by Cecilia Hilkey | empathy, parenting
Do you get triggered when… you see your child on a screen for the Nth hour?your child has a meltdown or shouts, “I hate you mommy!”?your kids fight with each other?you see that your child’s homework is still unfinished?your partner is sitting on the couch while...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | parenting
We often hear from parents that disagree about how to parent. The questions we get asked often sound like this… a mom wants to be understanding and empathic when a child is struggling, but the dad thinks the child needs to “toughen up” or “get over it”. How do...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, parenting
In our culture, we so often ask each other, “How are you?” And we so often give surface-level answers like, “I’m good” / “I’m fine” / “I’m busy”. As parents, we want to know how our kids are doing and feeling. Their feelings are a window into their soul, their deepest...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | parenting
A few years ago after a tough day in middle school, our daughter boarded the noisy school bus that would take her home. She flopped down in the seat. I imagine she had the facial expression that she so often wore in those days… a thin veneer of teenage nonchalance...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | holidays, parenting
A few years ago I wrote a blog post that got a bit of attention about WHY to tell kids the truth about Santa. Since then, every year around this time, people continue to find that post on the internet. How we deal with Santa in our family goes against popular opinion...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | parenting
I’m writing this at 5 in the morning, the house is quiet. I’m sitting on the couch with the cat on my lap… balancing the laptop awkwardly on a pillow next to me. Can I get real with you? I’ve been feeling sad lately. I sometimes tell myself that I don’t...read more
