Motherhood Challenges Need a Grit and Grace Life

Life After Skylar

This is part three of a four part series of a young mother’s story. We were so captivated by her journey we knew you would be too. Read the first two sections of the series, here: Part 1 Life Before Skylar and Part 2 Life With Skylar. After losing my daughter, and being intentional about experiencing the full depth of pain that came with it, I was questioning my decision to avoid anti-depressants. The heartbreak was too much. It was like that time when I was in the middle of hard labor and told my husband and my doula I wanted an epidural… and they told me the next contraction was coming and I needed to breathe deep, pretending not to hear me. I wanted […]

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Parenting Adult Children—The Great Shift of Motherhood

By Darlene Brock / Motherhood

There is a seismic shift that occurs somewhere between high school graduation and the “pay your own rent” season in every parent and child’s life. This human, who went from underfoot toddler to challenging teen, is suddenly out the door, certain they are equipped with everything they need to be a “grown-up.” As you watch them confidently stride forward, you realize they have no idea that you’re still trying to figure that one out! But you have spent the last 18+ years getting them ready for this transition, so they are, probably, equipped well enough. The mother-child roles are changing, and it’s a good thing. Walking alongside a healthy, productive adult, who was once that baby in your arms, is a joyful,

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How Boys Show Love

By Kitti Murray / Motherhood

Have you ever wondered if your boy loves you? They do, despite what meets the eye. Boys simply express love in their own, unique way… With a plastic snake, that’s how a boy loves. He wraps it around the milk jug in the refrigerator. Or puts it under your pillow so you’ll find it in your most unwary, weary moment. A boy’s affection is kinetic and sneaky like that. When a 300-pound homeless man slugs you in the face in broad daylight, on a sidewalk in Manhattan, while you’re working there. And that night your 6-year-old calls you at your hotel to ask if you got a good look at the man. And you say yes, he says: good, I’m coming up

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Comforting Thoughts For Moms on Rough Days

By Jennifer Grassman / Motherhood

We’ve all had bad days. For me, personally, the best way to cope has been to find some inner peace. My kids are calmer when I’m calmer. My husband is less anxious when I’m relaxed. The phrase, “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy,” has been proven in our home time and time again. Here are a few thoughts I have found comforting on bad days: “This too shall pass.” Tomorrow, today will be a memory. Next week, you might even be able to laugh about it. “I am loved.” When your children scream at you and pitch temper tantrums, remember that you are loved, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. “I’m their Mom, not their friend.” Disciplining your

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5 Tips for Managing the Teen in Your Life

By Darlene Brock / Motherhood

It’s somewhere between middle school and high school that parents become dumb as a rock. That little face that used to look at us adoringly, believing every word we said, often develops deaf ears, rolling eyes, and sighs that last 14 minutes. We used to be so smart, but suddenly that is a thing of the past. At least, according to these growing hormonal humans. What’s a parent to do? 1. Realize that independence is a good thing. You don’t want a 30-year-old living at home. These are the years they need to begin standing on their own. 2. Don’t just make rules; create conversations. Boundaries are important, but understanding their challenges and adapting the rules when necessary is vital. 3. Give

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When You Want to Completely Change Your Parenting Style

By Dawn Seabolt / Motherhood

When my husband and I became parents, we had big plans about how we were going to mold and shape our children into respectful and respectable little people. We have now been parents for 10 years, and I have to admit we have learned more and become better parents in the past two than we did in the first eight. Two years ago we added to our family by adopting a 7-year-old boy from China. Adopting an older child from a difficult past means reading lots of books on trauma, attachment issues and the brain. Luckily, I have a great interest in these subjects, so the learning is fun. Putting the principles we’ve learned into practice with patience and grace is not

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7 Things Your Daughter Needs for Back to School

By Rachel Graham / Motherhood

You might think this list would be compiled of back to school shopping items or handy gadgets, but we think these points are way more effective for her personal success. 1. A self esteem boost. Tell her how proud you are of her and how much you believe in her. Let her throw a back-to-school party with all of her friends and show her how great the year is going to be. 2. An understanding of her abilities. Invest in something like a Myers-Briggs personality assessment (there are plenty of free online links or “dummy” versions) or a strengths finder book or course so that she can work to improve her weaknesses and grow her strengths. Have her meet with someone who is similar

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Back to School Clothes: 10 Different Ways to Save Money

By Clare Marlow / Work & Money, Motherhood

It’s still summer, your days ripe with swimming and popsicles and vacations, and then you get it … a reminder. Whether it’s from your kids’ school about their uniform requirements or you randomly look at the calendar and realize the days are waning. Before the idea of school preparation ruins the rest of your lazy days and makes you start pinching pennies on summer fun, don’t panic. There are a number of options for saving whether it’s on school uniforms, and even on those designer jeans your teenager is clamoring for: • First clean the closet to find the clothing items that aren’t worn out. For the ones that still fit make a list of possible tops or bottoms to make a fresh

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Is Homeschool Right For You? A Few Things to Consider

