When my first son was a toddler, I was stressed out nearly every time I was in public with him. Whether at Target or a friend’s house or in our front yard, I felt like his every move, word choice, and behavior was being judged and a reflection of me and my parenting skills (or lack thereof). If he threw a tantrum or cried or wasn’t grateful about a gift he had been given or …
Many studies have shown that one of the top three common traits of people who live the longest is they have meaningful relationships throughout the course of their life. Human connection is critical to our well-being and long-term health. In order for true connection to happen with people, we have to be real, and often this means being vulnerable. Being vulnerable means talking beyond surface-level talk about the weather and our children and how work …