parenting

No wonder we’re always tired.

Mom life is hard work. It’s like having a full-time job, right? Well, not exactly. The reality is mothers actually put in way more time than the average job, according to recent research.

It’s test day and your little one has a whole list of reasons why he can’t go to school. Tummy ache, headache, too tired…and sadly, the real reason is he’s afraid of the big, scary test he’s heard so much about.

As parents, sometimes we need to take the iPad out of our kids’ hands and stick a fishing pole in its place. Or, turn off Madden NFL 17 and actually throw the pigskin around without a controller getting in the way.

For many kids building friendships comes as naturally as breathing in air or waking up in the morning. For others, the process is filled with landmines of fear, anxiety and discouragement. Experts agree that friendship-building is a skill – it can be learned. And parents can help their kids develop the social skills that help make friendship building come more naturally.

“Why do you talk like that?”  I heard the question come from behind me as I helped another child in the Sunday school class.

“It’s just the way I am.” I heard my sister-in-law wisely answer the curious boy. My sister-in-law, Kara, was born with Cerebral Palsy. She was helping me in the classroom that day when one of the kids noticed her speech is different. Kara has been taught to answer “It’s just the way I am.” after years of questions about her differences.

Worrying. It’s something all parents do. I am guilty of it, especially when I lie awake at 3 a.m., with the silence of the house ringing in my ears. I worry about what I forgot to do, what I need to do, what I should have done, and what I already did. Some worries are valid, but many are not worth the time and effort. What if we could learn to let them go?