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The "How Much is Enough" Question Every Parent Asks Themselves

Why do parents comply with their kids wants and where should we draw the line in providing them with the things they request?

6 Tips to Raise Kids Who Can Stand up for Themselves

How to say "no" and mean it is a skill every kid needs to have. Teach kids to be assertive, and give them skills they can use in almost every situation.

Heading Into Tweendom, My Days of Being My Daughter's Pal Are Numbered

I have four best friends and I grew them all in my uterus. How is that for a super power? Truthfully, my daughters are everything I would want in a best friend. They are smart, fun, loyal, loving, ...

The Reverse Bucket List Summer: Helping Kids Grow in Gratitude

Summertime posts are filled with thingswe "must" experience before it's over. In lieu of the "bucket list," I've put together something different.

5 Things You Need Before You Adopt

Adoption is not for tenderhearted souls who believe in the power of positive thinking. It's a grueling process that will push you to the limits.

15 Tips for Surviving Survival Mode

We refer to those more challenging seasons of parenthood as survival mode. Here's a few things we learned by living though them.

When Babies and Bachelorette Parties Collide, It Doesn’t End Well

Our first attempt at having real grown-up fun with a baby in tow, and it was going perfectly. Until that bus pulled up.

The Life Changing Summer Goal That Only Takes an Hour

One hour. That's all this summer goal requires. It requires pretty much no planning or bucket list making or thought other than keeping your eyes open.

Why Social Media Is Driving My Toddler Crazy

What’s wrong with wanting what everyone else seems to have: a pristine house while raising a messy toddler?

5 ASD-Friendly Products That Make Summer Easier for Every Parent

Let these five products help smooth the hot, exciting, lazy days of summer, whether your kid is on the spectrum or not.

There’s a Good Reason for Mommy Brain After All

Turns out that this forgetfulness associated with “Mommy Brain” may actually have a necessary survival function.

On Armadillos, Icebergs, and Other Futures I Can't Predict for My Kids

As my kids are now I can wade into any situation to see if the water's warm. But I don't know how to teach what I can't predict.

I Let My Daughter Sit in the Car and a Stranger Called the Police

A trip to the department store with an over-tired post sleepover kid turned into a scary encounter we'll remember for a lifetime.

One Simple Way to Raise a Child Who Isn’t Afraid to Fail

If I want to raise a child who shows tenacity, there’s one thing I need to do – I need to praise him or her for the journey and not the destination.

The Inevitable Echo of "Enough"

When my firstborn was six months old and still waking in the night to nurse, I remember feeling as though the last shreds of sanity were slipping from my grasp. I’d never functioned well with a sle...

Chasing Our Own Kind of Independence on the Fourth of July

Inside our house, we're parenting a child with special needs who dreads the Fourth of July more than any other day on the calendar.

Solve Your Parenting Problems Through Murphy’s Law

The experienced parents out there, they know the real secret to success: parenting through Murphy’s Law.

How to Parent for the Long Run Not the Heat of the Moment

Threats and ultimatums can solve problems in the short term, but parenting with big picture intentionality has a much richer pay off.

All the Families in Your Parent Entourage

Life happens. You move, you find a partner, you have kids, you throw yourself into your career. Eventually though, you assemble your tribe.

A Family Without Neat and Tidy Edges is Still a Family

When I’d envisioned my life and future family it lacked any mess or complications. What I, in fact, produced, has been quite the opposite.

Finding the Gap Where Disappointment Exists

You have not lived until your child vomits deep inside the aisles of a retail store, dashing all your best laid plans right along with it.

6 Tips to Help Your Highly Sensitive Child Make Their Way

Even though some of your kid's emotions may seem overwhelming, there are some strategies that can help to quell the storm.

I Didn't Stay for the Kids and We're All Better For It

We decided we could love our kids better, love ourselves better, and be better parents apart than we could together. And I know we made the right decision.