Positive Parenting
Why I’m not stressing out about potty training
I will encourage and cheer her on to the point that I'll wish I received so much credit for using the toilet, but I will not force her.
Working motherhood is: Not traveling for 18 months so I could breastfeed my baby
Even local travel options were challenging.
7 ways to ease the tension if you disagree with your parents on how to raise your child
3. Validate their concerns
Writer Nora McInerney says her kids aren’t step-siblings—they’re just siblings
"I took the lead from the big kids because really right away without being asked, they called Ralph their little brother," McInerney shares in the newest episode of Motherly's podcast.
Why I don’t mind if my daughter asks hard questions
I grew up wondering many things but was hushed quickly. My parents would try to nurture what they could but the school I attended and the society we STILL live in doesn't like children asking hard questions. They aren't supposed to have hard questions, especially little girls, who seem to have extra layers of nonsense to contend with when they give voice to deep thoughts.
You’re not imagining it: Mothers are sleep deprived for the first 6 years of parenthood
It's okay to be tired, mama.
Co-parenting with an addict means I am basically raising my son alone
As his former spouse, I know that deep down in there somewhere is a man who wants to do well in the world. Someone who wants to be reconnected to his son, who yearns to prove to the world that he's capable. But as a mom, I put up giant barriers and protectors.
I need something totally different from my friends now that I’m a mom
Not someone who is just like me, but one who models who I hope to be.
Dear stranger: Yes, my hands are full…
Even though you don't quite know the right thing to say, I'm going to believe that you want to say the right thing. You really want to tell me that I'm an excellent mother and that I'm doing a good job but you don't know how to say that exactly.
Motherhood is: Needing to be *not* needed just for a little bit
I love my snuggles and I love being the antidote to their fear and sadness. But occasionally, I do wish they understood that they could easily wake their dad for help, or that he is equally capable of putting socks on the correct way.
The most surprising thing about my pregnancy was how powerful I felt
I never could have imagined the energy that I felt with you inside me. I anticipated weakness, illness and slower days. Those came but were far and few between. Instead, what was most present during this pregnancy was my creativity.
My friend gave me 5 bags of hand-me-downs—and it was such a bittersweet gift
The amount of stuff was staggering. There were five giant bags of t-shirts, printed onesies, and pants with faces on the seat. There were boxes of tiny shoes and a box of wooden toys. Half of it still had the tags on.
I can’t stop my mind from worrying even though the kids are finally asleep
I groan inwardly, squeeze my eyes shut and will myself to sleep, but my brain is having none of it.
I’m a SAHM with an older child—what’s next for me?
It's not my son's job to fulfill me, make me happy, or give me an identity. That's my job; always has been and always will be. This I know without a shadow of a doubt.
I respect the way my Korean mother raised me, but I’m doing these 5 things differently
It's not because I think she was a bad parent. I respect her more than anyone else in the world.
How I finally learned to set boundaries as a work from home mom
Just because I can work anywhere, doesn't mean I should.
Turns out, there are some things we *can* control as parents
As a parent, you're constantly navigating ups and downs, wins and losses.