Play Love Parent

I speak teenager with an accent…but I’m learning.

It’s easy to get bent out of shape if you actually listen to their literal words.

Listen closer… 🔥 might just mean Love ya mama too.

Reese and I were having a girls night and she found the glitter… that has been carefully hidden for the last 14 years.

These boys are as different as brothers can be.

From personalities to interests to body type.

I, the photographer told them to act like they really love each other.

They thought I was hysterical 😂

As they are getting older their differences feel more like rivers than oceans apart.

If you have oil and water siblings the best thing to do is to help them see the long game.

I ask them don’t you want your brother to take your kids while you go away for a week one day? Don’t you want to know that no matter what you have someone to call who will drive you across the country right now if you need them too?

It’s hard for kids to see the vision and have empathy. They need us to help them SEE IT.

Wow! You are so lucky to live with a brother. I wish I had all my sisters here right now. -I’ve reused this cheesy line for years.

Solid sibling relationships are built. Help your kids out!

This is Mam and she has always been the place I ran to (especially in those early adulthood years.)

She made me feel safe and unconditionally loved.

She thinks I’m a superstar when I empty her dishwasher or wipe off her counter (from the mess I made)

She thinks I’m successful even though I’m not sure she has ever understood my careers I’ve had or have and has no idea how much money I have or haven’t made.

She thinks I’m an amazing granddaughter and mother and she’s only ever seen me interact within family.

She thinks I’m smart, pretty, funny and kind and she has never seen a report card or my GPA.

She unconditionally loves and accepts me and I’m crazy about her.

Unconditional love is a hard one to master. We have a lot of pressure (real and self imposed) as parents and it makes us sabotage our relationships.

Try loving like Mam this week with your kids and see what magic happens 🪄

I took this picture hiking with my mom and sister this weekend and we were all drooling all over these amazing rocks and trees 🌳 ❤️

We are our children’s nourishment for their root system. As you can see they can grow just about anywhere on anything and still stand tall and strong.

Don’t worry what your house looks like or what kind of car you drive or if you are measuring up to the other insta mamas.

My embarrassed 12 year old asked me every day when we will sell the farm van.

Give them the sunlight and water through your attention and teachings. Be the giant rock that is shaped like a heart and is a solid foundation. 💚

If your feeling a little depleted take a break, read, go on a walk, fake smile 😊 drink a cup of tea, take a nap. (We were hiking without kids!)

It always works out even in the most unlikely circumstances.

This is a picture of my family.

It’s true he volunteered to take a picture at a summit in the White Mountains.

I have a dozen more. All of him.

The third picture is of the other brother taking the family picture. He’s actually the founder of this joke.

Sometimes I think it’s funny and sometimes I just wish they would take the picture ya know?

Parenting funny kids can be fun and funny and sometimes decidedly not.

It’s OK to be annoyed with your kids.

Really.

I didn’t get upset or yell or throw them over the edge but I did tell them that they owed me $20 for each “family” picture they took. 😉

I started noticing that every time my kids wanted electronics time or asked me for my phone or asked me when was it time for electronics or asked me what was my opinion or if I had any questions that I might want to ask about Pokemon?

It was like a poke.

Sometimes it felt like 100 pokes a day.

Who likes getting poked?

I had to spend some time figuring out what I was getting all worked up about.

Our number one topic around our family meetings tends to be about electronics.

How much, when, what is working what isn't.

One of the things that helped me the most was to align electronics with my values. (This is where it will not feel like a poke)

Really my values say READ ALL DAY!!! Be creative! Play outside! Make me dinner! Clean my house! 😉 Play ZERO video games!

My values also say I want my kids to be happy and it turns out playing video games is one of the things that makes them happy.

I have found that as with so many other things balance is the secret sauce as well as boundaries as well as communication as well as forgiveness and patience.

I am pretty sure electronic use looks different in each of our homes and I am pretty sure it has been an interesting journey getting to "The peace of the electronic use in your home phase."

Keep adjusting, keep talking, and keep working on it and it might just end up being one of everyone's best memories of childhood.

If you need a little extra help figuring it out send me an email at [email protected] and help is on the way!

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I have been traveling with my family for the last 2 weeks in 175 square feet.

Lots of togetherness. 💛

There was this one day that I must have reminded them and asked them and redirected them ALL DAY LONG.

My voice had the I am so tired of all the things ring to it and they all had won the award of champion of Olympic complaining 4-way gold medals.

In my mind, they had become ungrateful complainers who for sure could not possibly mature into thriving adults.

One of the things about Seeing Them is sometimes we have to start with Seeing Ourselves. OUCH.

I had passed out Gold Medals!

This is one of the tender areas for me. I hate that "scary mom voice". I always blame them for it in my own head.

The real truth is that when you're pointing your finger, there really are 3 pointing back at you. 👉

If this sounds familiar to you let's work on it together shall we?

Pick one spot of your day that the scary mom or dad voice comes out...when they should have already brushed their teeth for the love of all that is holy, or when you have asked them to put up their electronics for the last time, or right before bed when what you really want to do is to send them to bed with kisses and instead you threaten an early demise?

Let's just start with one moment! What is yours going to be???

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I honestly wondered if there was something wrong with my kids for awhile.

Why didn’t they play with a deck of cards?

My grandmother to taught me how to shuffle. It had to be in their genes right?

This trip everything has changed. We have played oodles of go fish 🐟 and crazy eights.

The great thing about cards is it is quick, there are no sore losers and the six year old can be the winner

Bust out the deck of cards and tell us your favorite games! 🃏 ❤️

It is happening!!!!

After a year+ of school from our home, our kids are returning to school.

After you get all the practical things ready... school supplies and new clothes because they can no longer wear their PJ's to zoom school it is time for you to get ready.

You're going to need the welcome home smile ready.

The active listening ears ready.

The boundary-setting is ready.

The confidence that they will not die if you didn't sign them up yet for all. the. things. ready.

The degree in management of all the big feelings ready.

The negotiation skills of why they actually need to go to sleep now ready.

If you are looking for a guide to navigating the tricky back-to-school transition or you are committed to creating the relationships you want with your favorite people, join me in a life-changing parenting group!

Starting in September!! Back to school! 🤓📚❤️

"This has changed my life" "I didn't know what to say and now I do" "I didn't know what to do and now I do" "I'm going to treat myself"

The time is now to create relationships with your kids that are healthy and fun. It doesn't matter where you are right now. I know because I have been there and now I am not. We can do it together!

Exceptional support, accountability, and know-how parent-centric system at your fingertips!

Looking forward to connecting!

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