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Attachment Parenting: Nurturing a Secure Attachment with your Baby
That tiny little hand wrapped around your thumb. That indescribable scent of that downy-soft head. That feeling of warm, sweet breath against your skin. The sound of the little sighs and coos. As a first time mother, I couldn't get enough of holding my baby. I was amazed at how how deeply connected I felt to my child, how powerful my maternal instinct was, how strongly I desired to be near and nurture my little one.
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Not our Mother’s Motherhood: Why Today’s Moms Need Each Other’s Encouragement More than Ever
Last night, as the children snuggled in bed with their Daddy, I took ten minutes to complete a survey for Motherly, an online parenting hub which I subscribe to and have written for. While many of the questions were about personal demographics and situation, a few touched on our outlook on motherhood. For example: “Do you feel that society does a good job of understanding and supporting mothers?” I pursed my lips together and clicked quickly. No. Then: “How is today’s generation of moms different from your mother’s generation?” Are we generally more optimistic about motherhood than our mothers’ generation? More pessimistic? I’m wasn’t certain. I could have checked…
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On Greeting our Children and Becoming a Better Parent
Confession: There are times when I parent poorly. There are times when I put my needs ahead of my children’s needs. There are times when I’m more interested in what’s on Instagram than I am in my own kids. There are times when I allow my frustration with them to lead me to say harsh words that harm them. There are times I ignore them, and in doing so, devalue them. I am not a perfect parent. I make mistakes. And there are times when I hurt our relationship by how I treat them. I am guilty of this sad reality. I think, at some point, we all are.…
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How Hygge Can Help your Family
Dozens of candles are lit. Soft instrumental music is playing. Your house is filled with the scent of stove-popped popcorn and you can taste the warm vanilla in your cup of hot tea. Your family enjoys a simple snack together at the dining room table while playing a game. Then, you move to the living room and pile onto the couch, snuggled under blankets. There’s laughter, coziness, togetherness. This is hygge. What is Hygge? “In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Cozying up with a loved one for a movie – that’s…
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The Important Role of Daddy
This weekend, Levi came down with a fever. It was a strange one; no other symptoms or complaints, just sore eyes, a bit of lethargy, and an elevated temperature. I don’t do great when my kids are sick. It’s a rare occurrence, thankfully, but when it does, I become an anxious mess of a parent, the kind that imagines and prepares for every possible scenario and has terrifying visions of febrile seizures and the like. So it was an amazing gift to me when Kevin stepped up and said, “I’ll take care of Levi. You take care of Lucy.” Kevin sacrificed his own sleep to hold Levi for most…
