One of you sent in a question a few weeks ago that I think many of you reading this can relate to,
She described her 8-year-old daughter as fiercely independent, full of life, and expressive. She’s the kind of kid who sings while she does everything, and her mom loves that about her. The proble...
Last week I tucked my 8-year-old into bed, kissed her forehead, told her I loved her and I loved her beautiful face, and then said with warmth and sincerity (and a little guilt) “but I don't want to see it again until tomorrow. Stay in your room, please.” She looked up at me and said, without m...
On backtalk, the trigger underneath it, and the mid-spiral pivot that actually works.
Last week I posted something on Threads that I thought was a pretty standard reframe.
"Say it with me: My child arguing with me isn't disrespect. It's a sign they believe their voice matters in this house. Tha...
This week, a TMP Times member wrote in about her 8-year-old son.
Every day, he plays in the lane behind their house. It's a good setup. It’s safe, supervised enough, and close to home. She gives him a 5-minute warning before it's time to come in. She pre-plans. She follows through on consequenc...
It's 8pm. Kids are in bed. You're standing in the kitchen and you know you need to go back in.
Maybe you're dreading it because last time you apologized, your kid ended up patting your back saying "it's okay mommy" and you left the room feeling worse than when you walked in.
Maybe you're dreadi...
Girl, I get it. I really do.
You're burned out. You're touched out. You're running on empty most days before the kids even wake up. You're tired of the "mommy mommy mommy" and the "mine mine mine" and the crying and the defiance and the negotiating over things that should not require negotiatio...
I'm writing this from my parent-in-law’s home.
We've been traveling for a few days now and it has been a lot. Flights getting canceled, sleep all off, extended family dynamics doing what extended family dynamics do, and me just trying to parent through all of it in the middle of the chaos.
Then...
A mom in our community recently wrote in with something that took courage to share.
She's a homeschooling mom so she’s home with her two young daughters all day, every day, rotating between being their parent and their teacher and their referee. She wrote in after reading my newsletter about th...
I was on a nature walk last week when I heard a little boy's voice, loud and clear, "Why you gotta be so mean??"
That caught my attention.
Just a second ago he was running, holding a stick and shouting with glee.
I glanced quickly at the family as I walked by.
The little boy was maybe 4 or 5, f...
Two years ago this week, I lost my mother to cancer.
She was just shy of 63.
When I had to tell my daughters their grandma died, I was so grateful we'd already talked about death. They had a foundation. They understood what "died" meant. They knew bodies stop working. They knew it was OK to be ...
My oldest just turned 9 and I keep thinking to myself, “Where did the time go??”
I remember when they were toddlers. I had 2 under 2 and those years felt endless.
Every day was exhausting, relentless, survival mode. I couldn't wait for them to be more independent.
To dress themselves, make thei...
I once worked with a mom, we’ll call her Carmen, who had a 5-year-old daughter named Naomi. Carmen reported struggling with bedtime anxiety. Every night, Naomi would spiral.
"What if there's a fire? What if someone breaks in? What if you forget to pick me up from school tomorrow?"
The questions...
