Laura
An Ode to the Working Mom During Summer
We have nothing but love for our stay-at-home mama sisters (who most definitely deserve an ode of their own), but sometimes it just helps to know you're not alone.
What It Actually Means to Be Mentally and Emotionally Healthy
Sometimes this expectation can feel like just another thing we're failing at, like showering every day. I'm here to share a professional perspective on this question. (And, full disclosure: Today was a dry shampoo day.) Because when I'm not momming, I'm focused on helping others improve their mental and emotional wellbeing as a clinical psychologist.
The One Key Concept to Know About Healthy Attachment
Our children "serve" us a message verbally or nonverbally (e.g. I'm hungry, I'm happy and want to play, I'm bored, or I'm angry) and we "return" it with our response (e.g. feeding, playing, changing activities, or comforting). Sometimes our responses are right on -- score! We get the message, read it accurately, and lob it back with the perfect amount of oomph and spin.
Mommy and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
At dinner time, I fed my kids frozen peas because I was too tired to heat them. My baby's shirt . . . pants . . . socks . . . and hair ate all her mashed potatoes, and I had to bathe her while the preschooler made some sort of suspicious noise doing some sort of suspicious activity in the adjacent room. I was right to be suspicious.
The Hardest Practice I’m Having a Hard Time Giving Up {Breastfeeding}
When I count it up, I've nursed for two and a half years so far. It's one of the hardest commitments I've ever made, and I made it twice. At times I fantasized about quitting multiple times a day -- like desperately wanted to, mostly in the first few weeks and months. And now I'm having the hardest time giving it up.
The Hidden Effects of Untreated Trauma in Parents
Trauma can change our brains. It can change how we see the world and how we perceive danger. It can also shift how our emotions work and how we manage them. And it can certainly change the way we think: about people, about ourselves, and about relationships. These changes often seep into the way we parent. And most of the time we're not aware of it.
Baby Book Guilt? No, Thanks!
I was the girl who spent hours working on scrapbooks of childhood photos, artfully accenting with stickers, quotes and mementos. It's entirely possible that I still have my ticket stub for the 1997 film Titanic, because that certainly needed lifelong documentation. I'm a sucker for the sentimental. But I learned quickly after the birth of my first child that this working mom wasn't quite living up to her baby book expectations. Not. at. all.