Motherhood

moth·er·hood

/muh·thr·hud/

The nurturing of children from the deepest places of your heart, rooting for them to be their best selves while allowing grace when they (or you) fall short; tired, proud, overwhelmed, joyful, amused and busy—often simultaneously 

Want-to-Get-Your-Child-Interested-in-Books-Try-this

Want to Get Your Child Interested in Books? Try This.

Since the birth of my first son 11 years ago, I have been keenly aware of the benefits of reading to a child. I knew that I wanted to implement reading aloud as part of our everyday routine because the statistics prove that even when newborns are exposed to oral language, it helps them with many different skills later in life. When our youngest son was diagnosed with autism at two years of age, I was already experiencing the reality of having a child that flat out refused to listen to a story of any kind. I would attempt to read to him from many different angles. I would go as far as joining him inside his netted indoor trampoline as he […]

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This is What My Teen Learns From Chores

This Is What My Teen Learns From Chores

Now that we live in the days of social media where opinions are flourishing and instantly streamed on our news feed, it’s easy to get distracted by what everyone else is doing. I have to continually remind myself that what is good for the goose doesn’t even fit into my daily schedule and family dynamic. (Read my full article on comparing your mothering skills to what you see on social media here!) However, having drawn from my childhood experiences and what I have seen work for my own teen, there are some core lessons that will benefit everyone. These are traits that can easily be instilled through the application of a simple daily chore routine. So, why is it so important for

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This Is Why the Hidden Scars of Miscarriage Are so Painful

This Is Why the Hidden Scars of Miscarriage Are so Painful

I’ve experienced a pain that no mother ever wants to endure—an awful nightmare that came to life not just once, but twice in my journey to motherhood. I’m not sure why I was chosen to become a mother to two angels, or why my children were never allowed to know life outside of my womb. Even now, nearly three years later, I think about that question at least once per day. I question the existence of a God that would allow me to go through such pain and not allow a baby to meet his mother and father. Some say it is time for me to move on with my life and focus on the two beautiful children I do have here

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Stop Comparing Your Mothering to What You See on Social Media

Stop Comparing Your Mothering to What You See on Social Media

I have seen it too many times online, and in every instance, it breaks my heart. Daily, mothers are tempted by social media posts that lead them to believe that what they are doing isn’t enough. They take to the airwaves of Facebook and Instagram to proclaim their defense on the parenting choices they have made. It makes me want to wave a virtual flag of empathy: “You do you, Mama!” I have to admit, I have been there. I have a five-year-old boy that has autism. In the early stages of his diagnosis, I was navigating uncharted waters. I was afraid of being judged by other parents on how I was approaching our new special needs world and I constantly felt

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5 Ways You Can Help Special Needs Families

5 Ways You Can Help Special Needs Families

Are you looking for a way to care for a special needs family in your life? Congratulations. Because you already have the desire to assist that family, you have all the qualifications needed to relieve the unseen burdens that go along with caregiving. It really doesn’t require a lot of time or money. Parents to children with special needs do not need much from you to help them thrive. But they do need help. Even if they are not asking for it, these families carry an unseen mental load that can often be alleviated by a caring friend. Here are 5 ways that you can step in and care for special needs families: 1. Call Oftentimes special needs parents are so caught

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How to Make Meal Planning Simple for Your Busy Family

How to Make Meal Planning Simple for Your Busy Family

Fall is my absolute favorite season of the year. It is nearly perfect in every way. I love fall colors. I love fall clothes. I love fall weather. I love fall food. And, if I’m completely honest, I love that with my kids back in school comes at least a few solid minutes a day where I am blissfully alone—a respite from the non-stop togetherness of summer days in our household. The only real drawback to fall stares me right in the face every time I glance at our nearly packed schedule. Because with fall comes the return of all the after-school things: the homework, the practices, the games, youth group, meetups, etc. When I look at our calendar, my eyes immediately

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When You Feel Sad Because an Important Season of Motherhood Ends

I’m not ready. I’m just not ready! This is the recurring thought I’m having as we walk further into the wonderful fall season. With this season come so many emotions. Ok, who am I kidding? All seasons bring about different emotions, for me anyway. Fall is like a deep sigh, a cleansing breath if you will. The daylight is shorter, and darkness longer. The fog rolls in with the evening and stays until midmorning, bringing a layer of dampness to all it touches. We begin to look for our favorite, coziest sweater to keep the chill of the morning and evenings off our sun-soaked skin, and we contemplate trading out our iced coffee for a warm pumpkin spice latte. I love this season for

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To the Mom Who Feels Guilty for Sitting on the Job

To the Mom Who Feels Guilty for Sitting on the Job

Last week I found myself in a unique predicament. It was a typical weekday afternoon. Nothing special or noteworthy, and if I’m completely honest I’ll admit that I don’t even remember what day it actually was—could have been Tuesday or Thursday. I have no idea. Regardless, on this afternoon the kids were all home, homework and chores were done, and the messy after-school routine (and the whining that goes along with it) was long over. My daughter was happily jumping away on the trampoline, my son was playing basketball outside, and my oldest had gone to a friend’s house. They didn’t need me. My house was quiet. My pressing daily chores finished long before, and there was still an hour or so before dinner

