Tag Archives: children

How to make time with family a top priority

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Family is important. It’s one of the most important things in life. Yet we constantly find ourselves wishing we had more time because we don’t spend enough time with our families. Why is that? It sometimes seems like everything urgent in life rushes in and crowds out the important stuff. We struggle to make time with family a top priority. That’s why we have to schedule family time in order to protect it as one of our core priorities. I’ve always been very family focused. Even as a little girl, I could never imagine moving too far away from my close-knit community of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Anything less than twice weekly visits just seemed wrong. But as I … More…

I am Tired – A letter to my spirited child

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You, my dear boy, who are turning three today, are a force to be reckoned with. I just wish it wasn’t me that had to be the one doing the reckoning. You are a spirited child combined with a wicked array of genetic “gifts” that never seem to stop giving. You wear me and your daddy out. To be completely honest, there are some days that our first stress-free, relaxed breath of the day is when we confirm you have fallen asleep for the night. The only energy we have left is enough to maybe watch an old episode of The Office before taking a bedtime almost as early as you. You have big emotions in that little body; your … More…

22 Awesome Cartoon Movies for Family Movie Night

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I love traditions. If you’re new to the blog, you can read a bit about my love of traditions here and here. When I was a little girl, one of my favorite traditions was our weekly family movie night. It never mattered much to me what movie we were watching, but cartoon movies were my favorite, of course. We ordered pizza, had dinner together and gathered around to spend quality time. I was allowed to stay up late, Dad didn’t channel surf, and no one was distracted with other projects. True, there wasn’t a lot of conversation during this time, but there was a certain level of sharing and connection that happened anyway. We each watched movies that may not have … More…

How to Fight Fear for Women’s Safety

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If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I try to maintain a positive and uplifting vibe in all of my posts. Negativity isn’t something any of us need more of. I want this to be a safe place where you can come for advice and positive ideas to live better and refocus on the important things in life. This is not a place for conflict, complaints, or despair. Life, however, is not always sunshine and roses, and to live better, we must deal with unpleasant situations, like the reality of women’s safety in our society. A family’s worst nightmare Last week, a family friend tragically lost their teenage daughter. Olivia was a 17-year-old girl about … More…

10 Important life lessons my son needs to know

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As a parent, I often find myself wondering who my son will be when he grows up. What will he enjoy? What career will he choose? Will he find love and have a family of his own? What I worry wonder about most, however, is if I’m preparing him for a life where the answers to those questions are not only positive but fulfilling. Am I adequately preparing him to be a good person, make healthy choices, and be happy? To make sure I’m properly guiding him toward adulthood, I’ve been reflecting on what life lessons are important for him to know. Sure, there are millions of life lessons yet to be taught. After all, he is only two. He … More…

5 Things Kids Need from You

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  As a parent, I worry about how what I do daily will affect Zachary as an adult. Every day, I have to make decisions that seem insignificant in the moment but over time, the trends of my behaviors shape his future self. There is a lot of debate over how much of kids personalities and temperaments are determined by nature and how much is determined by nurture. A review of some of these studies is the subject of this article. Regardless how much is determined by what I do, who he becomes and how he views the world is at least partially controlled by how I relate to him. The way we teach, discipline, and interact with him, in general, will definitely have an effect … More…