Motherhood will teach you that everybody has an opinion about how you should raise your children. Everybody. Even people who don’t have children will confidently tell you what you’re doing wrong. And sometimes, other mothers are your biggest critics. I’ve been a mother for eight years, and I’ve learned you cannot raise your children based … Read more
Every parent wants grateful children. The kind who say thank you without being reminded and appreciate what they have. Unfortunately, not every parent has that, and we’ve raised ungrateful children without knowing it. Sometimes the things we buy are exactly why they are ungrateful. I’ve learned this the hard way, and I’m still learning. Here … Read more
Children forget a lot of things. Where they kept their shoes, or the homework you reminded them about three times. But some things stay with them forever. Even after they’ve grown up and moved out, they’ll still remember how it felt to be your child. And most of it won’t be the big things you … Read more
As a parent, I hope to remain close to my children for life. I imagine them growing up, getting married, having children, and still coming home to see me with my grandchildren running around my house during the holidays. Unfortunately, closeness with your adult children does not happen just because you gave birth to them. … Read more
One of the easiest parenting mistakes to make is doing too much for your children. And the funny thing is that it comes from a good place. You love them; you want their childhood to be easier than yours. You want them to have opportunities you didn’t have and not to struggle unnecessarily. But then, … Read more
We talk a lot about father wounds in daughters. The absent father, the abusive one, and the father whose behavior supposedly affects the kind of men his daughter chooses later in life. But what about sons? Because boys need their fathers too. The relationship between a father and son can become so damaged that even … Read more
There are things children do that require correction. If your child deliberately hits their sibling, lies to you, breaks an important rule, or behaves disrespectfully, you don’t have to smile sweetly and say, “Express yourself, darling.” Please. Children need adults to teach them that they cannot just do whatever they like. But the thing is, … Read more
Every parent wants to raise a child who is respectful and responsible. No one wants to raise an entitled adult, yet we see them everywhere. This isn’t about being a perfect parent. Lord knows I’m still figuring things out as I raise my own two children. Parenting is hard. We all get things right, and … Read more
If there’s one thing parenthood gives you for free, it’s guilt. Nobody warns you about it. People tell you about sleepless nights, nappies, tantrums, teenage attitudes and the fact that you’ll never eat a hot meal again. But nobody tells you that once you become a parent, guilt moves into your house and refuses to pay … Read more
One of the hardest truths about parenting is that you can be a truly good parent and still unintentionally hurt your child. That’s because parenting is more about wisdom than love. No good parents want to damage their child, but sometimes the very things done out of love become the very things that hold children … Read more