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Parenting Nov 18, 2010

Coping with My Daughter’s Illness

We discovered our daughter’s illness the summer of her 16th year. Looking back, the warning signs had been there for probably three or four months; I just didn’t put it all together. She was tired so much of that last quarter of school, but I thought it was just too much going on. She was moody, but

Parenting Nov 15, 2010

Provocative Peer Pressure

One February day I had lunch at the mall with two friends. As we were settling our tabs, they decided that before we left, we needed to go to Victoria’s Secret to get our husbands a Valentine’s Day gift. They had obviously done this before and seemed to be jointly aware of the plan. My curiosity has

Encouragement Nov 11, 2010

Better than a Halleluiah…Sometimes

I often feel like I’ve failed before I even open my eyes in the morning. It’s a tough way to start the day. Mentally, I go through the pressing “have-to-do-checklist.” My brain scrambles to eliminate things—whatever it can—in an effort to manage the panic. Unfortunately, that means I tend to put off

Encouragement Nov 4, 2010

Another Reason I Miss My Mom

My mom was a Midwestern girl—very, very practical—and oh, so CALM. I, on the other hand, tend to swing a bit more on the emotional pendulum. Things just seemed to be a bigger deal to me than they were to her. So perhaps that’s what I’ve been missing as I’m raising teenagers—my mother. After listenin

Parenting Nov 2, 2010

Does Your Daughter Think She is Beautiful?

I have three daughters and all of them have, at times, been disappointed in their appearance. It always makes me sad. Today I read about a new danger on the web—anorexia support websites. These sites are not communities supporting recovery…they are communities of girls encouraging each other in the

Marriage Oct 31, 2010

Where in the World Did I Put My Soulmate?

There is a mild obsession in our culture about having a soulmate. Books are being written about it. Celebrities are gushing about having found it. And divorce papers are being filed because somehow people have lost it. A better question is what in the world is a soulmate? Here is what Dictionary.com

Parenting Oct 24, 2010

The Mean Mom Club

What does it take to earn membership into the Mean Mom club? These children share how their moms live up to the Mean Mom code. Are you ready to take the Mean Mom Pledge? Let your kids know you’re committed to these 11 Ways to be the Meanest Mom.

Marriage Oct 20, 2010

There is No Perfect Marriage

If you think somebody out there has the perfect marriage – think again. Even the best marriages have their challenging moments. iMOM Ambassador Lauren Dungy offers encouragement to women on what they can do during those times.

Marriage Oct 13, 2010

Do-Overs in Marriage

Do you ever say the wrong thing to your husband? We all do! The “do-over option” is a great way to get your relationship back on track after you’ve made a slip.

Parenting Oct 11, 2010

Mean Girls are Taking on Boys

Most of us already knew that mean girls can make other girls’ lives miserable. But have you heard how mean girls are using their bully-power to take on boys?

Parenting Oct 7, 2010

The No Answer, Answer

One day I was riding in the car with my mother in law. She is lovely! I mean it—she kind of floats along in this happy, Pollyannaish bubble that my more intense, analytical nature can only keep afloat for about three minutes. We picked up the kids from school, and the curve balls started coming towa

Parenting Sep 28, 2010

Your Life – Would You Sacrifice it for Your Kids?

When I say, “I would do anything for my kids,” I envision the ultimate sacrifice. I picture an attacker approaching one of my children with a crazed look in his eye. Resolved to defend them, I fearlessly step in between their life and a loaded gun. I save them. I’ll admit—it’s a little dramatic. The

Parenting Sep 27, 2010

Mommy, why are you crying?

“Mommy, why are you crying?” “I am not crying.” “Mommy, why is daddy so mad about the new couch?” “Daddy has a lot on his mind.” Simple questions, simple evasions. But kids are not that simple – they have incredible imaginations. It’s like this: Have you ever read a best-seller and then watched the

Parenting Sep 23, 2010

Katy Perry. Appropriate or Not?

Dear Matt, Meredith, Ann and Al, What a great question you ask about Katy Perry’s Sesame Street video with Elmo—What is and isn’t appropriate for children? (see Today show ) This is my “mom” take. What a simple fix this could have been. The video with Elmo was entertaining and appropriate in content

Parenting Sep 21, 2010

How Strong are your Child’s “Icky Borders”?

Children have “icky” borders and that is a good thing. Not sure who told me about this concept, but it helped me shift my thinking about my kids. Icky borders are natural lines that children instinctively don’t feel comfortable crossing. This natural caution would be the reason most little girls hat

Parenting Sep 12, 2010

The Comparison Game

Do you ever compare your children to each other, or to kids outside of your family? iMOM Ambassador Lauren Dungy tells me why, with her seven children, she avoids playing the comparison game.

Love This Sep 7, 2010

Is This Your Husband?

The new hot and sexy look for men is called… Dad.

Parenting Aug 30, 2010

Weight Training Safety for Children

Dr. Peter Armstrong has some good advice to make sure your kids are safe when they’re weightlifting.

Parenting Aug 24, 2010

Open Heart Surgery

As I prepared dinner one night, I was feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and practically beat up by my day. When my husband walked in the door I greeted him with a relieving smile and a turned cheek. No kiss on the lips—I was just too tired for that. As he planted a peck he smiled and said, “Guess what

Encouragement Aug 18, 2010

What is your dream?

What’s your dream? If your children are small, it might involve getting a night of uninterrupted sleep, or 15 minutes to yourself! Even if we have older children, moms often push aside their dreams to tend to the day-to-day demands of mothering. But, today, take a moment, like these ladies did, to g

Parenting Aug 16, 2010

Why Sleep Matters for You and Your Kids

Is a good night’s sleep really that important for your children? Dr. Peter Armstrong, Chief Medical Officer of Shriners Hospitals for Children, says yes!

Parenting Aug 12, 2010

THAW Before You Say “Yes”

Has this ever happened to you? You’re staring at your family calendar. On deck for tomorrow is an order for 30 cupcakes for your child’s class-pizza-party—which you haven’t started, because today you were making and delivering a meal for a friend that just had a baby. You’ve also agreed to pick up t

Parenting Aug 10, 2010

Moms Speak Out on Beauty Obsession

Where do moms need to draw the line with their children, and themselves, when it comes to the pursuit of beauty? In this video I talk with two moms about society’s push for perfection. What do you think about today’s beauty options? How far is too far? How will you teach your daughter to steer clear

Parenting Aug 8, 2010

Tug of War

In recent weeks, I’ve noticed a pattern emerging in my parenting. As each of my children starts to pull away a little—asserting their independence, I tend to want to pull them right back. Sometimes I think it’s a natural maternal reaction. Sometimes I think it is doubt mixed with fear – they are jus