Cords of Hope Coaching Page

Cords of Hope Coaching Page Building wisdom and responsibility IN while developing connection WITH the kids you love.

As summer starts winding down, what are you going to miss most? ☀️Maybe it's...🏖️ Swimming and being outside😴 Sleeping i...
08/25/2026

As summer starts winding down, what are you going to miss most? ☀️

Maybe it's...
🏖️ Swimming and being outside
😴 Sleeping in
☕ Slow mornings
🚗 Trips and adventures
👨‍👩‍👧 Having more time with family and/or friends
📅 Having fewer places to be
🍦 The little, unplanned moments
🌿 A slower pace before the next season begins

Whether you're a teacher, a parent of young children, a parent of older or college-aged children, a grandparent, or simply someone who enjoys the rhythm of summer, this time of year can bring a mix of feelings.

You might be looking forward to what comes next and still miss some things about summer. Both can be true.

Living in Minnesota, I know I'll miss the warmth, longer days, and slower pace. I don't like winter, so I'm trying to savor these last weeks of summer, even though my schedule doesn't change for me anymore- with no kids in my home and no longer teaching.

What are you going to miss most about summer?

You don't have to know everything this school year will bring.You don't have to anticipate every challenge.You don't hav...
08/23/2026

You don't have to know everything this school year will bring.

You don't have to anticipate every challenge.
You don't have to have the perfect response ready for every hard moment.
You don't have to know exactly how your child will grow and change this year.

You can trust God with what you can't see yet.

As you step into this new season, remember:
God is already there.

In the first-day nerves.
In the hard mornings.
In the unexpected conversations.
In the moments when you wonder if you're getting it right.

You don't have to parent the whole school year today.
Just be present for the child in front of you.
One day at a time.

While I was on vacation, I overheard a conversation between a mom and her young daughter in a beach changing room.The li...
08/20/2026

While I was on vacation, I overheard a conversation between a mom and her young daughter in a beach changing room.

The little girl was quietly making up her own song. She sounded like she was enjoying her day and the time with her mom.

Her mom said, “Don't sing.”
She continued singing.

A minute later, the little girl let out a quiet squeal as she was getting undressed.
“Don't scream,” her mom said.

Then she started singing again.
“Don't sing either.”

I don't know anything about that family's day or what they were carrying. Maybe the mom was exhausted. Maybe she'd already had a hundred difficult moments that day.
We've all been there.

What stayed with me wasn't what that mom did. It was the reminder that we can become so focused on stopping behaviors that frustrate us that we miss the life, creativity, and joy behind them.

How often have we spent more time noticing the behaviors we want to stop than the qualities we want to encourage?

Sometimes our children are loud because they're full of joy.
Sometimes they're curious.
Sometimes they're imaginative.
Sometimes they simply want to express what's bubbling over inside them.

And sometimes, of course, we really do need to set a limit.

But sometimes...
We can simply enjoy them.
We can smile at the song they made up.
We can delight in their imagination.

And sometimes we can let go of worrying about what other people might think of us, or our children, and simply enjoy the child God has given us.

It made me wonder:
What if we spent as much time noticing what we love about our children as we do correcting what frustrates us?

I don't think that means lowering our expectations or never saying, “No.”

It means remembering that our children need more than correction. They need to know we delight in who God created them to be.

Our children flourish when they know they're not just loved, they're enjoyed. 💛

What is one quality in your child that brings you joy... even if it sometimes comes with challenges?

What if the first thing your child needs after school isn't a correction but connection?The backpack gets dropped.The sh...
08/19/2026

What if the first thing your child needs after school isn't a correction but connection?

The backpack gets dropped.
The shoes come off.
Someone is complaining.
Someone is crying.
Someone is arguing with a sibling.

And before you know it, you're thinking:
“Why are you acting like this?”

It's tempting to jump right into correction.

But sometimes our kids need a moment to come back to us before they're ready to hear our guidance.

Try starting with connection:
❤️ “I'm glad you're home.”
❤️ “You seem really overwhelmed.”
❤️ “That looks like a hard day.”
❤️ “Let's get you some food.”
❤️ “Do you need a little quiet time?”

Connection doesn't mean we ignore disrespect or let unhealthy behavior continue.
It means we don't have to choose between connection and correction.

Sometimes connection is what helps a child become ready for correction.

When our children know “I am loved even when I'm having a hard time,” they're better able to hear us when we help them figure out what to do differently.
That's part of what it means to parent from LOVED.

Our children don't have to earn our love by having a good day.

They can come home messy, tired, frustrated, and emotional. And still know, “I'm loved here.” ❤️

Have you noticed a difference when you connect before you correct?

Be honest. What do you look forward to most at the beginning of the school year? Maybe it's...🏫 Getting back into a rout...
08/18/2026

Be honest. What do you look forward to most at the beginning of the school year?

