I will never forget the first time I read Elizabeth Stone’s quote on becoming a parent, “Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” When I read this quote I was stunned..

Moving into this year’s celebration of Mother’s Day I find myself surprised at how at my age I still need the affection and nurture that my mom offers. You may feel the same way when you are faced with life’s inevitable twists and turns. Or maybe when you think of a mother’s love all you feel is a pang in your heart from not ever experiencing this in your own life.

Mother’s Day brings with it such a mixture of emotions, thoughts, expectations and perhaps even triggering memories. You might notice you feel light and tingly excitement – maybe you’re even anticipating your first Mother’s Day. (If so – congratulations!!) There may be a part of you that cringes a little. You’d like the day to pass without a word, without a social media reminder, without interaction with others.

I find Mother’s Day to be a bit of an enigma to me.

As a woman, I wear many different hats when it comes to Mother’s Day. I am a daughter, mother to adult children, step-mother, mother to a teenager and a grandmother. Mother’s Day brings up a whole bunch of things for me!

Welcoming our first two grandchildren and watching while my son becomes a father has been an unexpected, delightful epilogue to motherhood. On the one hand, the love poured into my internal vessel labelled Mom feels full and rich. But there is more to motherhood that I am keenly aware of and particularly sensitive to especially relating to the work I do with clients.

To say that the holidays can be stressful is an understatement. Even the most well-intentioned families can get wrapped up in the materialistic consumer-driven undertones and stress of getting it right, that they forget what matters most to them. I want to help you find ways to connect with your children in a new way this holiday season.

There are many reasons your kids may not want to come home for the holidays. As a parent, it’s important to recognize your role in the relationship, and that you are simply one part of their decision. Ashleigh shares some ways to help you cope with the disappointment you might be feeling.

As a new or even a seasoned parent, you might wonder how to be a perfect parent and make all the right choices for your kiddo. Spoiler alert: you won’t. And that’s okay! You won’t be a perfect parent. Please know, none of us are! The great news is that the research shows that you only need to make the great, wonderful, healthy attachment and relationship choices about 30% of the time, to raise a securely attached child.

You are back to that alarm-setting, lunch-packing, routine-following moment. You have anticipated this for a little while now, and you are ready for some structure in your days. Here are some practical tips to make the shift back to routine easier on you and your child.

It feels as though it's almost impossible these days to get kids off their phones and out of the house to enjoy the outdoors. The rise of social media, the convenience of indoor play gyms as well as overscheduled days make it seem impossible even for adults to be getting outside, let alone our kids.