Category Archives: Parenting

Antidotes to 5 Parenting Pitfalls

0 comments Children's Mental Health, Healthy Living, Parenting , , , , , ,

Parenting is hard work, and the pitfalls are many. Our children don’t always listen, the try our patience, and they frequently test limits. Here are 5 ways to conquer common parenting hazards: 1. You’ve got to be more flexible Families are as diverse as the parents and children that comprise them. We bring our own personality traits, strengths and weaknesses, gifts and talents, preferences, and hang-ups. Those similarities and differences define the core of our identity and make our lives and relationships rich, interesting, and unexpected. To think that one broadly applicable parenting strategy would work for all children and […]

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5 Lessons #Thismama Learned

1 comment Parenting, Women's Health, Women's Mental Health , , , , , , ,

She is Serena Williams. Widely celebrated for her indomitable spirit, relentless pursuit of excellence, and unrivaled strength A powerhouse, a champion, and a legend Outspoken, brash, bold, and beautiful Witnessing the evolution of Serena Williams has been tremendous. She began her journey as Richard’s daughter and Venus’ younger sister. Now her accolades are many – Olympian, 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles to name a few. She has faced professional and personal challenges, triumph and tragedy, and is no stranger to controversy. Despite unexpected outcomes and setbacks, she has faced each obstacle  with ferocious tenacity. […]

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Who Would Win?

2 comments Parenting , , , , ,

The Cox family of 5 lives in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb just south of Birmingham. My 2nd and 6th graders attend Hoover City schools. In our school system, we can purchase books for our children through the Scholastic Book Club. Who Would Win by Jerry Pallotta is a popular series sold through the Scholastic Book Club. The premise of this creative series is to pit two ferocious beasts against one another and then determine which one would win in a fight based on the unique characteristics of these two animals. Doesn’t that sound like parenthood? It often feels like a […]

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5 Tips for Managing the Morning Rush

2 comments Healthy Living, Parenting , , , ,

Au revoir, summer. Hello, new school year.  It’s back to the grind for many parents and their children. If your family is anything like mind, this new school year signals the return of the weekday morning mad dash, the dreaded morning rush. This year we have a preschooler, a 2nd grader, and a 6th grader. Nobody knows what they want to wear to school, shoes and backpacks have gone missing, everybody wants something different for breakfast, one child forgot to brush their teeth, and invariably another kid has like a hundred forms that need to be signed all within an […]

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Back to School Prayer

0 comments Faith, Parenting, Schools , , , , , , ,

As many of you know, I have 3 children. My son is 7 and my daughters will be 4 and 11 in just a few days. A new school year is rapidly upon us and always rouses mixed feelings in the Cox house and heralds beginnings and endings simultaneously – the end of summer and fall’s arrival; late nights become the morning rush; we swap summer vacation in eager anticipation of winter’s holidays; and the crack of the baseball bat and homeruns turn into quarterback sacks and touchdowns. In preparation for the new academic year, I want to share my […]

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3 Tips For When Your Child Worries

1 comment Children's Mental Health, Mental Health, Parenting, Schools , , , , , , , , , ,

Honestly, these last 2 weeks have been pretty tough for the Cox family of five. Between my husband hosting the 2017 – 2018 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship at Birmingham Southern College, my son’s weekly baseball practices and games, the daily grind of work and school, and threats of severe weather, we have been stretched thin. On top of that, there have now been 3 school shootings as of this writing – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, Huffman High School In Birmingham, AL on March 7, AL, and Great Mills High School in Great Hills, Maryland on March 20. Each shooting, tragic, and occurring within weeks of the other, my own anxiety escalated. But, this time my oldest was deeply impacted.

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