Family Life & Culture
The Saturday Ritual That Built Our Family Culture
The Saturday Ritual That Built Our Family Culture I’ll never forget the Tuesday morning my youngest daughter asked me, “Mom, what day do we love each other?” My heart sank. Not because she doubted our love, but because I realized something heartbreaking: our family had become so busy shuffling between soccer practices, work deadlines, and […]
Why ‘Having It All’ is Costing Us Everything
The Myth We’ve Been Sold Last week, a mom sat in my office and said something that broke my heart: “I thought if I just worked harder, I could do it all. Instead, I feel like I’m failing at everything.” She had a thriving career, two beautiful kids, a partner she loved — and yet […]
The Cultural Message That’s Making Parenting Harder
The Cultural Message That’s Making Parenting Harder Last week, a mom in my practice—let’s call her Sarah—sat across from me with tears streaming down her face. “I’m failing at everything,” she whispered. “I yelled at my kids this morning, forgot to pack a healthy lunch, and scrolled Instagram during dinner. Every other parent seems to […]
What Your Calendar Says About Your Family Values
What Your Calendar Says About Your Family Values Last week, a mom in my office pulled out her phone with tears in her eyes. “Look at this,” she said, scrolling through a color-coded calendar that would make a Fortune 500 CEO weep with envy. Soccer practice (blue), piano lessons (green), tutoring (yellow), work meetings (red). […]
The After-School Hour That’s Breaking Modern Parents
The After-School Hour That’s Breaking Modern Parents Let me paint you a picture. It’s 3:47 PM on a Tuesday. You’ve just picked up your kids from school, and within twelve minutes, someone’s crying about a lost pencil case, someone else is hangry and refusing the snack you lovingly packed, and your oldest is having a […]
What Your Home’s ‘Messy Spots’ Reveal
The Pile on the Chair: What Your Home’s ‘Messy Spots’ Reveal About Your Family’s Hidden Needs Last week, a mom in my practice sat down and immediately apologized. “I’m so sorry,” she said, laughing nervously. “I know you can’t see it through Zoom, but there’s literally a laundry mountain on my couch that’s been there […]
The Multigenerational Pattern You’re Probably Repeating
The Multigenerational Pattern You’re Probably Repeating Last week, a mother sat in my office and said something that stopped us both mid-breath: “I just yelled at my daughter the exact same way my mother yelled at me — using the same words, the same tone. I swore I’d never do that.” She looked at her […]
Why Your Family Needs More Boredom
Why Your Family Needs More Boredom Last week, a mom in my practice confessed something she thought would shock me: “I left my kids alone in the backyard for an hour with nothing. No toys, no screens, no activities. Just… grass and time. I felt like the worst parent ever.” She paused, waiting for my […]
Why Your Family’s Arguments Follow the Same Pattern
You Are Not Alone Last week, a dad in my office laughed — not the joyful kind, but the exhausted, slightly defeated kind — and said, “Doc, we had the exact same fight we had three months ago. Same words. Same ending. It’s like we’re stuck in a sitcom rerun nobody asked for.” His wife […]
The Car Ride Conversation That Actually Connects
The Car Ride Conversation That Actually Connects Last week, a mom in my practice told me something that made us both laugh and cry at the same time. “I spend forty minutes a day driving my kids around,” she said, “and I know more about the Spotify algorithm than I do about what actually happened […]