All in Parenting

Creating Meaningful Family Rituals and Traditions

Creating Meaningful Family Rituals and Traditions

Rachel Parris
Parenting

Welcoming a new baby into your family is a time of change and transformation. Because things are already shifting, it’s also a time that lends itself well to updating your rituals and traditions around the holidays.

There are many reasons we hold onto old rituals and traditions (you love them, social conditioning, passive aggressive family shenanigans, obligation) but it never hurts to take stock and see if what you’ve always done is still working for you now.

(Bonus, if your family or friends get weird about it, you can blame the baby. 😏)

Here are five questions to consider for building the type of holiday time that serves you and your family:

The Reason Beneath the Reason

The Reason Beneath the Reason

Rachel Parris
Parenting

“Here’s the thing – emotion and cognition undefined and unexplored drive every decision you make. I mean, you either develop self-awareness or these things control you.” ~ Brené Brown

I love this quote! First, because it’s true. But also because it explains why it’s so important to look for the reason behind the reason of our behaviour.

What I mean by that is that all of our behaviour is driven by deeply held beliefs about ourselves, about our world, and about how we fit into that world. Most of the time we’re unaware of what those beliefs are and unless we consciously choose to go digging, they’ll likely remain unexamined (and in control).

The Blended Family Life

The Blended Family Life

Jordan Joanisse
Parenting

My 17 year old self would never have guessed that my life would end up here….a husband (who works out of town), three kids (each with a different mom), a roommate, dogs – and all of us living together in one home.

I would have guessed the kids part, and the marriage part, but that’s where the similarities would have stopped – I never would have guessed I would be living the blended family life.

My vision of life was simple – instead, I have had to learn to co-parent, manage other people’s family dynamics on top of my own and, in the process, have discovered an existence that is vibrant, complicated, and 100% worth it.

I am a mother of three children: an adopted daughter, a stepson, and a biological daughter.

The Practice of Practice

The Practice of Practice

Rachel Parris
Parenting

As a recovering perfectionist, I have spent most of my life avoiding trying new things. Basically, the math in my head went something like this:

  • I receive love when I am perfect (when I am perfectly behaved, when I follow the rules, when I get 100% on a test or project, etc)

  • Therefore when I am not perfect, I am not worthy of love

  • Well, that’s terrifying

  • I can’t risk not receiving love

  • Therefore I will only do things that I know I can do perfectly

  • NO NEW THINGS!

Our culture values striving for excellence, which usually turns into striving for perfection – on the surface, this seems really admirable. Why shouldn’t you always try to be perfect at what you do?

6 Tips for Flying with Newborns and Toddlers

6 Tips for Flying with Newborns and Toddlers

Christine Jennings CD(DONA)
Parenting

In my oldest daughter’s first year of life, I took her on 17 plane rides. I wanted my family outside of Alberta to spend as much time with our new baby as possible. We went to Ontario twice and to BC six times. At the time it didn’t seem like a big deal, but reflecting back on that first year it occurs to me that it was A LOT of flying! And it gave me the perfect opportunity to hone the process.

Whether you’re facing a quick 45 minute flight or eight (or more) hours, here are my top six tips for flying with your littles.

Using Busy As An Excuse

Using Busy As An Excuse

Rachel Parris
Parenting

This was the tail end of a text conversation I had recently with a dear friend of mine who was (at the time) in her last few weeks of midwifery school. I threw that last comment out without really thinking about it, until I hit send and re-read it.

What she said really did sound like my life. In fact, most of my adult life could be described that way: "Lots of interest and zero time".

That never really bothered me before. But these days, it's kind of getting under my skin...