There are many stages of life when I had felt overwhelmed before. Like when I was a busy college student; when I was working full time, adjusting to marriage, while also learning to manage a home, plus the office for a non-profit; or then when I was at home with my first baby. But my … Continue reading Why I Was Overwhelmed with Two Kids but Thriving with Four
If we were together, sitting on your couch, and you had your darling newborn swaddled and squishy in your arms, this is what I would share about breastfeeding--while I fold your laundry. But first I'd bring you water and about 3 cookies. In all honesty, breastfeeding has been the hardest thing I have ever done. … Continue reading Letters to a First-Time Mom – Breastfeeding
You don't know what you don't know Baby smell might be the sweetest thing ever. Until it begins to smell like sour milk. When my first baby was a few weeks old, she developed a cheesy aroma. Oh, it was ripe. I swear I was bathing her. Her ears were clean. I wiped up spit-up. … Continue reading Letters to a First Time Mom – Things I Didn’t Know
Here you are with a baby. There's a steep learning curve and you're figuring it out on the job, with less sleep than ever. It is easy to feel like you're drowning. It's easy to think you're failing. And it's easy to feel you're not enough. But I want you to remember you're doing the … Continue reading Letters to a First-Time Mom – When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough
If I could write a letter to myself as a new mom, I would answer so many complaints. Resentment had a strong hold on me for many months, perhaps years, early in my motherhood. So here is my letter to Old Resentful Cindy. "I'm stuck at home with an infant all day every day. I … Continue reading Letters to a First-Time Mom -Don’t Stir Resentment Into Your Coffee
This spring I had my fourth baby. She's fantastic. But after my first and second babies, I struggled immensely with the feeling that my postpartum hormones and emotions were completely out of control and I had no idea what to expect. To be honest, they controlled me. So before I had my third, I did … Continue reading Letters to a First Time Mom – Dealing with Postpartum Hormones
From the wave goodbye in the morning to the big hug at pickup, your children are navigating the world of preschool without your watchful eye. In the days and weeks ahead of starting preschool, there are ways you can build your child's confidence--and relieve some of your fears, too. Preschool teachers only have two hands … Continue reading 7 Life Skills Your Preschooler Needs Before Starting School – FREE download
Being a first-time mom to a newborn is amazing. And hard. And different for everyone, so though the experienced moms and grandparents and random strangers at the store are well-meaning, there is no one-size-fits-all advice for new moms. What do you wish you knew when you first became a mom? But when you're there in … Continue reading Letters to a First Time Mom
The connection of discipline She's struggling. I watch her--bouncing from one thing to another, harassing her sister, discontent with what’s in the pantry, and looking for trouble. She needs something--more than a snack, more than something to do, more than an attitude adjustment. There is something not settled in her heart that is causing her … Continue reading The Purpose of Discipline: Connection
Recently the Holy Spirit convicted me of my habit of being a scoffer. Since then, my every thought or statement has been filtered through whether or not it is scornful. This has been work. But in the process he showed me a remedy: to delight in God's character. I used to delight in my own … Continue reading The Remedy for Scorn is Delight – Psalm 1, part 2