We love our kids! For most of us they are the center of our world – every thought begins and ends with them. Loving our kids is different than liking them. Loving them is something that just ‘is’, its unconditional. But, liking them is something altogether different. When we like someone its usually because we […]
The Myth of Motherhood: “I love to play with my kids”
Admit it! You love it when your child says “mom….will you play with me?!” or “let’s play trains” and “you be the ‘mom’” while handing you a Little People. I love the idea of playing with my children but I don’t really love playing. I prefer to ‘do things’ like go to the pool or […]
Why EMDR is Effective in Treating Trauma
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a therapeutic protocol used in the treatment of mental and emotional trauma. It has been widely praised in the United States and is currently used by agencies such as the American Psychiatric Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and the Departments of Defense and Veterans […]
Co-Parenting Strategies for Divorced Parents
Going through a divorce can bring the worst out of a couple that once promised each other forever. Your world might feel like it’s falling apart, and trying to co-parent when you’re struggling to simply keep going can be overwhelming. Learning to co-parent won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible. Use the five strategies below […]
The Myth of Motherhood: Being Good Enough
I attended a training about a year ago on child and adolescent brain development with Tina Payne Bryson who co-authored the amazing book “The Whole Brain Child.” She shared a stat about parenting that stuck with me. She said research shows that if we are getting it right about 50% of the time we are […]
The Myth of Motherhood: Teacher Appreciation Week
Its teacher appreciation week….. Before I begin let me say I love our teachers! They are amazing, committed, passionate, loving, firm, intelligent, available, and, nowadays, protectors from harm. I am thankful every day for them and the work they do for my own children and others. Thank you teachers everywhere! And…its teacher appreciation week. As […]
The Myth of Motherhood: Postpartum depression and anxiety
Motherhood is a rude awakening into a life of self-deprivation for many years…at least it feels that way sometimes. Real motherhood is not the pretty, imagined life of stroller walks to the coffee shop, chats with friends, and time off to enjoy your baby and the super cute nursery you planned before your sweet little […]
What Does Postpartum Depression Feel Like?
Most new mothers are handed their swaddled baby along with a brochure about postpartum depression (PPD) when they are discharged from the hospital. And while it’s great that awareness of PPD is growing, each woman’s experience of it can vary greatly and include everything from obsessive anxiety, OCD, to a sense of disconnect to unremitting […]
How to Help Children Understand a Parent’s Depression
Many parents experience clinical depression each year. As if the disease weren’t enough, recognizing its effects on your children can be quite painful. Studies have shown that children of depressed parents are at greater risk of not only developing depression themselves, but also of poor physical health, problems bonding, anxiety, poor self-esteem and aggressive behavior. Of […]