Teaching your kids to self-soothe by letting them “cry-it-out” gets a lot of heat. Some parents swear by it, other parents swear at the parents who practice it. It’s sure way to start a heated debate at playgroup. When my oldest was a baby, I was desperate for sleep and didn’t know what else to do. [...]

There is a shockingly easy way to tame tantrums and moderate meltdowns. I’m still amazed at how well it works with my boys. It’s a little trick called validation. Kids are full of emotions. Happy. Sad. Tired. Hungry. Irritated. Frustrated. And downright mad! Kids don’t always know what they are experiencing and emotional outbursts can [...]

I love hugs. But there are two types of hugs that I simply adore. #1. Sick hugs. Yes, it’s sad and a bit heartbreaking when your kids are sick, but man, they give the best hugs and snuggles when they are a bit under the weather. #2. “I missed you!” hugs. When my kids were [...]

After an exhausting week in Utah with my dad in the hospital, I was able to sleep in my own bed. Not too surprisingly, my husband and I were joined in the middle of the night by two extra bodies (three if you count the fuzzy orange body of my cat, Elvis). Although I was [...]

I recently wrote a post on how to keep yourself healthy. Because moms don’t get sick days.  Last year I learned a lot about what to do when your kids get sick–hospital sick–when my youngest had Kawasaki disease. Well, recently my dad got sick. Scary hospital sick. Starting with a stomach ache, the situation quickly [...]

  When Mom is Sick e are in the height of cold and flu season. Kids pass colds around at school like little carrier monkeys. It’s miserable to see your little angels sick (although their snuggles are delightful when they feel under the weather). But the whole world comes to a screeching halt when Mom [...]

Raising Children: One of “THOSE” Kinds of Days t was one of “those kinds of days.” You know what I’m taking about, right? Kids wake up too early (grumpy of course), they immediately start in with picking on each other, whining, and demanding things – NOTHING goes right. I’ve found a simple trick that helps [...]

It Was a Dark and Chilly Morning The sun lazily lingered below the horizon. Snuggling deeper into my covers, two little feet pitter pattered  sleepily into my room accompanied by a sweet little voice calling, “Mommy?” One goose bump covered body crawled under the covers and snuggled in close, hogging my pillow. I snuggled back. [...]

Ouch! That Smarts! tifling a curse after stepping barefoot on my son’s  ’57 Chevy Hot Wheel, I could relate to the mom in my 3-year-old’s current favorite bedtime story all too well.  Too Many Toys!  David Shannon was painfully accurate in the challenges of keeping your child’s  sea of toys from overtaking the entire house. [...]

Makes My Heart Ache saw this picture on Facebook the other day and it instantly brought tears to my eyes. I’ve spent several years working in the mental health field and I’ve  seen how verbal abuse can destroy lives. Yeah,  being a parent is tough. And yes, your kids push you and push you and [...]