“Time flies” may sound like a cliché, but once you have kids the phrase suddenly starts to ring true. Stepping into motherhood carries a huge responsibility, and it goes beyond simply taking care of the kids or cleaning up their …
School Choice: Questions to Ask Yourself
Over the summer we were at a family gathering halfway across the country. It was a lot of catching up and conversation about education came up. A cousin asked if ours was a good school and I hesitated. Yes, our …
Front Yard Living
At the beginning of the summer, during our daily Quiet Rest Hour, the energy in our house changed. I looked up from my book and felt that it had gone from Quiet Rest “Quiet” to eerily and suspiciously “Quiet.” I …
I’m New Here: How to Find Your New Best Mom Friends
Every mom is new somewhere. I just had my first baby and entered motherhood. I’m new here. We relocated away from our family and friends. I’m new here. I long for friends and am looking for a moms group. I’m …
The Brave Art of Motherhood
Excerpted from The Brave Art of Motherhood: Fight Fear, Gain Confidence, and Find Yourself Again. Copyright © 2018 by Rachel Marie Martin. Used by permission of WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Over the past five years, I’ve lived …
Five Reasons Why We Don’t Talk About Depression
I’m in my ‘30s and a mama of three. I probably seem like a super happy person most of the time. I love to laugh, sing show tunes, read novels, go on beach vacations and drink coffee (or wine) with close friends. I love writing, …
Widen Your Circle of Acceptance and Compassion
One of the best and worst days of my life is the day I resuscitated my son, Holden, from a near-drowning incident. Amelie, Holden, and I had met up with four moms and their children at a neighborhood pool. Once …
Something Better
When I met my husband, Alexis, he called himself an artist. During those pre-dating days, I often stopped by our college cafe where I knew I could find him transforming a blank wall into a European-looking street. When he painted …
The Biggest Question We Barely Ask Ourselves
I hear moms talking around tables with glasses of wine and cell phones in view, should a spouse or child at home need us while we are away for our few coveted hours, about what gives us purpose in life. …
How to Play With Your Kids (and Why It Might Be Hard Work)
Playing is fun. At least that is what parents think when we see our kids amongst piles of Legos and Littlest Pet Shop pets. Play is also something adults cease doing at some obscure point in time, replaced with responsibility, …