Mindful Moments Blog

Can You Spoil A Baby?

Mindful Moments Blog

You Can't Spoil A Baby With Your Love

by Ashley Patek on Mar 14 2022
Keep holding them. Keep tending to their needs. Keep doing what feels right. It is impossible for you to spoil them with love. 
92-Year-Old Shares Valuable Parenting Lesson

Mindful Moments Blog

92-Year-Old Shares Valuable Parenting Lesson

by Ashley Patek on Mar 14 2022
This 92-year-old woman shared with me this wisdom, and it changed the way I loved myself, and it eventually became a guide for how my children would learn to love themselves, too. 
Your Child's Emotions Need Support, Not Solutions

Mindful Moments Blog

Your Child's Emotions Need Support, Not Solutions

by Ashley Patek on Mar 14 2022
When we attempt to fix our children’s emotions and problems, we move out of connection and into control. The focus shifts from them to us. Instead, we can sit with them in the hard stuff, offering support, not solutions. Here's how. 
To The Boy That Called My Daughter Ugly

Mindful Moments Blog

To The Boy That Called My Daughter Ugly

by Guest Author on Mar 14 2022
From a dad in our community: "To the boy that called my daughter ugly on the school bus the other day, I have some things to say to you." 
Motherhood Broke Me and Built Me Back Stronger

Mindful Moments Blog

Motherhood Broke Me and Built Me Back Stronger

by Guest Author on Mar 07 2022
The thing they don’t tell you when you’re expecting that little bundle of joy is that the bundle is going to break your heart eventually. It usually happens in a million tiny breaks over the years. But while a mother’s heart breaks many times, it is ultimately indestructible. 
To My Kids: I Messed Up Today, And I'm Sorry

Mindful Moments Blog

To My Kids: I Messed Up Today, And I'm Sorry

by Ashley Patek on Mar 07 2022
I messed up today in ways big and small. I am an imperfect mom. I used to shame myself for it, but not anymore. And here is what I say to my children.
Is It Okay For Me To Cry In Front Of My Child?

Mindful Moments Blog

Is It Okay For Me To Cry In Front Of My Child?

by Guest Author on Mar 06 2022
How do we straddle the line of expressing emotion in front of our children while letting them know that they are not responsible for our feelings? The process can be vulnerable and uncomfortable, but this is often how it feels when we commit to breaking cycles of generational wounding.
New Mum Of Two

Mindful Moments Blog

New Mum of Two

by Guest Author on Feb 28 2022
Writer Jess Urlichs shares a poem about being a mother to two.
3 Effective Ways to Create a Peaceful Home Life

Mindful Moments Blog

3 Effective Ways to Create a Peaceful Home Life

by Rebecca Eanes on Feb 28 2022
Want to create a home with less yelling, power struggles, and chaos - a home that has more peace? Then these are your three ingredients.
I’ve Never Grounded My Teenager - Here’s Why

Mindful Moments Blog

I’ve Never Grounded My Teenager - Here’s Why

by Rebecca Eanes on Feb 28 2022
In our culture, we are accustomed to training children through pain. We are fooled into thinking it’s good because it works, but it only works for a short time, and the reason it works is heartbreaking. Here's what to do instead of punishment.
The Invisible Mother

Mindful Moments Blog

The Invisible Mother

by Ashley Patek on Feb 28 2022
Poem about Motherhood. "While Motherhood has completely undone her, she has rebuilt herself from the sticks and stones more whole than she could have ever imagined."
Talking To Our Kids About Death

Mindful Moments Blog

Talking To Our Kids About Death

by Ashley Patek on Feb 21 2022
Death is part of life, yet it can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss, especially with our children. Here are 5 tips for parents when talking to their child about death to support their emotional experience and understanding. 
4 Effective Ways To Break The Generational Cycle Of Yelling

Mindful Moments Blog

4 Effective Ways To Break The Generational Cycle Of Yelling

by Ashley Patek on Feb 21 2022
I yell. I was yelled at. My guess is, my parents were yelled at too. Poor emotional regulation - and its wounding - has been handed down from one generation to another. Here are 4 effective ways to break the cycle so that our children don't have to carry that shame. It stops with us.
Tuning Into Your Own Voice With 3 Simple Tools

Mindful Moments Blog

Tuning Into Your Own Voice With 3 Simple Tools

by Rebecca Eanes on Feb 21 2022
These 3 simple practices will help you learn to lean into your own voice, and with time and practice, you’ll be able to discern it above all others most of the time.
Our Children May Be Self-Centered, But They Aren't Selfish

Mindful Moments Blog

Our Children May Be Self-Centered, But They Aren't Selfish

by Ashley Patek on Feb 21 2022
Every time our child snatches a toy or melts down or forgets to say “thank you,” we worry our children will grow to be disrespectful, which motivates us to teach the lesson. But when we understand brain development, we can approach these situations in ways that build the skills without shame. Here are 3 ways. 
7 Easy Ways To Have Hard Conversations With Your Child

Mindful Moments Blog

7 Easy Ways To Have Hard Conversations With Your Child

by Ashley Patek on Feb 20 2022
In having hard conversations with our kids - whether it be their untamed anger as a toddler, their heartbreak as a teen, or their transition from one gender to another - we strengthen our parent-child bond and equip them with resources for how to handle future situations. Here's how to do it. 
Feeling Emotions As An Adult When Taught Not To As A Child

Mindful Moments Blog

Feeling Emotions As An Adult When Taught Not To As A Child

by Ashley Patek on Feb 14 2022
When we learn to suppress unpleasant emotions as a child, we become adults whose conditioned self masquerades as our authentic self. This dampens our human experience (and affects our mental health and parenting). Here's how to break the cycle. 
Finding Freedom From Guilt To Reclaim Your Authentic Self

Mindful Moments Blog

Finding Freedom From Guilt To Reclaim Your Authentic Self

by Guest Author on Feb 14 2022
Motherhood can feel like the synonym of should. No matter what we do, there will always be someone to tell us we didn't do enough, or maybe that we did too much. Learn what your guilt is telling you, and how to move through it to find your authentic self! 
Positive Communication with Kids at Every Age

Mindful Moments Blog

Positive Communication with Kids at Every Age

by Rebecca Eanes on Feb 14 2022
These positive communication tips will create a family culture where children and adults alike are spoken to with respect and listened to with love. Children live what they learn at home, and all of their future relationships will benefit from having learned these important and positive skills early in life.
Gentle Parenting: An Ode To Our Ancestors

Mindful Moments Blog

Gentle Parenting: An Ode To Our Ancestors

by Selina Armstrong on Feb 14 2022
For Black parents, gentle parenting is not the opposite of what our elders have done. This is how we thank previous generations for keeping us safe in a world that wouldn't.