Inspiration

You’re sitting on your couch, playing on your smartphone and you just want to be left alone.

There might be a small amount of guilt lurking under the surface. But not much.

Your kids ask, “Can you play this game with me?”

Nope, not right now, you reply.

You’re burned out. Every bit of energy and motivation has left your body. It disintegrated with that last tantrum or vaporized after your tween daughter gave her characteristic shrug when you asked how her day was.

You’re done and frankly, don’t really see a point in this whole parenting thing anymore.

I see you. I’ve been there.

Often, I feel guilty about taking a girl’s night because of time away from my kids.

I’m afraid I’ll miss something important or even worse, my husband will resent me for taking this time for myself.

They’re baseless fears.

Taking time alone is essential to being a happy mom.

He lay there screaming on our kitchen floor with his arm twisted under him.

“Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh….”

I panicked and picked my son up from the floor.

I slam my foot against the kitchen cabinet.

“Just stop it!” I yell, “Stop the fighting!”

My kids go quiet and stand frozen in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry Mama,” my five-year-old son tells me and immediately… I feel bad.

They’re just kids, they don’t deserve an angry mom.

And yet, I’m literally going out of my mind. I’m so exhausted and feel like I don’t even have the space to sort through my own thoughts.

Is this what motherhood is supposed to be like?

Nope. But, I’m making one critical mistake.

We doubt ourselves as parents.  Yes, you may be feeling quite guilty for forcing your child to do something she didn’t want to do.  But here’s why its actually good for her and encourages the growth mindset.

You can’t decide. You’ve heard about all the benefits of summer camp for kids, but really, will it be that way for your child? Here’s why you NEED to send your daughter or son to overnight camp.

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, the need is the same.  Moms need me time.  These tips will make sure you get it.

Feeling guilty about taking time alone as a mom?  No need.  Read on to see why you need it. Learn how time to yourself will change the way you parent.

Now, I don’t live in Florida.

I’m not the mother of a high schooler.

I’m not an expert on gun laws, mental health or even know the whole story about what happened. 

And neither are you.

Yet, we can both speak up and do something to prevent this from happening again and again.

December! December! Bring on the holiday games!! I researched and pinned all over Pinterest to find you the best games for your family this year.

We are frustrated and overwhelmed. Here’s what to do when we feel like we’re failing as a mom.

As a mom, I put hobbies on the backburner.

I didn’t know I was doing it at the time. It wasn’t a conscious decision.

It’s the fifth time your son has whined this morning.

The screeching sounds causes every single muscle in your neck to tighten. Your head feels dizzy. Seriously, whining kids could’ve been a form of medieval torture.

You take a deep breath and let it out.

You will not yell.
You will not yell.
You will not yell.

The absurd ways I meet my neighbors are legendary. While I do have some sane methods of getting to know my community, this story is not one of those. Here’s what I did when I came downstairs in the middle of the day and thought someone had broken into my laundry room.

Do you feel like you’re too nice?

One of my students called me out for that my first year of teaching.

In her very astute, wise little fifth grade voice she told me, “Mrs. Crohn, you are too nice”

But wait… don’t you want to be nice? Isn’t that something to aim for?

Kind yes. But nice…nice is taking on the full responsibility of other people’s feelings and adapting your behavior to make others happy.

That’s what I was doing when an 11-year-old called me out.

Santa.  The Easter Bunny.  The Tooth Fairy. All magical creatures that parents love keeping alive for their children. However, what happens when the parents slip…