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. 

...

“My toddler just won’t listen to me! And don’t even get me started on how they don’t follow directions.”

If I had a dollar for every time I heard a parent navigating the toddler years say this…

But here’s the thing.

Hearing isn’t the same as...

True, effective communication is based on real, authentic connection.  

When I really need a kiddo to hear me I touch my nose and say, “look at my nose so I know you can hear me”.  They often giggle, sometimes look at me funny as they get the joke, but I always...

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. 

...

I have a love/hate relationship with journaling. As in, I LOVE the idea of it: pick the prettiest one, get my special pen, sit in a quiet space, then climb so far into my head that I don’t know what to write, freeze, and end up reinforcing my belief that I’m bad at journaling. 

...

My kids were medical kids. Seriously, Claire's first five years of life were peppered with diagnoses, doctors, specialists and surgeries.

After the stillborn loss of our first daughter, I worked hard to keep all her medical struggles in perspective, repeating this mantra daily: At least...

“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...