Changes to our relationship are often the most un-anticipated change of becoming new parents. If you are pregnant right now, you might be thinking that your relationship won’t fall into these common traps and this article is not for you. Still, I encourage you to continue reading. Parents and professional therapists know that the first year after having a baby…
The thing is, parenting young children is not an intellectual exercise. It’s an often overwhelming exercise in constant empathy for a sometimes very difficult little person.
By the time my daughter Ravenna was seven weeks old, I had mastered parenting. Confident in my ability to meet her needs, I decided it was time for our first mother-daughter day out. A local outdoor mall boasted a beautiful new women’s lounge with ample space to nurse and change diapers. Perfect. I packed the kitchen sink into the diaper…
I was only a few months along with baby #2 when I started looking for a bigger diaper bag. I ended up getting an “overnight” travel bag, and it was so massive that I kept it hooked to my double stroller at all times. That bag was epic – always full of snacks, diapers, water bottles, toys, changes of clothes and…
I remember so clearly the day a stranger stopped me to compliment my parenting. I had just parked the car and was skipping over to get one-year-old Quinn out of her carseat. I had a big grin on my face and I was humming a merry tune. I threw open her door, tickled her toes and said “We’re here little…
Chris will present Top Survival Tips for New Dads this Wednesday, September 16 at the PEPS for Dads event at Lantern Brewing. $10 or pay what you can. Food and drink available for purchase on site. Register at http://pepsfordads.brownpapertickets.com/. This article is an excerpt of a longer piece published by Perinatal Support Washington, the new name of Postpartum Support International of Washington…
Dear Brand New Mom, Being a mother is the most wonderful, magical, powerful things there is. There’s no doubt about it. People will tell you this, and you may not believe them. You may feel that it is painful, tiring, frustrating, overwhelming, and disappointing. You may feel part of the joy; you may feel all of it. You may feel…
A Tale of Two New Moms I’ve been thinking recently about two types of moms I encounter in my work as a parent educator and parent coach. The first is well-aware that she has been lucky in life. She has been raised by loving, supportive (though, of course, imperfect) parents who continue to support her as she herself becomes a…
We thought we would be able to approach motherhood in many of the same ways we have approached other new experiences in our lives – that is, with some preparation, some research, and with the reliance on ourselves as rational, competent and capable people.
I will never forget the way it felt to finally let a little me back into my life. It took almost a year from the time my first baby was born. Quinn was an all-consuming baby, from newborn colic and nursing struggles to restless nights and teething drama. I was bone tired and had been in survival mode for as long as…