Parenting Wisdom

A girly-girl farm kid I’ve always been a girly-girl. Growing up on a farm in rural Iowa you’d most likely find me playing Barbies, playing dress up in my grandma’s old clothes, or watching Disney movies. Oh how I longed...

I’m sure you’ve heard about Jennifer Garner giving her kids a Yes Day each year. Yes Day is a simple concept—you simply say yes to every request the kids make, no matter how silly it may be! I was curious about...

Not everything that weighs you down is yours to carry.” --Anonymous These are the words I want my 9-year-old to understand. I have three children. My youngest one is, you guessed it, a worrier. I'm raising a worrier. Anyone with...

One of my favorite quotes says, “Compassion is the radicalism of our time.” by the Dalai Lama.  As a teacher, I do believe traditional education is essential. Our students need reading and writing skills. They need to be problem...

As a mom, I want to offer my kids opportunities and experiences I never had. When I was a mother of one, I thought by opening my daughter up to all different types of activities, programs, camps, etc., she...

October isn’t just about fall colors, PSL, or Halloween, it is also credit awareness month! While you may think your kids are possibly nowhere near ready to get a credit card or apply for credit, the time when...

Confessions of a perfectionist. Actually, I don’t at all consider myself a perfectionist. I’m totally imperfect. It’s sort of my thing. Did you ever know someone who was just amazing at something? Me too...I know lots of people like this;...

Even before I was a parent, I was the type of person who knew exactly how long it took me to get from Point A to Point B. It doesn’t matter what day it is, we still have only...

I called my mother today. It was urgent. Dire. I needed to tell her something so important, it couldn’t wait. “Thank you, mom.” I’m 37. It’s finally safe to admit nearly two and a half decades later that my mom was...

I’m a super planner so I’ve always got emergency diapers and clothes in the car; I over-pack the diaper bag with activities to keep my nearly 2-year-olds entertained if we actually go out to dinner; I pull the tabs...