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Dear Attachment Parent: How do I explain a pet’s death?

Dear Attachment Parent: Our family dog just died and I don’t know what to say to my 4 year old. How do I explain this? Losing a four-legged family member can be heartbreaking. While we are coping with our own sadness, we parents also have to figure out how to help our kids navigate sadness, possible confusion, and questions about …

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Is Your Child Afraid of Fireworks?

We sat in a mass of people blanketed over the sweeping lawn. Everyone staring up, ready to ooh and aww over the light show that was about to begin. Fourth of July fireworks never fail to disappoint. Then, without warning, we were under attack. People all around us started screaming and running. My partner and I scanned the crowd in …

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The Loneliness of Modern Parenthood

There is something I hear far too often. A quiet, frustrated cacophony of the mothers and fathers I see going about their days with their children. Often alone. Struggling. Holding too much stuff and too many hands. Spending too much time just getting from Point A to Point B. Eager for conversation at the playground with other parents, wanting to …

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Eight ways to respond to unwanted parenting advice

Having a child and taking them out into the world can sometimes feel like an invitation to have others comment on your parenting decisions. With parenting, as with any endeavor, it’s important to be open to new ideas, to listen, and reflect. At the same time, we all know that a lot of the advice offered out there isn’t coming …

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Back to school? When homeschooling doubt strikes

It’s the MOST wonderful tiiiiiime of the year. Nope, it isn’t Christmas. It’s back to school season. For many families, this is the time of year that feels magical. There is excitement in the air. There are shopping trips. There is preparation. There is buzz and hope and possibility. It begins with the lure of the school supplies. You see …

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7 lazy mom steps to being a happier parent

Today is National Lazy Mom’s Day. I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder than I have since becoming a mom, and that goes for most other moms I know too. In fact, if you give us a free moment to relax without kids, chances are our minds will immediately turn to those unwashed dishes in the sink (or strewn around …

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The Chaos & The Calm and The Parenting In-Between

  “Go Play” “Not Right Now” “In A Minute” “Hurry Up” “Maybe Later” I’ve kind of sucked at parenting lately I think. It’s a busy time in our lives right now. We have been doing a lot of ‘adulting’ and my relationship with my daughter is suffering. It’s not without reason. We are about to move our family across an …

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The Myth of the Sleeping Baby

Millions of dollars are spent by parents every year on books and programs to help them get their babies to sleep. The problem is they are missing one fundamental truth: Babies Don’t Sleep or more specifically Babies Don’t Sleep Through the Night There. I just saved your $14 on your next Amazon purchase for one of the 51,165 books available …

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Raising a new generation to drive out hate with love

More shootings. More tragedy. More victims. More lives lost. More shattered families. It’s exhausting. It’s infuriating. There is a place for those feelings. There is a place for anger. We should be angry about the loss of life. We should be angry about violence happening again and again in our communities. We should use this anger to galvanize ourselves into …

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Children Are People Too

Why is that if an adult hits another adult, they could go to jail? If a husband hits a wife? A wife hits a husband? Jail. A person slaps another person in the face? Assault. A person hits a dog? Jail. Fines. But a grown adult hits a child? “Good for you. Kids these days need blah blah blah.” No. …