Navigating the world of kids’ extracurricular activities can be really fun, energizing, and meaningful. It can also be overwhelming and difficult to make decisions, discern between options, and navigate that line between giving kids opportunities and ensuring that there is some room to slow down and simply play…

Sometimes, it very much feels like the holidays happen to us. We get caught up in the hustle of activity, the list of things to buy and wrap, and the holiday commitments. In a sense, it can create a kind of survival dynamic of just getting through it all. While some of this activity is so fun and meaningful, we also may benefit from a little time to pause, to slow down and breathe, and to remember what it’s all really about.

Around our homes and daily lives we have rhythms too, rhythms that ground and connect us to ourselves, to each other, and to the world around us. Rhythms are something that we can count on and trust, and rhythms hold us up and can help us breathe when other things might feel like they are falling apart. Rhythms can be as simple and mundane as saying good morning, making your bed, brushing your teeth, and nourishing your body, yet they are significant…

At the deepest level, it is typically much less about equally dividing up tasks and so much more about feeling seen, heard, and valued. Feeling respected and giving respect are basic human needs and are often enhanced through effective communication as you work to advocate for what you need and also hear what your partner needs…

Summer in all its sunshine, later bedtimes, and water play is so much fun, yet sometimes can be especially challenging for moms in the self-care department. Summer requires an extra amount of switching gears, juggling on mom’s part, and shifting schedules. Amidst the fun and playfulness there can be a real challenge for moms to integrate self-care into their days, so that they care for their own well-being while caring for children and other responsibilities…

The postpartum experience is different for each mama and child, yet what is common in each postpartum story is the significance of the transition and the exhaustion physically, emotionally, and mentally. There is a complexity of emotions, in that there is often joy and excitement, yet also the range of so many other emotions…

When we value more than one person or commitment, we feel this constant bid for our attention. The reality is that we can value and have more than one priority, but we cannot always equally attend to all things at the same time…

It’s really not about the first and the last moments being more important than the others, but it’s simply recognizing that sometimes they stick with us more in terms of how we feel. In that there’s kind of an invitation to be intentional and affirming in letting your child know of your love and care…

I think we can all agree that gratitude is a good thing, that we want to be grateful people ourselves, and that we desire grateful hearts in our children. Like so many things, we can have these great ideals, but the application can be challenging…