Positive Parenting

My daughter isn’t who I expected she would be—but she is *exactly* who I needed

The daughter I dreamed of was blonde with blue eyes like ice, always in frilly dresses and dainty shoes. The daughter I have is rambunctious, mud-loving, loud and fearless.

Leaning into motherhood doesn’t mean I had to give up myself—in fact, it’s the opposite

These women didn't trip and fall into a dark well of motherhood. They chose to be involved mothers, set an intention for who they wanted to be as a mother and as a woman and allowed their choices, shifts or pauses to open up new ways to think and feel.

My journey to becoming a mama through IUI

And so here we are, Mommy, Baba and Kid, figuring it out as we go along.

I never thought I would co-sleep with my kids—until it became exactly what my daughter needed

In this tricky game of getting our kids to sleep, never say never to anything.

I wanted to be the mom that gave 110% on everything—but that left nothing for *me*

Even when Elliot started sleeping through the night, I didn't. I would wake up around 4 am to pump under moonlight, worried my milk supply would drop.

My daughters are no longer babies but I can’t let go of *all* of their baby stuff

How could a mother part with the hospital newborn cap—the one that, if you squeeze your eyes shut and sniff really deeply, still smells a little like fresh baby?

I feel awkward every time I take a break to pump milk at work

Sitting topless in the too-cold "family room" in my building, I cringe.

Motherhood is: Choosing to hold my baby over cleaning up the mess

My baby, with rose-petal lips and a perfect fan of lashes, with skin as flawless as a cloudless sky, she won't be this small ever again.

10 positive phrases to say when you get unwanted parenting advice

You can feel their spoken and unspoken judgments, and it's really putting you on edge, but you don't want to have uncomfortable conversations or tension. So what do you do, mama?

Motherhood is: Feeling like we ‘should’ be doing more

I was up late (again) when I should have been sleeping. I was catching up on work when I should have been taking time for myself. I was looking at Instagram when I should have been folding laundry. I was holding my baby while she napped when I should have been cleaning up.

Mindy Kaling gets honest about working mom guilt: ‘You always feel like you’re missing out’

"I literally think there's no world where I would always feel like I bond with her enough and was not shortchanging time with her," Kaling told the Hollywood Reporter.

On my daughter’s 5th birthday, I reflect on how far we’ve both come

I remember her, so tiny and beautiful, sweet and new. And I remember me, innocent and hopeful, exhausted and adrift. Something changed in me the day she was born, but I didn't know that yet.

Being a mom doesn’t get easier—but you get stronger

Without a doubt, I'm getting better at it. Motherhood is like a muscle that just keeps getting stronger, every time you use it.

I can’t remember what it’s like to *not* be a mom

Of course I remember some things—where I lived, what I did most days, what I hoped for in motherhood. But I cannot remember what it FEELS like to be me-before-kids.

The early months of motherhood are monotonous—but they don’t last forever

Losing yourself for the sake of your children will be something I never, ever regret. Instead, it will be something I am forever grateful for.

When I first came back from maternity leave, I felt like I was better at my job than being a mom

But, little by little I started remembering why I founded my business in the first place. I remembered how wonderful my clients were and how satisfying it felt to use the intellectual part of my brain.

I have 4 kids—and this is the most important thing I’ve learned about parenting

Someone asked me recently what it's like to have four kids, and I paused.

10 overlooked reasons why traveling with your kids is worth it

3. They make us slow down

Does being a special needs mother make you a less valuable employee? Absolutely not

It is not like your hard-won professional skills have evaporated overnight the moment your child received their diagnosis.

I’m a mom and multitasking is my superpower

Because of multitasking we can cook dinner while unloading the dishwasher, settling an argument and finally texting our friend back. (We might be three days late on that text, but look—we remembered! See? Our brains are fine.)