It’s ok to cry here 💧

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

As I walked out of Trader Joe’s last weekend, there was this adorable 5-year-old with tears welling up in her eyes and a huge lump in her throat—just like my son when he’s hurt or upset in public. Instantly, my heart went out to this little girl.

Before I could even wonder who was taking care of her, her mom showed up out of nowhere in just two steps!

This mom was amazing! She hurriedly bent down, whispered some magic words into her daughter's ear, and said, "It’s ok to cry here." 🤗👂

That moment stuck with me, reminding me of the support and acceptance we all need as parents of emotionally intense kids.  It's incredible how seeing someone else parenting with such love can uplift and encourage us.

That's why I offer free monthly gathering calls, exactly for this purpose. They serve as a safe haven for parents like us to come together, share our experiences, and learn how to make parenting through tough situations a bit easier on the whole family.

Here are some snippets from our last call where we connected, supported, and laughed together:

• "What Lisa said is my situation too!  Every rule I set is just bulldozed through, and it's exhausting."
• “Dealing with power struggles is like a never-ending battle.  I just want all our bodies to feel safe.”
• "Oh, family vacations are a real challenge, right? Getting there is so hard, and I feel like there can’t be any fun things planned.”

And, in the words of other parents-- and Daniel Tiger:

• “When I get so mad that I want to roar, I’ll take a deep breath and count to four like I tell my kid to do.”
• "Deep breaths save the day for me too!"
• "I realize now that I need to understand my children’s perspective better and take my own advice, haha!"

Isn't it great to know we're not alone? 😄 If you need a place to connect-- or cry-- we’re here for you.  You can listen to the replay here.

By the way, my last "summer gathering" call is on Tuesday, August 2, at Noon CST. You can RSVP here.

Warmly,

Samantha