When my college girl was little, she was the most meticulous child you could imagine parenting—something she definitely did not inherit from me. She shared a room with her not-so-meticulous sister, and her side was always in tip-top shape: loft bed made, desk organized, books stacked in color coordination, clothes Read more
Thought-provoking question: What groups of friends do you have? Stay at home parent friends? Work friends?Playgroup friends?Friends you grew up with?College friends?Workout friends?Neighborhood friends?Family members who are like friends?Book club friends? And once you’ve come up with your list, what does each of those groups/people provide you? What makes them Read more
Amazing College Tours with My Daughter: “You’ve got to put yourself out there.” “Go to class.” “It was hard at first. It seemed like everyone was having way more fun than me. All the friends and parties. But it’s all fake. We all feel homesick and think everyone’s got it Read more
Important Life Lessons–This weekend, I took my 16 year old daughter on a warm fall hike in a neighboring Northern California town. On this outing, with a curious heart, I invited her to share about what she’d like more or less of from me as her mom. She’s very kind Read more
As my 8th grade daughter bustled around the house getting ready for Halloween at school with her curly-haired wig bobby pinned to her head, my oldest daughter came into the kitchen. She said to me, “Mom, I wish I had that much confidence as an eighth grader!” I smiled at Read more
One Parent’s Journey I’d like to tell you about one parent’s journey of how to let kids go. To be honest, this is my journey! This past weekend I took my daughter 2+ hours from home to celebrate her Sweet 16 with a trip to the Santa Cruz Beach and Read more
I’m not the best mom. I say the wrong things. I piss my teen off. I get preoccupied. I worry if she’ll be alright. If she’ll find her way in a world that continues to be so hard on women. I cringe at some of the stories of my past Read more
Important life lessons for daughters are vital for parents to teach. I am feeling the crunch of time as my daughter and I push aside the tray of freshly foraged dehydrated mushrooms to make room at the breakfast table this morning. I observe us once again squeezing in a small Read more
I am a girl and parent expert with over 20 years of experience helping families as a therapist, life coach, girl mentor, and group faciltator. One of the ways I love to support girls and parents is to help them understand what is developmentally normal. I also want them to Read more
Not too long ago, I was the towering presence of security and love. My daughters growing to my knees, then thighs. Moving eventually to my stomach, breasts, and shoulders. We didn’t need any solid measurements. My body held the benchmarks of their growth. Gazing downward, I’d meet their child eyes Read more