When my alarm goes off there is just one thought that gets me out of bed. It urgently whispers to my sleepy brain, “Hurry, get up. This is your time!” Yes, my only time. My time is a sweet, short span of an hour during which I creep quietly downstairs, grab hot creamy coffee, snuggle into my chair under a super soft blanket and read about God. It’s just us in the dark quiet before my house becomes crazy busy. The…
At some point in your wedding ceremony you probably committed to take your husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse. I know I did. But I really didn’t think about what it meant. Twenty eight years later, for better and for worse has deep meaning. Our daughter, Megan, got married a year ago. The ceremony was beautiful and Megan’s happiness in those months up to the wedding brought back memories of my wedding…
An iMOM writer recently asked me an interesting question: what are three things I learned the hard way that I wish I could teach my children. Of course my mind scrambled. Ha, I thought, how about 3 billion things? But what are some of my life lessons, the big picture things? I thought of these three right away, and in the comments section, I would love to hear about some of yours! 1. Time will run out. When I was…
Have you ever had a “frenemy?” That friend who goes through the motions of being a friend and even says that you’re good friends, but who routinely does things to hurt your feelings, dash your confidence, or stir up trouble? It can be exhausting to deal with a person like that—trying to decipher the passive-aggressive slights and figure out if she is someone you can trust. Can you imagine how much harder it is for your child? That’s why you need to know how to…
In a candid moment around the dinner table discussing personality traits, my kids told me I can be angry. I protested but they had a point and I had no excuse. You see, whether you have one child or five, whether you work in the home or out, we all can get frustrated and angry at one point or another. Anger has a way of sneaking up on us. Somehow small moments of frustration can quickly escalate into anger. Getting to…
A strong mom-daughter bond is not a given! Just like every relationship the mother daughter relationship is vulnerable. So many things can come between a mom and her daughter, not the least of which is hormones! I have three daughters and my relationship with each has been different because they are different. Personality, temperaments, experiences—all of these can affect your relationship with your daughter. And because of these variables, I have had to work harder at having a good relationship…
There are lots of things parents do for their kids. In fact, the list is endless. And, while all are important, they are not all equal. And that is the problem. Sometimes the less important but seemingly urgent tasks like packing lunches and helping with homework take precedent over deeper, more meaningful things that help build connection. So, to bring the important things to the top, here are 8 things parents should do for their kids daily. 1. Be fully…