Today’s post is by Heidi Smith Luedtke, aka the psychologist next door and author of Detachment Parenting: 33 Ways to Keep Your Cool When Kids Melt Down. If you know me, you know I have a thing for psychology. I’m always reading pyschology-related books and like to study the motivation behind what we do. So…
Relationships
Why Bucket Lists Make Me Grateful (Mom to Mom Gratitude Gala Week 1)
Sunlight radiated off a nearby hill. Below us a small lake rippled in the gentle breeze. My daughter and I ate our lunches at a shady picnic table, watching archers arrange targets in the range across the parking lot. It gave us just enough time to observe the local protocol before pulling her bow and…
Back to School Book Review: A Textbook for Moms & Dads
Almost every new parent wishes their baby came with a manual. Thankfully, as steep as the learning curve feels at the time, those early days and weeks of parenthood are relatively simple. It’s mostly a matter of learning what your baby’s cries mean, how to get him to sleep, when to feed, and how to…
7 Reasons to Write Up Your Family Bucket List This Summer
1. Why not? You know you have a list rattling around in your brain of things you want to do before your children fly the nest. Why not write it down? You’re more likely to remember the ideas you have if you keep them securely noted somewhere. And you free up your mind from thinking…
The Best Question to Ask Your Mom This Mother’s Day
What would make Mom’s day? If you’re in the midst of shopping and preparing for Mother’s Day, that question is probably on your mind. And maybe you’ve even asked the mom in your life that question directly (or had it asked of you). But asking that question doesn’t always make the celebration any easier. Often…
Family Bucket Lists: Reason 1 to Make Yours
Can I let you in on a secret? Someday I would like to take a pie in the face. A fluffy, gooey cream pie (whipped cream, chocolate cream, vanilla cream, doesn’t matter, just so long as it’s cream), right on the nose. It’s goofy, but I do. The wackiness of it is probably what appeals…
Why We Need the Courage to Admit When We’re Wrong
It’s hard to admit when we’ve done something wrong and hurt another person in the process. Really hard. In fact, it’s easier to point our finger at another source than to own up to our role in the matter. Have you ever noticed this tendency in yourself? You know you’ve got to apologize because it’s…
Why Do I Do This?
Three times a year I put myself through the finger-numbing task of creating and decorating my daughters’ birthday cakes and treats. It’s often a four- or five-hour process, during which my shoulders cramp up high around my ears as I hunch over my masterpiece. My tembles throb from the effort of concentration. And my hands…
Celebrating a New Book
I’m so excited for my friend, Sharla Fritz. I’ve had the privilege of seeing her new book, Bless These Lips, come together chapter by chapter in our local writer’s group. This week she’s been celebrating the launch of the book (with a fun giveaway – check out the details below) and today is my turn…
A New School Year & The Dreaded “H” Word
Yesterday my children started school. And they arrived home with homework… for me. I always forget this is coming. So many forms for me to complete, even after all we filled out already at registration. There’s the personal inventory of my child’s personality and academic/social strengths and weaknesses (which I keep swearing I’ll photocopy to…