The holidays can be busy and exhausting, but what if they don't have to be that way? In Bounceback Parenting, A Field Guide for Creating Connection Not Perfection, I talk about ways to get out of a perfectionism rut, be more kind to ourselves and find more connection with our kids. The holidays [...]Continue Reading
connection not perfection
Easy Activities for Special Time with Free Printable
Sometimes we build up a huge mountain in our minds about what our kids need. But when it comes down to it, the foundation is connection. The simple combination of acceptance and presence. Your kids really need you. I know! There's only so much YOU to go around right? The cool thing I've discovered [...]Continue Reading
You can love kids from a distance – the joy of unexpected downtime
Your Mission: Find Unexpected Downtime. This article is an excerpt from my book Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection not Perfection. After getting used to the idea that we have to take care of ourselves in the most basic ways, finding unexpected opportunities for [...]Continue Reading
You Know What Will Ruin My Kids?
Banishing the Should Mama This post is an excerpt from my book Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection not Perfection. This moment, which I originally wrote about in 2013, sparked a huge transformation for my parenting, reducing guilt and allowing me to enjoy my family [...]Continue Reading
A Mantra for the Most Overwhelming Days
Sometimes overwhelm creeps up on me. It happens most often when I get wrapped up in all the Things to Do, the possibilities of Things to Do and the things I think I should be doing. I don't mind a little stress in order to do make exciting events happen, but I hate the feeling of drowning and stress [...]Continue Reading
A Good Enough Holiday
Why I’m aiming for a good enough holiday… By Lorien Van Ness I love the holidays: special foods, special friends, special projects. I love making the magic happen for my family, but I have a love-hate relationship with all the expectation. On the one hand the anticipation of the holidays is fun, [...]Continue Reading
