decisions

art by Julia Green

It’s Okay For Your Kids To Say No To Things

As parents, I believe that most of us really are trying to do our very best. You will make mistakes. It's okay for your kids to say no!

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I am still ashamed. But despite that, or in spite of that, my life is beautiful.

Can I Blame My Mental Illness For My Lousy Behavior?

I wish I could say that every mistake I’ve made, every lousy decision, is all a manifestation of my faulty brain chemistry and mental illness.

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I don't think I had ever realized how important it is to me that my son be able to think for himself and be his own person. Image: Thinkstock.

What I Want My Son To Know About Being His Own Person

We live in a world where people are easily influenced. Heck, I'm a writer and influencer for a living, so I get this in its most extreme state. But when it comes to the nitty-gritty — the big life decisions — I want my son to have a strong head on his shoulders and do what he instinctively knows is right for him.

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What if we regret it? Now we’re worried. Image: Thinkstock.

Regret Is Inevitable (And That's OK)

Most people view regret as a sign of personal failure. As a sign that they have made some sort of error. The more serious they believe that error to be, the more regret they feel. It’s as if people view decisions as diverging paths, with one side leading to happiness and the other leading to regret. If you’re smart, you’ll choose the correct path. Therefore, when you end up experiencing regret, it’s evidence that you were foolish enough to choose the “wrong” path.

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Your children will look back on these moments as memories that make them giggle for years to come. Image: London Scout/Unsplash.

Cursing, And Everything Else That Actually Isn't Messing Up Our Kids

Every single day of our lives, since the moment that we bring home our beautiful child from the hospital — well, actually, well before that — we are faced with a multitude of decisions that will impact their lives. Some decisions are more serious than others. Yet the constant need to rip parents apart for the decisions they make is so unnerving to me that I simply can’t take it anymore.

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When Branden came along, we decided not to baptize him; I just didn’t believe our sweet baby was born in sin. Image: Juan Carlos Leva/PEXELS.

Religion vs. Motherhood: Why I Doubt My Choices

I am still a very spiritual person, but don’t necessarily agree with a lot of the things I was taught growing up — or the way it was shoved down our throats. So when Branden came along, we decided not to baptize him, because I just didn’t believe our sweet baby was born in sin. My husband wasn’t religious, and this was the right choice for us.

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