Fresh Roots Parent Coaching

Grace.

This is a word that has been on my heart this fall. It is a word that can be thrown around without much regard and yet it holds a great weight that invites freedom. The Christian faith believes that grace is experienced in the love of God shown to humanity; the unmerited favor of God. To be honest, I am rather humbled when I sit with the truth that God’s love is unmerited and even on my darkest days God offers this unmerited love upon me.

Grace.

There are about a BAJILLION (preschool language for a really large amount) moments throughout our day that we feel less than adequate. These moments are encountered everywhere—the middle of the night wake-ups, job changes, dirty diapers or accidents, friendships, relationships with our adult parents and siblings, meal prep, health diagnosis, at work, during a divorce, with the loss of a loved one—moments where the weight of the world rests on our shoulders and we find ourselves lacking. We have all experienced the feeling of self doubt, disappointment, and failure.

Grace, my friends.

My prayer is that we will all lean into this unwavering love of God as we do life with one another. May we be a community that extends grace to ourselves, our spouses, our children, our siblings, our co-workers, our teachers and the strangers we encounter throughout our day.

For my local high school, this weekend is our "Homecoming Weekend". It a blink of an eye all of my old stuff around being asked or not being asked, having the right dress, having a cool after dance plan, and..... the list of stressers goes on and on. Then I remember how my mom always told me to use her as the excuse, reason, and a resource for getting out of sticky situations. Thanks Mom!

I just came across this article that made me reflect on my own "safe walls".

What Teenagers Need From Us More Than (Almost) Anything Else As parents and youth leaders, kids need us to be a wall. A wall of support that doesn’t withdraw or abandon them. Even when kids withdraw from us—often hurting us in the process—they need us to be the adult who stays steady.

Every time I hear Johnny Cash or U2 I can’t help but think of singing along with my dad. I also can’t clean my house without turning on something with a beat because Mom always had music playing to make cleaning more fun.

I just speak a week on a road trip and “Old Country Road” was the family sing-a-long (if you followed my IG story or my brother/SIL you know what I’m talking about). Music is such a wonderful touchpoint between generations.

What is your summer go-to song or artist?

Study Proves Music Strengthens Parent-Child Relationships | Parentology New research suggests making music a part of a child’s life improves their skill set, sense of self-worth and relationship with parents/families.

“Clutter and mess show us that life is being lived...Tidiness makes me think of held breath, of suspended animation... Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist's true friend. What people somehow forgot to mention when we were children was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Mindful. Practice being mindful of what's on around your kids. You may keep the news off in your home but kids are smart and exposed to the world around them. Be mindful of what is happening and listen to comments or behaviors that you children may be demonstrating, telling you they have witnessed a glimpse of our world. Here are some helpful strategies to having good conversations. As always, I'm here if you have specific questions you'd like to talk through.

Disasters and Scary Events: Helping Children Cope | Seattle Children’s Hospital As a parent, you can’t control natural disasters or events in our world, but you can help your child cope when they do happen. The following tips provide ideas for helping your child feel safe, recognizing when your child is having trouble coping and being a good role model.

My newsfeed has been full of opinions and feelings around gorillas and r**e charges. When these images and stories come across my desk I become quick to judge and critique the individuals involved.
This article was both convicting and empowering as I reflect on my role in our society. Take some time to reflect and think on how we--part of the village--can be a voice of value, empowerment, healing, accountability, protection, and change. We all play a role.

6 Ways We (Accidentally) Teach Our Kids R**e Culture And how we can do better.

In anticipation of this weekends "holiday" I have attached this invitation. We are invited to hold the reality that both Mother's Day and Father's Day hold more weight than making brunch reservations. Let us give one another grace and encouragement to "celebrate" in ways that honor this years reflections and relationships.

Also, for those spending Mother's Day with mom...be sure to ask what sounds good. Don't assume she wants a brunch. She might surprise you!

Two Things About Mother's Day That No One Else Is Talking About. If Mother's Day feels challenging for you this year, I want you to know you're not alone. I want to share some tools and ideas that may support you.

Truth.

Here's the deal...I took a break from FB and this is what awaited me upon my return.

Brilliant! Simply Brilliant!

Yelp Reviews of Newborn Babies We obsessively check online reviews to see if a movie is worth seeing or a restaurant is worth visiting.  If anyone was considering having a newborn baby and wanted to read the Yelp reviews first, here they are. *              *               * If…

Because if you would like to discuss more message me.

You've Got to Hear the Inspiring Way These Kids Discuss #BlackLivesMatter https://www.facebook.com/PopSugarMoms/posts/10153762432340250