"One stick turned positive and a different kind of vomit happened… word vomit… ‘OHHH SH**!!!’ I guess I said it loud enough for Sam to hear me, because he opened the door and asked to look at the test. He then started reading the box saying aloud, ‘Noooo!'"
"In my 12 years as a family therapist, I’ve seen many well-intentioned parents mistakenly employing strategies that aren’t meeting the emotional or developmental needs of their children or families. I’ve also observed an increasing number of parents that are successfully mapping out new and healthier ways of raising children."
"If you say no, you better mean it. By changing your mind, your child has gained more than a piece of candy; they've gained the knowledge you can be broken down easier than a cardboard box."
"I was worshiping at the altars of control, success, convenience, and let’s just say it—reputation. But my son refused to bow down. And I was furious."
"One day, they wouldn’t want to cuddle. They wouldn’t rush outside to meet me at the truck door when I pulled into the driveway. They wouldn’t require my kisses to make pain go away, or need my help reaching the tangles in the back of their hair."
"'What if we stop asking for so many toys in the store that we don’t need? Would that help?' my daughter asked. My heart broke at her comment, so sweet, so naive, and I also felt burdened by Mommy Guilt."
"Our children will most likely never know the tears we cried behind closed doors, or the prayers we begged for in the middle of the night. Until they have children of their own, they won’t understand that our hearts break when theirs break, maybe even harder than their own."
