Mantras, while beneficial, can’t change the basic makeup of the job. Mothering will always involve long hours, heavy physical work, and the type of worry that could bring down an elephant if put into a dart gun. At the same time, mantras can provide instant coping strategies to help us safely manage extreme feelings. Mantras […]

Within each mantra is the simple though powerful opportunity to grasp that there is always another way to see the situation. A way that potentially offers greater peace, comfort, acceptance, and balance than our initial response.

There’s a lot about mothering that is beyond our control. As humans, however, we have an incredible capacity to change the way we think. Altering our thoughts, in turn, powerfully influences the way we feel and act. Really.

Mine are not bad children. In fact, most of the time they are extraordinarily lovely and cooperative. But all children can push our buttons or make us entertain many drastic thoughts toward them. Often, without our full awareness, we devise negative scripts about ourselves or our children that undermine our ability to mother effectively.

Mine are not bad children. In fact, most of the time they are extraordinarily lovely and cooperative. But all children can push our buttons or make us entertain many drastic thoughts toward them. Often, without our full awareness, we devise negative scripts about ourselves or our children that undermine our ability to mother effectively.

As my anger starts to mount, I remind myself to take a few deep breaths. After my head stops reeling, I light on one of the stress mantras (such as soften to the feeling or bring it on) to help me reframe the situation. As I repeat the chosen mantra, my perspective starts to shift. […]

One of the children usually starts grabbing the contraband material as quickly as possible if he or she can reach it. Now I am in the position of getting him to relinquish it by invoking some brand of voodoo or snatching it forcefully from his steely grasp. All the while I am trying to unload […]

I would like to thank the people who came up with the idea of the “no candy aisle” at the supermarket. At the same time I would like to know why they chose to pack those aisles with ten thousand other things my children would be willing to hurl themselves over a cliff for.