celebrate Archives - HOPEFUL MOM

March 17, 2025March 14, 2025

You’re Making a Difference!

International Women’s Day is in March. To be honest, I didn’t know that was a thing until recently. I received an email from Defend Young Minds, an organization devoted to developing tools to help raise screen-smart kids, saying they “wanted to recognize the amazing women leading the charge in child safety, advocacy, and education.” They listed me as one of the 20 Inspiring Women Dedicated to Making Life Safer for Kids. They thanked me for the impact I’m making in this space.

My jaw hit the floor. Really. Because, while I know Kristen Jenson, Best Seller Good Pictures, Bad Pictures and Founder of Defend Young Minds, her influence is far, far (far!) greater than mine. And when I read the list of women, I saw pioneers who paved the way for people like me. They lead the charge against big corporations. They fly to Washington DC to lobby for our children’s safety. They make a difference!

I hadn’t thought of myself as one of those women. One dedicated to making life safer for kids.

August 5, 2024August 12, 2024

7 Back to School Preparations for Teens

I love walking into a store and seeing school supplies front and center, just waiting for excited children and (maybe-not-as-excited) parents to snag discounted items. If my inner-organizing-self had it her way, she’d rush to the notebooks and Post-it notes and pile them in her cart. But, alas, my children are grown, and notebooks on my shelf still await usage.

July 12, 2021July 13, 2021

Celebrate the Wins

My daughter stepped onto the javelin runway. The field appeared to be marked incorrectly, but she was determined to be in the top six and claim her place at nationals.

Her warm up throw sailed out of the sector (the area inside the lines indicating if the javelin lands “inbounds” or not). Her brother walked over and coached her on how to correct her throw to accommodate the wonky lines. For her, a leftie, this proved to be more difficult than the rest of the competitors because the makeshift right line was blowing in the wind, altering what was “inbounds” as the direction of the wind changed.

March 22, 2021March 23, 2021

Pornography in a Pandemic

I saw photos of my daughter and me moving my son out of his dorm room a year ago. They reminded me of the sadness and uncertainty I felt.

As we pass the anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic declaration and walk through other anniversaries – quarantining, masks, intimate Easter celebrations at home, ordering groceries online, and learning the full meaning of Zoom meetings – it’s only fitting to reflect on how our households have changed in regard to technology and our response to everything online, as well as the dynamics within our homes. How have we grown? How have we regressed? And what about pornography in a pandemic?

March 8, 2019March 8, 2019

Small Steps: Self-Discipline and Safety Nets

My son will leave for college in the fall. This thought scares me and makes me proud. He is an amazing young man, and I am proud of his achievements and excited for him to begin adulthood. But I am scared he will slip back into old behaviors without his “Mommy” around to protect him.