Maybe it's...
🏫 Getting back into a routine
☕ A different kind of morning rhythm
👫 Your kids seeing their friends again
🧘 A little more breathing room
⚽ Getting back into activities
📅 Knowing what everyone is supposed to be doing
🙋‍♀️ Honestly… all of it!

There's a lot of talk this time of year about getting our kids ready for school.
But what about you?

Maybe you're going to miss the slower days of summer and maybe you're also ready for a little structure again.

Both can be true.

So tell me:
What are YOU looking forward to most when school starts?

You don't have to have it all together for your child to feel secure. Maybe you're excited about the new school year.May...
08/16/2026

You don't have to have it all together for your child to feel secure.

Maybe you're excited about the new school year.
Maybe you're already feeling overwhelmed.
Maybe you're wondering how you're going to manage the new schedule, homework, activities, lunches, early mornings, and all the emotions that come with it.

Take a breath.

Your child doesn't need a perfectly organized parent.
They don't need you to always know exactly what to say.
They don't need you to make every transition easy.

They need you.

A parent who keeps showing up.
A parent who can say, “That was hard. Let's try again.”
A parent who can apologize and offer do-overs when things don't go well.
A parent who remembers that we don't have to do this perfectly.

God's grace meets us right in the middle of our imperfect parenting.
As this new school year begins, give yourself some grace, too.

You are not just preparing your child for a new season.
You're learning how to walk through it together.

08/13/2026

Do you have a child who holds it together all day at school… and then falls apart the second they see you?

They held it together all day.
They followed directions. They managed the noise. They navigated friendships. They worked hard. They kept their emotions in check.

And then they see you.

Suddenly you get: “I hate you!”
Or yelling. Crying. Complaining. A meltdown over something that seems completely insignificant.

And you might find yourself thinking… What just happened? I thought today went fine… 😩

Sometimes, the child who seemed fine all day falls apart the minute they see Mom or Dad.

And while that behavior does still need to be addressed, it can help to understand what might be happening underneath it.

Your child may be holding it together all day because school requires so much of them. Home is where they finally feel safe enough to let it all out.

That doesn't mean we ignore disrespect or allow hurtful behavior.
It means we can respond with both connection AND guidance.

I talked about this in a short Connected Families podcast episode called “Back-to-School Season: ‘I Hate You’ Rides Home From Pickup.”

If you have a child who seems to fall apart as soon as they get in the car, this one is for you.

Listen to the full episode here: https://podcast.show/connectedfamilies/back-to-school-season-when-i-hate-you-rides-home-from-pickup/
And if this sounds familiar, know that you are definitely not alone.

Your child may need emotional preparation more than school-supply preparation.We spend a lot of time getting ready for a...
08/13/2026

Your child may need emotional preparation more than school-supply preparation.

We spend a lot of time getting ready for a new school year.
✏️ Supplies
👟 Clothes and shoes
🎒 Backpacks
📅 Schedules
🚌 Transportation

But there’s another kind of preparation that can make a big difference: helping our kids feel safe as they enter a new season.

A transition can feel big to a child... even when they’re excited about it.

They may be wondering:
• Will I like my teacher?
• Who will I sit with?
• What if I don't know what to do?
• Will I be able to keep up?
• What happens when I miss Mom or Dad?
• What if something goes wrong?

There may be a new teacher, new classroom, new expectations, more sensory stimulation, less unstructured time, and a whole new routine to navigate.

Before we expect our kids to handle a transition well, we can help them feel safe enough to handle it.

That might look like talking through what to expect, visiting the school, practicing a new routine, telling a story about a child in a similar situation, asking a few curious questions, listening to their concerns, or simply making space for them to tell you how they're feeling.

And sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer is our calm presence:
"I'm here. You can talk to me. We'll figure this out together."

Our kids don't need us to remove every hard thing about a transition.
They need to know they don't have to face it alone.

Has school started yet where you live?Some families are counting down the days with excitement.Some are wishing summer w...
08/11/2026

Has school started yet where you live?

Some families are counting down the days with excitement.
Some are wishing summer would last a little longer.
And some are feeling a little bit of both.

Where are you right now?
👉 We’re already back!
👉 Starting soon!
👉 Not for a few weeks!

Tell us where you are in the comments. And how are you and your kids feeling about it?

Happy Sunday! ☀️What's one simple way you connected with your child this week?Maybe it was:💛 Reading a book🚲 Riding bike...
08/09/2026

Happy Sunday! ☀️

What's one simple way you connected with your child this week?

Maybe it was:
💛 Reading a book
🚲 Riding bikes
🎲 Playing a game
🚶 Going for a walk
🍦 Getting ice cream
🤗 Snuggling on the couch

Share yours below!

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