Kristal
Kristal spent years thinking that teaching a room full of 30 kids in the inner city was tough but rewarding. Then she became responsible for just four kids, and discovered brand new definitions for tough and rewarding. That’s what led her to become a parent educator, to help other parents build strong relationships with the children in their lives and to help more kids have a chance to grow into successful adults. Having a family is Kristal’s dream come true. She’s grateful every day for her kids and the time she get to spend with them. But, she’s also grateful for a chance to have a little escape, a chance to reflect, an opportunity to share. And that's why she writes.
Not Part of the “In” Mom Group
I was driving my daughter and her friend home after school and, when talking about weekend plans, I learned that her mom was going out of town for the weekend. When I pulled up to...
Why I Won’t Let You Use Social Media: An Open Letter to My Daughter
Dear daughter,
You asked me again why I won’t let you use social media. And, once again, I didn’t do an excellent job of explaining my reasoning.
Let me start by saying that, honey, I know...
No Perfect Parents
"Everyone is a perfect parent... until they have kids" -Unknown
. One of my first memories is being angry that my aunt wouldn’t let me, an exuberant four-year-old, hold my newborn cousin, so I couldn’t wait...
You Can’t Have It All
I’m in a really good place right now. If you’re thinking, well, goody for you, I get it. But, I say this because I have struggled with depression and anxiety since my childhood. And,...
They Need To Hear The Good Things
It was one of those cold, damp mornings when I really didn’t feel like sitting outside and watching hours of soccer games. I was feeling off in general. It was early. I hadn’t slept...
There Are Some Things They Will Never Understand
There are some things we did when we were young that our children will never truly understand. When I was in middle school, I would pose my cat Mittens to look like he was...
How to Not Yell at Your Kids
Oh, my gosh. I’ve been there. And, there are a lot of us there. The school year is in full swing, and although this summer we thought the lack of structure was the problem, that's no longer...
Not Our Problems to Solve:: Adolescent Social Struggles are Normal
As moms, we want to solve all our kids' problems. But maybe their problems are not our problems to solve?
We pull up to the store to grab the milk I’d forgotten to buy at...
Decluttering Your Kids’ Stuff, Is it Even Possible? (Part II)
For me, the hardest part of decluttering was not getting rid of any of my stuff, not my clothes, not paperwork, and not even memories. Where I struggled was dealing with decluttering my kids'...
Decluttering with Kids, Is it Even Possible? (Part I)
For years I struggled with decluttering and getting organized. I would spend so much time finding the perfect place for everything and the perfect containers for storing things. I’d get things just right, and then, within...