THE AWKWARD MOM

because uncomfortable conversations are the ones worth having

Category: identity (page 1 of 5)

My latest hack for parenting teens

Reading Time: 3 minutes

parenting teens

One of my (many, many) weirdnesses in parenting my teens has been the fact that every. Single. One of mine is opinionated and fairly strong in personality.

This is weird for me because I was totally the opposite. I was an I-excel-in-being-a-doormat-and-pleasing-the-world teenager. read more

Parenting Podcasts and Articles: A Few of the Latest

Reading Time: 3 minutes

This week I had one of those shining parenting moments. I caught one of my kids deliberately subverting a punishment.

This kid didn’t lie about what he was doing, which in light of the past, felt like a win. He also seemed to sincerely apologize. I told him I would think about the consequence and get back to him, and we’d talk some more.

And two hours later, he did the same thing, people. #parentingforthewin read more

When Change in Your Child is S-l-o-w

Reading Time: 5 minutes

change in your child

I’ve been feeling an unexpected, if not undesired, kinship with my man Moses lately.

Remember when Moses comes down the mountain to the all-out idol-worshipping party of 2 million people (who God just brought out of Egypt and is about to give the Ten Commandments)? Moses loses it and breaks the stone tablets in half. read more

Grieving After Divorce: How to Help a Friend

Reading Time: 6 minutes

grieving after divorce

Genevieve’s voice poured through the phone to me. She’s a former pastor’s wife still wading through court proceedings following a horrific, jarring divorce. That’s not to mention the affair, the pregnant mistress, the mental disorders and gaslighting.  Her descriptions called to mind a life upturned, shaken violently, spilled. How do you help a friend grieving after divorce?

Some pieces of her former life had temporarily skittered beyond vision: Her ally in the world’s onslaught. Financial security. A co-parent and advocate for their boys. Her helper to pick up the kids or fix the washing machine. A calm presence after a nightmare. Someone to process the day with. A lover of her body. read more

Girl, You’re Strong: The Allure of Rachel Hollis

Reading Time: 2 minutes

fierce women Hollis

I’ve thought about it a lot lately–as a woman, as an author.  What is it about Rachel Hollis that makes her the dark chocolate of hundreds of thousands of women?

For most of 2018, her Girl, Wash Your Face was among the top 10 bestselling books in America. It now sports over 10,000 Amazon reviews (80% are over 5 stars)…and her sequel’s Amazon’s #13. read more

Wait: The Story of a Certain Champagne Bottle

Reading Time: 4 minutes

So something very cool happened to me this week.

But to get there, allow me to tell you about the journey of a champagne bottle. (No scanning ahead, cheater.) This one, here.

wait champagne read more

Beating Up Elvira: Self-talk, Identity, & the Enemy Stalking Your Brain

Reading Time: 3 minutes

self talk identity Elvira

Recently I noticed something curious as a friend described talking to herself.

She leaned forward. Her eyebrows turned down into arrows. She jabbed a pointer finger repeatedly, thumb held up like a pistol. read more

What’s God Think of Strong Women?

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Confession: Sometimes my own view of women hamstrings me.

Some of you are shocked, and maybe a little offended, I would ask this question because your inner answer is, Of course. read more

All There: Tips on Being Fully, Powerfully Present

Reading Time: 5 minutes

present presence being there

Ever get that feeling the person in front of you is there-but-not-there?

I’m totally guilty of this–those moments my kids are telling me something and they’re like, “Mom.” Because I’m too often multitasking–probably for their sakes, but still: not present in the moment they care about. read more

Much Afraid: How Fear Turns a Good Parent into a Slave [INFOGRAPHIC]

Reading Time: 5 minutes

fear parent slaveParenting has this way of exposing a part of who you are in ways both beautiful and terrifying.

As in, Wow! Who knew I had this gift for creative teaching? Or, Who knew I could handle this amount of laundry and still emerge with enough panties to fight the day?

But also, as author Elizabeth Stone has written, Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. read more

« Older posts

© 2024 THE AWKWARD MOM

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑

Show Buttons
Hide Buttons