Pandemic Parenting, Amirite?
by Ellen Mecholsky on
I’m sitting here in front of my computer trying to think of something to write to all of you–something to lift up and inspire during this time of uncharted territory and endless new decision-making.... Read full article
Play! Create! Imagine! (and then Clean. It. Up.)
by Ellen Mecholsky on
I walk a very fine line between wanting my children to play and create and imagine...and wanting/NEEDING a tidy house to function at my best. I need order around me to feel relaxed and productive. If I wake up in the morning and I am greeted by a tra... Read full article
Finished, But Not Done (Making the Decision to Complete Our Family)
by Ellen Mecholsky on
As parents, we all ask each other similar questions about parenthood: “How is your baby sleeping? How do you handle tantrums? Are you getting your kid a cell phone?” But the question I get most often these days, as a mother of three children who are ... Read full article
Halloween Aftermath
by Ellen Mecholsky on
This morning my son woke me up with, “Can I have some candy, please?” I asked him if he had eaten a healthy breakfast yet. He said, “I ate a little, but I can’t eat too much because then I would be too full to eat candy.”... Read full article
Lessons From the Ballpark
by Cheryl Brodnax on
I’m a baseball mom. I live at the ballpark from February through July. For the last seven years, I’ve sacrificed my weekends (and sometimes sanity) to drag an unearthly amount of stuff to every ballpark imaginable so our boys can do what they love.... Read full article
New Year, More Me
by Ellen Mecholsky on
Today, I was walking with my dog and thinking about New Year’s resolutions. I love the starting over of a new year. I have always felt its metaphorical power and been drawn to the idea of a new beginning, another chance, a reset button. From the time... Read full article
Slowing Down: Reclaiming Sanity
by Cheryl Brodnax on
So, I have a problem with over-commitment. It seems that any time there is white space on my calendar, I find some excuse to fill it. My husband often points out that I never just sit. What? Who doesn’t sit?... Read full article
The Remembering: Reflections on My Pregnancy Loss
by Ellen Mecholsky on
It starts the first week of December, the remembering. I had felt her move for the first time in the car driving home from a Thanksgiving trip to Florida, which is why I suspect my anniversary grief stress begins so early. I subsequently gave birth t... Read full article
Focusing on Your Circle of Control
by Cheryl Brodnax on
As a counselor, I treat a lot of anxiety. As a human, I’ve had a lot of anxiety. I believe worrying just comes as part of the human condition. If someone claims they never worry, I’m thinking they either have an impressive supply of medication, or no... Read full article
Rolling with the Good Times: Navigating Baton Rouge’s Mardi Gras with Kids
by Ellen Mecholsky on
When my husband and I moved to Baton Rouge, we had absolutely no idea about Mardi Gras. I mean, sure, we had heard of “Fat Tuesday” and had the vague sense that beads were involved, but the Louisiana Mardi Gras EXPERIENCE was a complete unknown. That... Read full article