My Articles on Power of Moms

I thought I would share links to the articles that I wrote for Power of Moms in the past year.  I had a goal to write something once a month, but hey, every three months is better than nothing!

I plan to continue writing for them this year, and I will occasionally share the links.  Thanks for reading!

 How to Journal as a Busy Mom

I have been an avid record-keeper since I started my first “Jernel” at age 7. That yellow binder is filled with crayon scrawlings of some of my deepest thoughts and questions, such as “Today we are going to a picneak. What will I eat there?”

This journaling habit continued into my teens and young adulthood, and, fortunately, my entries became more meaningful over the years. Since becoming a mother, however, it is much harder to find blocks of uninterrupted time to sit, reflect, and write.

If, like me, you want to keep a journal and record of your children's lives, but you struggle to find the time as a busy mother, here are five tips...  {Read full article here.}

 Anchored by Beautiful Moments

A trusted friend once told me, “In motherhood, the hard moments sometimes outnumber the beautiful moments, but the beautiful moments always outweigh the hard moments.” I have developed a few strategies to give the perfect moments in motherhood even more weight so they can anchor me through the hard times. {Read full article here.}

How My Son's Routine-Chart Helped Me Be a Better Mom

This morning, I found myself lying face-down on the wet sidewalk leading up to my front door.

No, I hadn’t slipped on the dewy grass while going to get the mail or been attacked by a neighborhood mugger; I was down on the concrete on purpose, peering into the garden with my four-year-old son, Noah...

This is why I love my son’s morning routine chart. I love it because it holds me accountable for the things that are important to me as a mother—the things that would probably get lost in the midst of the urgent “to-dos” and daily craziness of motherhood, if they weren’t included in our simple daily chart.  {Read full article here.}

Three Strategies for Being a Less Annoying Parent

I recently had to face a harsh but true reality: I am an annoying parent.  My ten-month-old daughter is too young to be bugged by me (yet), but my three-year-old son, Noah, could certainly testify that I can be annoying to be around.

Kids are just little grown-ups. Like us, they have opinions and personalities. Like us, they get bugged and resistant when people interrupt them, nag them, coerce them, or boss them around. 

Obviously this doesn’t mean that we never potty train our children, never enforce bedtime, and never expect them to help us clean the house; but I have learned that I can be a much more pleasant parent if I simply tweak the delivery of my expectations. Here are three strategies I use... {Read full article here.}