm a Christian and, yes, you read that title right. You see, aside from what the Bible tells us clearly, I can't offer great insight into what it takes to raise devoted, lifelong followers of Christ. I don't even have my own kids raised yet, so fool-proof advice from me on how to bring … [Read more...]
When Your Kid is the Bad Kid at Church
It had been another one of those nightmarish services when I wondered why on earth I had even bothered to come to church. Not that the service itself was bad. It was probably very good, though I honestly couldn't have told you either way because I had spent 90% of it … [Read more...]
What I Never Pictured Motherhood to Be
Think back for just a moment, moms, back to the days before you had children. Remember everything you envisioned motherhood to be? You probably had a lovely little collection of mental snapshots all filed away in anticipation of the day you had children of your own. If … [Read more...]
The Gender Identity Crisis I Never Knew I Had
I wanted to be a boy. I mean, I really wanted to be a boy. In fact, though I was told again and again that God didn't make mistakes, I was pretty sure He had messed up by making me a girl. I didn't like dolls. I wasn't into princesses. I hated wearing dresses and having my … [Read more...]
Disciplining MOM with the Rubber Band Method
So you may have read the post by Jackie Masek at LJSkool about disciplining children via the rubber band method. And just to head off any misunderstanding here if you haven't read it: We're not talking about snapping little kids' wrists with rubber bands when they misbehave. … [Read more...]
6 Things that DON’T Make Me a Bad Mom
I'm pretty sure most of us would agree: You don't have to look very hard to find examples of bad parenting. But what I find frustrating sometimes is that often really, really bad parenting is overlooked or somehow excused provided there's some social or economic … [Read more...]