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To the SAHM Who Struggles Because Her Man Works a Lot

To the SAHM Who Struggles Because Her Man Works a Lot

For the SAHM whose man travels frequently or has long hours at the office, the days can feel monotonous or lonely and isolating. She may feel as though she’s lost a part of her identity or be overwhelmed, worn down, and even battle jealousy of his time with adults (okay, maybe that last part is just me). My husband and I have spent almost half of our 10 years of marriage away from one another due to his intense traveling schedule: 10 months after we married, he left for a one-year deployment before shifting out of the military into a private sector job. His new job requires weekly travel; every Monday morning at 5 am, he’ll kiss me goodbye and won’t return until

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Raising Great Girls Available Now

Raising Great Girls, Help for Moms to raise confident, capable daughters

  Get your copy of Raising Great Girls by Darlene Brock now! A Few Words From Darlene: Hindsight: the ability to understand a situation only after it has happened. While this is true of all things, I have found it especially true when looking back at the season that I raised two daughters while working, traveling, and juggling life. That task was both the most incredible and challenging job of the many I held. The idea to write this book came from me reflecting on the years of my girls growing up and listening to other moms experience the same fears and frustrations today that I did back then. A new purpose was formed in my heart to offer moms some insight on

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10 ways to make the most of your maternity leave

10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Maternity Leave

I just completed my third maternity leave, and I wish I could tell you that I’ve got it all figured out. I feel like I should be able to create some Pin on Pinterest that charts the course for the best maternity leave, but all three maternity leave experiences were very different. I believe maternity leave can be one of those transitions in life where we look back and say, “I wish,” or, “I miss,” or, “If I only could’ve.” Parenting, in general, is full of those “if” moments (and even regrets), and maternity leave often falls under the same umbrella.  Most of the time you’re just surviving, and that’s okay. For several weeks you walk around in a fog and then

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That One Time I Felt Like a Failure of a Mom

That One Time I Felt Like a Failure of a Mom

As I was driving this Friday afternoon, hurtful words were being thrown at me. How could you? Seriously, you’ve been off all week. Why is it so difficult to keep up with children at home, but you can handle a full classroom during the school year? This week seems to be a week of chaos. Setting a new normal for the kiddos is always a challenge for our family. This year, with our own three boys and our two bonus kiddos (our word for foster), it creates a house of constant movement; there’s never a chance to catch up. I had the week planned out in my head. There were several goals and timeframes to meet, however, I knew we would reach

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Struggling to Balance It All? 3 Helpful Tweaks for Moms

Struggling to Balance It All? 3 Helpful Tweaks for Moms

In a world where you are always needed and on the go, finding a way to balance life and not lose yourself is crucial. The hard part is finding a way to do that. It’s the balancing act that is key here. Allotting the right amount of time for everything that requires your attention. Being a working mother to three boys under the age of six is demanding enough. Once you add in wife, housework, pets, cooking, doctors appointments, working out, meal planning, grocery shopping, bill paying, and giving everyone the amount of attention they need, we forget ourselves. We are drained and depleted. Most of the time running on fumes just trying to make it day to day. Where is the joy in that? How are

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All the Feels from This First-Time Mom of a Teenager

All the Feels from This First-Time Mom of a Teenager

At the end of July, I will become the mom of a teenager. I am having a difficult time swallowing that thought: mom of a teenager. It was just yesterday that this sweet, shy two-year-old with spiral ringlets was playing with her Playskool Busy Ball Popper and reading Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? This girl who, at a very young age, fell in love with classic musicals like State Fair, The King and I, and The Sound of Music has now moved on to The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. How can she be 13? I swear I just gave birth to her. She was this tiny preemie (born four weeks early), but she was ready to take on our big, scary world.

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Fortnite: How to Strike a Balance with Your Kids

Fortnite: How to Strike a Balance with Your Kids

Fornite’s growing popularity has forced parents to address the trending role of online gaming. Fornite is a free, online survival game that can be streamed on multiple gaming platforms such as PS4 or Xbox. There is no blood or gore found within gameplay. However, there are guns, grenades, and an ax used for gathering materials for fort building. Although this is the first time my 10-year-old has requested to be a part of an online game, he is no stranger to electronics. This day and age, moms and dads no longer get to choose if their child will own some form of electronic device; the question has become when. Because school systems have started integrating the use of tablets and Google accounts,

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Simple Ideas for How to Enjoy Summer Break With Your Kids

Simple Ideas for How to Enjoy Summer Break With Your Kids

As summer break begins and moms brace themselves for the organized (or not so much) chaos it brings, I recall a conversation I had a few years back about the stress it can cause. Even though we’re not packing lunches, the children seem to be eating us out of house and home.  They want to start their days at 6 a.m., wanting to know, “Where are we going today and how soon?” Or, “Can I have so-and-so over?” Or the classic whining and whimpering line, “I’m bored!” The questions keep coming… It’s exactly as the old saying goes, “The days are long but the years are short.” When I was in the beginning stages of therapy for my postpartum depression, I remember venting

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