Parenting & behavior
Night Wakings: How to Respond Respectfully Without Burning Out the Family
A respectful response to night wakings does not require one parent to absorb every difficult night. The goal is a simple, predictable…
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Play, learning & autonomy
Toddler Activities at Home That Actually Hold Their Attention
Toddlers rarely need a brand-new craft every twenty minutes. The activities that last are often simple setups that let them carry, pour,…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Wanting a Weekend Away Without the Kids
You can love your children, miss parts of your old freedom, and genuinely want a weekend where no one needs you. Those…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Feeling Relieved When the Kids Go Back to School or Daycare
You can miss your kids when they are away and still feel an enormous exhale when school or daycare resumes. Relief often…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Enjoying Time Alone After Becoming a Mom
Sometimes the guilt is not that you left your children. It is that, once you are alone, you feel good. Enjoying silence,…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Not Missing Your Kids When You’re Away
You can spend a few hours or a night away from your children, feel completely fine, and then feel guilty because you…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Wanting Bedtime to Come Sooner
You can love your children and still look at the clock at 6:12 p.m. hoping bedtime will arrive quickly. Wanting the day…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Looking at Your Phone While Your Kids Play
Checking your phone while your child plays does not automatically mean you are absent or disconnected. The useful question is not whether…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty Because You Don’t Play With Your Kids as Much as You Think You Should
If floor play drains you, you are not automatically less connected to your child. Parenting offers many forms of closeness, and play…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Hiring a Babysitter When You Don’t Have Anywhere You Have to Be
A babysitter can feel easy to justify for work or a wedding and strangely difficult to justify for a quiet afternoon. The…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Mom Guilt: Why Moms Feel Guilty Even When They Know They’re Doing Their Best
Mom guilt can show up even when there is nothing concrete to repair: working, resting, using childcare, setting a boundary or simply…
Motherhood, identity & wellbeing
Feeling Guilty for Needing a Break From Your Kids: Why It Happens and How to See It Differently
Needing a break from your kids does not mean you want to escape your family. Often what you need is a short…