Category: Parenting + Family

  • Preparing to go Back to School

    Preparing to go Back to School

    This blog is a companion piece to a recent media engagement with WDBJ7, Montgomery County parenting blogger shares advice for starting the school year off strong. As a family we have navigated the disappointment of an abruptly cut-short school year. We have weathered the realities of missing our cousins, friends and extended family. We experienced…

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  • Childlike Courage

    Childlike Courage

    “I’m scared in my gut but brave on the outside.” My 8-year-old daughter has recently developed a fear of big, booming thunderstorms. Honestly, It surprises me because she tends to be my bold and confident child. Lately when we experience a fear-inducing storm she can logically talk through why she should not be afraid of…

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  • Squeeze in Summer Education

    Squeeze in Summer Education

    Recently, I was excited to have the opportunity to go on WDBJ7 and share insight about how my family has navigated these challenging and unprecedented times. The response to my media feature left me amazed, humbled and energized. It prompted so many wonderful conversations and inspired me with new ideas for topics to write about.…

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  • How do you fight mom guilt?

    How do you fight mom guilt?

    We feel guilty for what we do.  We feel guilty for what we don’t do.  We feel guilty for how we feel.  And, if we manage to not have strong feelings on an issue, we can even find a way to feel guilty for how we don’t feel.  Mom guilt is flexible in its applications…

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  • Work From Home — while parenting!

    Work From Home — while parenting!

    Working from home while simultaneously mothering is simply not easy. There is no denying it is full of competing priorities, a constant pull between roles and moments of exponential frustration. As I worked from home over the last few months I swapped stories with other “WFH” moms who expressed feeling chronically overwhelmed and as if…

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  • Benefits of Educating at Home {Video Feature}

    Benefits of Educating at Home {Video Feature}

    While many of us have now concluded the formal school year and may be deep in the throes of summer vacation, there is the lingering reality of how the return to school in the fall will not be conventional. As we all prepare for an evolving new normal and the reality of a requirement to…

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  • {Guest Commentary} Present Parenting

    {Guest Commentary} Present Parenting

    How can parents be more present and avoid digital distractions? That was a question I was recently asked by SmartSocial.com. I was excited to contribute and provide a less-than-conventional bit of feedback. And are you surprised to learn it involves my inner child?  I have found that when I come up with creative ideas and…

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  • Run in the Rain.

    Run in the Rain.

    Even with a stark awareness of the blessings, on rainy days – literal or figurative – life can feel heavy. Pause & consider what you need to do to be well!

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  • {In the News} Homeschooling During the Pandemic

    {In the News} Homeschooling During the Pandemic

    I start each day in my sweats, with a cup of coffee, and time on the couch with my kiddos. Earlier this week I did exactly that, but there was a little added excitement to my routine — our family was featured in the early morning news segment on WDBJ7!   We enjoyed the opportunity to…

    Read more: {In the News} Homeschooling During the Pandemic
  • Swap Your Sorry

    Swap Your Sorry

    I was recently hanging out over Zoom with two friends I really enjoy and deeply respect. As we talked about everything and nothing, genuinely appreciating our time together, we naturally drifted to discussions of our kiddos and parenting challenges. Specifically, we mused over what it is like to parent brilliant, beautiful, and curious little girls. …

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  • You can do hard things.

    You can do hard things.

    Choosing a Growth Mindset can empower and equip us when faced with challenging circumstances. Remember: you can do hard things!

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  • Our Lovely Little Messes

    Our Lovely Little Messes

    It is not all good — nor is it all bad. Be willing to accept that things are complicated these days. Be bold in your commitment to honestly share the messy but also proudly claim the successes along the way.

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  • Navigating Disappointment

    Navigating Disappointment

    The very act of walking through this surreal time in our lives will be an exercise in growth and development for each of us. And, our kids are watching! I will forever remind my kids and myself that it does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.

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  • Home School Success

    Home School Success

    With the need for parents everywhere to teach their children at home, a key to sustainable success is balancing strategy with spontaneity.

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  • “Wox Academy”

    “Wox Academy”

    Today is Day 1 of a new reality of for our family, and so many families across the country. We are navigating the unknown as we balance a widespread school closure with the inability to have get togethers, with the overlay of two working parents who must still show up. There are undeniably stressors within…

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