My daughter clung to my leg like it was her life force. I took one awkward step, knowing I had to go, that by staying I was only making it harder for both of us, as the teacher pulled my three year old off my body. 

She was bawling. And by the time I got to the car, so was I. 

...

Toddlers misbehave: at home, in public, at school.

They are small humans exploring the world and testing to see who will hold boundaries with love, consistency and compassion, regardless of where they are.

As parents, the urge to apologize for their behaviors is strong. But when you...

I did not have sporty kids,  And I'm not going to lie, I was relieved.  I watched my sister and brother in law, who have three VERY sporty kids, lose their heads juggling the number of practices, games, and tournaments… per sport, per kid, every season of the year. 

...

“Those pants don't really do you any justice.”

My (then) best friend said this to me as we were getting ready to go out dancing for the night. 

I was 18 years old and had spent adolescence and young adulthood hating my body. I self described as...

My three kids were born between 2000 and 2005. Their early years were filled with friends and family wanting to give them digital toys that talked, LeapPads, and hand-me-down Ipods. (remember those?)

And me, politely saying “No thank you. I don’t want them to think of...

My husband is terrible at sharing.  I am not throwing him under the bus. It's true and he’ll tell you as much.  He doesn't like sharing food off his plate.  He refuses to share his tools. And, although he will eventually hand over a sweatshirt when I ask to borrow it, he...

Toddlers are born salespeople. They refuse to take NO for an answer. 

They show up consistently. 

They exhibit persistence.

They use creativity to pose other potential solutions that get them what they want.

You, to say YES.

The truth is that these skill sets are vital...

How often do you get caught in the trigger trap reaction cycle? It’s so easy to do and hard to break out of! 

Reactions are live-time, high emotion, frustration point solutions. They're short lived, and you have to repeat them over and over and over. And, they often lead to...

Traveling as adults is stressful enough. But traveling with kids is a different beast.

The planning. The packing. How does a tiny little human require so much stuff? And, of course, the changing of routines, food options, and sleep.

The first time I took my kids on a plane they were...

Toddlers cry. A lot. It’s their primary way of communicating, well – everything. 

How they feel. What they are thinking. Their opinions. And their preferences as their tiny-little belief systems develop. 

In fact, crying is a healthy sign of early development. Kids who never...

She did it. This is what my husband says. 

People say, “Oh my gosh, you have such amazing kids”, and he smiles, points his finger at me and says “She did it. It’s because of her” 

He’s right. I did the bulk of the childrearing, adopting...

 How many emotional triggers do you field in a day? Don’t answer that, because you likely can’t.

Your toddlers and preschoolers are master button pushers and trigger your conscious and subconscious reactions, often without even trying.

You want to sit inside a level of...