Let’s take a minute to talk about the short time we got to have Lucy home this summer. The “three musketeers” reunited. Because I want to hold onto it in my mother-heart. We have to back up to a few months ago to explain why it’s still summer and she’s already gone. You see, in…
(Originally published in 2022, updated April 2026.) There is this thing that happened that keeps coming back to me. A reminder of how important parenting boundaries are, especially in a world where it can feel easier to give in. A world where it has sometimes become common to just give in. We want to carry…
When my son Max turned fifteen, I was caught in that familiar swirl of maternal worry: Will he be motivated? Is he prepared for the world? Am I doing enough? Looking back now—all these years later—from the perspective of a ‘seasoned’ mother with grown children, I see those messy teenage years so differently. So I…
Teenagers are confusing. And frustrating. And tricky. But they are also pretty dang awesome. Raising teenagers can evoke a wide range of emotions — from anxiety over how they are doing, to heavy sadness when they face a challenge, to joy from seeing them thrive. It’s a tough job.
Yesterday Lucy became an official college student. Well, in all actuality, she started last week in a special “connections” class to kick things off. Starting College with a Vision Impairment But I sit here now, far away from that girl of mine, sending her all my heart with all my might. I think about how…
As Lucy prepares to leave for college, I find myself holding a mix of emotions I can barely put into words. There is so much going on in my heart right now! The excitement, the fear, the letting go—it all feels heavier and more sacred somehow. Especially when your child has special needs and you…
Sometimes as parents we think we need to give up boundaries to build a strong relationship with our kids. But setting boundaries with kids is actually one of the best ways to create connection. Why Boundaries Build Strong Relationships I got this question a while back and I’ve been thinking about it lately: My son…
I forgot to mention that we recorded a few of podcasts while we were together in Utah: a sister’s overnight podcast fest:) My brother Eli came over as we were getting ready to record late that night and we lassoed him in to record an episode with us that actually aired this week. We talked…
We all want our kids to like us, right? But the truth is the parent child relationship is about so much more than our kids just liking us. It’s also about more than discipline. Parent child relationships are complicated. Let’s dive in and talk about how we nurture these important relationships in our home.