Real Stories

I watch her as she circulates the room and I can see she feels uneasy. She shifts nervously from side to side and tucks a rebellious tuft of hair behind her ear. These kind of situations are hard [...]

Compliment my kid and I just don't know what to do. I've worked a long time to figure out how to accept compliments on my own behalf, but even with best friends and supportive strangers, there is [...]

I am a mom of a toddler and twins, which is sort of a terrifying math problem. You see, I only have two arms. Three kids, but only two legs to sit on. Three kids, but only two eyes to watch with. [...]

  “You're grounded from all electronics for the entire summer!” This is the punishment I blurted out recently after my child had done something for the umpteenth time that I told him over [...]

Note: in honor of Mother's Day, we're celebrating the many different women in our lives who have left a legacy. We're calling them our "many mothers," and thanking them for their love. Read more [...]

  Note: The following is a real excerpt from my 4th-grade diary. Wednesday, 2-21-90 Dear Diary: Today Sarah, Megan, Mandy and Kathleen were being real jerks. They were making fun of me all [...]

Traditions are great...but sometimes they can create unforeseen expectations among siblings. For example, I've made it a habit to build certain "milestone" celebrations into my parenting with my [...]

I have a secret plan for back to school this year. My secret plan is to avoid comparing myself and my summer to other moms this school year. If you struggle at all like I do with comparing [...]

Mom, where do babies come from? No question puts fear into the hearts of parents quite like this one. Except maybe... ...Mom, what is cancer? ...Dad, are you going to die? ...Why is Aunt Sarah [...]

A few years ago, Marie Kondo captivated me with The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Filled with adventure, decluttering, and searches for what “sparks joy,” her message of simplifying [...]