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Girl On A Roller Coaster
Fourteen-year-old girls are supposed to be sassy. They’re supposed to roll their eyes at you and slam doors and lose themselves in a world of text messages and teenage drama.
They aren’t supposed to be the subjects of blogposts about inspiring individuals.
But this kid? This one is different.
She’s a teenager who has nothing but gentle words ...
The Joy of Interruption
A few weeks ago, while enjoying a relatively quiet house, thinking of article topics to wax eloquent on, I chanced upon the idea of “joyful interruptions.”
I started jotting down ideas, making notes on the topic, and researching Bible verses and quotes.
I had a full day ahead of me packed with writing assignments, chores, meal planning, ...
Teaching Your Child To Embrace The Ordinary
A few days ago, I asked my 10-year-old son what would make him infinitely happy. His response melted my heart. “A pencil. A pencil and a paper,” he said after a moment of thought.
My little guy loves losing himself in the world of art. He spends his evenings sketching minions and gnomes and Godzilla and ...
Why It’s Important for Parents to Mess Up—& Our Kids Need to See It, Too
We had a free afternoon and the kids decided it was time for a board game. A board game where one of the participants would be yours truly. A board game where I needed to be guilted into playing, because, hey, I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m not exactly a Monopoly-and-Headbands type ...
The One Thing That Could Be Hurting Your Marriage The Most (It’s Not What You Think)
Did you know that 80 percent of the time women bring up issues in heterosexual relationships? That’s according to Dr. John Gottman who studied hundreds of couples from the 1970s onward.
I’m not surprised. In our 12 years of marriage, I’ve been the one to dredge up most of our trouble spots.
It could be that he’s working too ...
Finding My Place While Parenting As An Immigrant
If you’d peeked into my kitchen a few years ago, you’d have seen the chef (that would be yours truly) with something strange on her head. No, it wouldn’t have been a chef’s hat. It would, in fact, have been a polka-dotted, vinyl shower cap. Definitely an unusual choice of headgear for cooking.
For me, however, ...
A Parent Primer on How to Deal With Bullies
The moment your wrinkly, wailing baby enters this world, there’s one thing you’re sure of: you’re never going to let anyone hurt your precious child. If they try, they’ll first have to contend with mama bear.
By the time your child enters elementary school there’s one thing you’re sure of: you can’t possibly protect your child ...
The Two Words That Steal Our Joy (And the Two Words That Can Restore It)
The kids were with the grandparents for the night. Which meant we had the perfect opportunity to catch a movie in an actual theater, eat out without cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces and spend the evening without repeatedly giving instructions to one’s progeny about baths and brushing.
Except, the evening didn’t pan out quite like ...
A Letter to My 9-Year-Old Son
Hey kid,
We’re at the halfway point. In another nine years, you’ll be an adult. I have no idea how we got here. And, – I don’t mean to scare you – but we really have no clue how we’ll raise you in the next nine either.
When you made your pink, wrinkly, wailing arrival into our world, your ...
MEET SUSAN
