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Summertime Connection: This Mom's 3 Tips for a Fun, Yet Stress-Free, Family Calendar

Submitted by Rita Brhel on 10 July 2023

Summertime can bring a variety of opportunities to connect with our children and enjoy new experiences together. 

What are your favorite summertime activities to do with your child? Is there an activity that just isn't jiving with your family that you need to let go of?

Summer Vacation Offers Opportunity For Deepening Relationships With Our Children

Submitted by Rita Brhel on 5 July 2023

Still, planning for summer vacation became much easier once I moved from thinking that my children needed to fit around my schedule and instead began to think of how I could take care of my children's developmental needs, my primary responsibility as a parent.

What part of your morning routine strengthens your relationship with your child? How about later in the day?

Challenging the Status Quo: This Brazilian Dad Encourages Fathers Everywhere to Nurture Their Kids

Submitted by Rita Brhel on 16 June 2023

This Father's Day, we meet Thiago Queiroz, a dad who has been absolutely on fire for supporting other fathers in his native Brazil since his oldest of 4 children was born a decade ago. Many dads have been able to "meet" Thiago through his role in the American documentary, Dads.

It’s Been 5 Years: A Mom Processes Her Son’s Birth Story

Submitted by Rita Brhel on 31 May 2023

This morning, it snowed in Seattle. It reminded me of the night Max was born, almost exactly five years ago, when it was sunny and rainy and windy and then, in the middle of the night when we were upside-down with time and date, we looked out the window and saw snow swirling around.

How long has it been since your child's birth? How many times have you shared your birth story with others? How do you continue to celebrate the good and work through the challenges?

Is Diaper Nostalgia a Thing?

Submitted by Rita Brhel on 16 May 2023

I placed the diaper on the kitchen counter. I stared at it and felt a sense of relief and a hint of joy. Memories started to flood my mind.

What will you miss from this stage of parenting? How can you enjoy more of the time with your child in the moment?

A Mom Reflects on Her Lifeline: the Ever-Changing Village of Military Families

Submitted by Rita Brhel on 4 April 2023

While social media has made constant and instantaneous connection easier, there is nothing quite like going to a face-to-face meeting and interacting with other parents and their children in real time. Having a parents' group means having a common thread with other families to help us create a safe, still space when it seems that our world is constantly in motion.

Who is someone you could reach out to about meeting up at the park for a playdate and parent-to-parent conversation?

The Artist's Way for Parents: Interview with Julia Cameron, artist & creative coach

Submitted by Rita Brhel on 21 February 2023

Q: What are the benefits of parents tapping into their own creativity when it comes to their relationships with their children?

A: When you pay attention to the creativity of your child, you are connecting to a part of your child that is timeless. When you try to connect to your child's creativity and sense of wonder, you reawaken your own creativity and your own sense of wonder. If you focus on making it a safe and benevolent environment for your child to have self-expression, you then find yourself with a desire to have a safe, protected environment for yourself. The home becomes a sort of sanctuary, not only for your child's creativity but for your own.