Teach Through Love

Reader, When you grow up thinking advice means criticism, it’s not always clear how to offer your opinion or ideas without sounding judgmental or threatening. 🫠 And if you were the “sensitive” kid or the “defiant" one, staying regulated and non-punitive while parenting can feel like its own full-time job. 🌱 I started a new YouTube Shorts series (also on IG) to help us reframe our kids' behavior, “Things I Wish MY Parents Knew.” Watch and subscribe here. Here's the gist of the most recent...

Reader, This is your 60-second reminder that you don’t have to “heal” your childhood to be a GOOD parent. At first, I thought “healing my childhood” was this moment that would come and wash everything clean. 💦Behold fresh, new parenting ideas.💡 Um, no. 😬I think of healing like exercise (funny universe joke).It’s an ongoing practice, not a single moment of revelation.It’s the tiny exercises I do every time I get dysregulated. (Sometimes I literally grab my own Communication Cards because my...

Reader, I honestly can't believe we're heading into the end-of-year holiday madness, uh... cue the meltdown month. I'm just joking (mostly). But Part 2 of my interview with Dr. Nicole Cain IS here to help us prep for a stress-free holiday season. 🎊 Because while it might be a time for parties and reconnecting with loved ones, for many families, it can also bring lots of high stress and wild flying emotions. For years, I never acknowledged that shopping malls, with all the sounds, scents, and...

Hi Reader, As a kid, my shutdowns often looked like defiance. But, I swear, I wasn’t trying to be difficult. 😆 I just didn’t know how to say, “I need help.” I wanted to do what everyone asked:“Pay attention.”“Just sit still.”“Answer your mother!” But inside... I was drowning in noise, worries I couldn’t name, pressure, and (sometimes unreasonable) expectations.👉 “You know better than that!” the adults often screamed before they walked away. I learned that when things got hard, adults would...

Thank you, Reader! Last week, our community proved that small acts of compassion do matter! Between store proceeds and an additional $50 contribution from me, we donated a total of $126. While it might not sound like much in the face of such huge needs, it's over 900 meals. 👏🏼👏🏼 🥕 $88 to Feeding America (880 meals)🍎 $38 to Philabundance (76 meals) Thank you for reminding me that we’re not powerless. And since hunger doesn’t end when a campaign does, I’ll continue to donate 10% of proceeds...

Hi Reader, If you’re currently being affected by the SNAP cuts, please take care of yourself. Food insecurity is the nervous system in crisis. Here’s one small resource to help. For those who aren't directly affected but want to take action, this is one way that feels right to me. It’s hard to focus on much these days. 🫩 I keep thinking about the parents forced to decide which basic need they'll meet this week. I don’t want to normalize what’s happening by ignoring it. Pretending I don’t see...

Hi Reader, What inspired you to choose a conscious parenting path? I didn’t need to be convinced that empathy was the right choice. It’s just that the alternative of repeating what I lived through 🥴 wasn’t an option. For me, empathy wasn't a “style of parenting. " It was about making sure my child felt what I never did: Loved. Worthy. Connected. 🤔 But parenting after a lifetime of toxic family relationships doesn’t come with a “gentle” manual. And when viewed through the lens of a...

Reader — really quickly, are you following me on YouTube? You’ll get these video tips even faster when you subscribe. I've always tried to give my strong-willed child (now-young adult) agency over her life (while also keeping her safe). But keeping kids safe isn't just about teaching them “stranger danger.” And following the rules doesn’t only happen because “we say so." ”It's about showing kids how to trust in their body’s wisdom in everyday, ordinary moments. What if instead of constantly...

Reader— If you're a lifelong learner like me, your inbox is probably full of hard-to-pass-up offers. And I'm here to help simplify your life, not add to a noisy inbox. But I don't want today to go by without reminding you that Parenting Essentials closes tonight, 9/26 @midnight. 🎉 But Lori, I'm already overwhelmed! Do I have to listen to all of the information? It seems like a lot. Noooo, you're getting it all, so you don't have to feel like you are: Missing out on the full picture because of...