By Maggie Bowling / Motherhood

As if it wasn’t hard enough to make choices in parenting—about feeding, sleeping, immunizations, organics and other options that plague parents from day one—there comes a day when we also have to determine what education option is the best for our child. We think age five is going to be a golden age of post-potty-training, semi-independent reading, and the ability to swim and ride a bike without us watching them constantly; instead, kindergarten looms around the corner with its myriad of challenges. How we educate our children is perhaps the most crucial of our parenting choices, or at least it feels that way. There is not only enormous pressure to choose the absolute best for our kids, that which seemingly will prepare

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How to Fly With an Infant: 10 Helpful Tips

By Clare Marlow / Motherhood

My daughter and son-in-law work for a large nonprofit in Haiti but come home every three months on furlough and stay at our home in Florida. Typically while they’re in the U.S., they take a weeklong trip to Texas to work at the organization’s headquarters, and occasionally fly to other states to meet with supporters of their ministry. My grandson was born 14 months ago during a stay at our house, but started traveling with his parents at about eight weeks old. Since then, we’ve all lost count of how many times he’s flown around the country and back and forth to Haiti. My daughter has learned some great tips for traveling with an infant, many due to trial and error. After

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A-Parent’s-Strategy-For-Surviving-Summer

A Parent’s Simple Strategy For Surviving (and Enjoying) Summer

By Geinene Carson / Motherhood

As most parents are privy to, summer is not the time of year to get things done. Once the kids are out of school, it’s all hands on deck. After the first week of whiplash, my husband and I try to pull ourselves together, get our tag team mode on, and pursue the establishment of some sort of rhythm. Our work demands remain the same, but the amount of time we have to complete our duties suffers a significant decrease. Without a plan, we find ourselves overwhelmed by the chaos, not to mention battling guilt on both the home and work front. Working mostly from home, my husband and I have some flexibility of when we do things; however, when kids are in

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Graduation Day: How Will My Kids Survive Without Me?

By Beverly Whalen / Motherhood

It seems like only yesterday that I was the tear-streaked mom sitting in the bleachers watching two daughters graduate from high school. Two best friends, two sidekicks, two sisters leaving the nest at the same time. Two beautiful young women going their separate ways…and leaving their mother behind. I was definitely not ready! Yes, I had two more daughters, also teenagers, still running in and out the door, sometimes sneaking out the window before getting caught in action (severe consequences, like missing the prom and being grounded for a month). I have learned much raising five daughters who are all—much like their dad and me—quite social and free spirited. Would they survive? Could they survive the real world? We would not be

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5 Ways to Care for a Single Mom on Mother’s Day

By Clare Marlow / Motherhood

A couple of years after I became a widow, a woman in my community started going out of her way to help single moms. Our church gave her a budget and friends gave her a hand, and I was one of many single moms who reaped the blessings of the loving donations of time and offers of help and even gifts. The thing that I remember most is that they gave the kids of single moms a Visa gift card before Mother’s Day so they could buy their moms a gift. If the children were too young to shop on their own, another mom took them to the mall and helped them pick out something just right. It was such a sweet expression

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An Easy Way to Teach Your Kids You’re the Mom, Not the Maid (Video)

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Motherhood

— For more mom-ing advice, check out 10 Reasons Why You Should Fight Your Inner Mama Bear, Teaching Your Daughter How to Stand Out from the Crowd, 5 Tips for Managing the Teen in Your Life, Stop Calling Yourself Out on “Mom Fails” ; You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be a Great Mom, and How to Handle Little Boys Who Think They Know It All #gritandgracelife

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Teaching Your Daughter How to Stand Out from the Crowd

By Teresa Christian / Motherhood

As our daughters were growing up, my husband and I decided early on that we were willing to make some difficult decisions about parenting. All the drama, boyfriends, sassiness, and some fashion trends were not what we wanted for our girls. So, we decided to get on the same page and do our best to help our girls stand out from the crowd. It isn’t easy being “those” parents! I remember riding in the car with my daughters and another young girl who, at around six years old, was talking non-stop about boys. After a few minutes of listening to her talk about how she hoped this boy liked her and how she liked him and on and on, I decided to

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Tips for Prom Dress Shopping with Your Teenage Daughter (Video)

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Motherhood

Got teenagers? Check out High School Graduation: A Mom’s Rite of Passage and 5 Tips to Manage the Teen Years. #gritandgracelife

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7 Ways to Find the Right School for Your Special Needs Child

By Geinene Carson / Motherhood

Finding the right school to meet the unique challenges of our special needs child has been like trying to locate a needle in a haystack. I spent the better part of three years researching our options and kept them all on the table: private, public, montessori, inclusion, special ed exclusive, etc. I scoured school websites, engaged in forums, actively sought recommendations from therapists and various professionals, arranged a slew of school tours, and enrolled our daughter in a wide variety of educational settings throughout pre-school. While each place we tried had its strengths and weaknesses, none seemed like the best fit for our daughter’s needs. Some schools loved her well but didn’t have enough experience or expertise to appropriately challenge and develop

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