“Life is better being a mom.”
Letting Kids See How We Manage Emotions
My daughter came home from school one day and asked me to help her with her math homework. We sat down at the table, got out her worksheets and began to work through the problems. Math is not her easiest subject, though she tries her hardest to figure it out. As we sat down and began, I realized I knew what the answer was, but I couldn't explain how to get there. I tried my best, but my words did nothing other than confuse her. A solution came to my mind. Maybe if my words are not communicating how to solve the problem, my ability to actually do it in front of her would be more helpful. Finally, she got it! She looked at me and told me that it was easier for her to understand watching me solve the equation. That's when it clicked for me. The easiest way for my girls to understand how to deal with emotions is not for me to tell them, but for them to see me work through my own.
Perfection is the Biggest Lie We Believe
The other day as I was aimlessly scrolling through social media, I was hit with a feeling that I'm sure you too have felt at some point. The feeling of imperfection. We often feel this way while looking at others' lives and seeing qualities in them that we wished to see in ourselves. In our minds, that equates to us not being good enough.
Dear Mama, We Made It
Hi friends, it's me, Jillian. I know it's been awhile and I've missed pouring out the thoughts of my soul with you. I've been gone because quarantine and parenting aren't exactly the easiest combination. It's especially difficult when thrown the added task of homeschooling. If this was you too, I'm applauding you! We can now proudly say, we did it!
Do What You Have To Do
Hey mama, are you struggling to get through your day? Are you just not having it with the tantrums, refusals of naps, potty training mishaps, or fighting between children? Well, you are not alone, and I'm here to tell you to do what you gotta do!
Quit Taking It Personally
As parents, we have some pretty similar behaviors. One of those is being good at taking our kids behavior personally. Deep down we believe that our child's poor behavior means that we are incapable of being good parents. It is as if we are responsible for those thousands of choices they make daily.
The Never Ending Chaos of Motherhood
Motherhood is great, but one thing you will never hear is a mom tell you that it's easy. Whether you're a mother of one or ten, you'll definitely understand what I'm talking about when I say that it doesn't matter the amount of kids we have, the chaos surrounds us all.
Letting Your Kids Go Is Tough
Our kids are growing up faster than we'd like to admit. Newborns are quickly become walking and talking toddlers. Toddlers are quickly becoming bike riding, sentence completing elementary schoolers. Elementary kids are quickly becoming hormonal and fearless teenagers. Teenagers are quickly becoming grown adults, leaving the nest and heading off for life on their own. I'm sure it'll all be a blur one day as our kids leave the nest, but for now (those of us with fairly young children), we need to cherish only having to let go a little.
Being a SAHM Doesn't Mean You Have to Give Up Your Dreams
Twelve years ago, I began my journey being a hairstylist. I actually thrived in cosmetology school, unlike ordinary schooling. It was a place for me to be creative and artistic, something you don't get at a four year college. During cosmetology school, I began to dream about my future as a hairstylist. The longer I was in school and the more I got to do hair, the bigger my dreams became. I was truly excited about what the future would hold for me. Thirteen months of forty hour school weeks later, I became a licensed cosmetologist. I even had my dream salon job, at Toni & Guy, which I landed shortly before I graduated. This was one of those salons that took in only the best for their team. The training that came along with the job, was bigger and better than almost any other salon. I even got to train with some of the best hairstylists of all time, Zak Mascolo and Joseph Marzioli. The training was extremely difficult at times, but well worth it. My dreams while working there got even bigger. Then I got pregnant and my world flipped upside down in the best way possible.
Dear Daughter, Please Forgive Me
Baby girl, As I approach the day it's time to tell you where you came from, the day I tell you that the daddy you thought was your own flesh and blood, is in fact your daddy through love, I pray God gives you understanding and grace for your mama.
Parenting is a Gift We Don’t Always Steward Well
Kids can sometimes wake up in a bad mood. (Don't we all!) We often chalk it up to "waking up on the wrong side of the bed", but is that really the problem? I'm guessing if we asked ourselves that question, our answer would be no.