Category: Parenting
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children’s books for mental health awareness month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! I keep hearing disturbing stats about the recent decline in mental health for kids, teens, and adults. Of course, there are many ways we must address this individually and collectively, but these are some really beautiful books to support children’s mental health. They cover topics such as anxiety, depression,…
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mothered by God
CW: Mother’s Day Sharing words from a few years ago… In the beginning, God hovered over the Earth like a mother bird preparing her nest. A baby grows within a mother’s body and then emerges with the mother’s DNA, like the mystery of Jesus’ “I in you and you in Me.” When new life arrives,…
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parenting is:
Parenting is carrying on with a beautiful daysplashing about in the creekafter a morning of child temper tantrumsand impatient imperfect grown ups simultaneously wondering when this season will endknowing this season will endhoping and grievingthat this season will end.~Lindsay L. O’Connor
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nighttime rose: resurrection musings
I wrote this in honor of my daughter’s birthday about a month ago:nighttime rose:resurrection musings My daughter—my first child—my once-presumed-lifeless but miraculouslyresurrected-while-still-within-me child—the one who turned the tomb of my womb into a cradle that rocked her gently and protected her from every harsh thingwhile she formed intothe baby I met months later—I have witnessed…
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postpartum depression
CW: Postpartum Depression & Anxiety “Did you ever think you could love something this much?” Sometimes the most innocent words spoken at a particular moment can pierce your heart and expose the shame that scurries to the shadows, trying to remain unseen. My smile felt awkward and unconvincing. How could I tell the pediatrician—a wonderful,…
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Say Their Names
Breath Prayer: Inhale: Remove my heart of stone. Exhale: Give me a heart of flesh. “Say Their Names” Memorial from Lake Highlands Area Moms Against Racism, displayed at Arapaho United Methodist Church Every morning this week when I walk my two children into church for VBS, we will walk by the Say Their Names Memorial…
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the body you have
As I approach middle age, I am just as susceptible to insecurity as the next woman, but I have decided that I don’t want to spend my whole life feeling dissatisfied with my body. When my 9 year old shares her insecurities about her appearance, I only know two things: I know how just how…
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Quarantine Queries 5: How can I help little people with big feelings? Quarantine Calm Down bucket for Kids!
Quarantine parenting, like quarantine-everything, is HARD. I wanted to share something simple but helpful that my almost-9-year old and I put together after a difficult day in the world of parenting. First, a confession: These two books have been sitting on my shelf, unread, for several years now. If I’m honest, even though my degrees are…
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Quarantine queries, #4: How can I talk back to my shame?
We are coming to the end of week 7 in quarantine. Every day I am grateful for many things, but today I felt Not Ok. I’m learning that when I struggle, the struggle itself usually pales in comparison to the shame that is close on the heels of the initial problem. Some days, it whispers…
Lindsay L. O'Connor 