“The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days; while she who lets their habits take care of themselves has a weary life of endless friction with the children.” ~Charlotte Mason Dear Mom of young children, Do you realize the incredible power you have…
You are a theologian. And I am too. We may each be a good one, a subpar one, or a heretic, but we can’t get away from *having* a theology and bringing it to the table with each day of mothering. Who matters most in our theology? For many moms, the person who matters…
SKIP STRAIGHT TO THE VIDEO BY CLICKING HERE: https://youtu.be/J4_MT8P1ZJc When we work hard at mothering, we often come face-to-face with ourselves. We see our fears and our desire to control everything. We see our own anger. Our selfishness, anxieties, and our weakness and frailty all come to the forefront. It’s embarrassing, isn’t it? Too often,…
Like many Americans in the 80s and 90s, (maybe like you?) I grew up with one sibling. So I didn’t really know what to expect as a mom of many children (we have 9 now). Some things we can anticipate: (laundry, food, and stacks of clothes bins!), but what I wanted to talk about in…
Have you ever felt this? After a morning filled with: kids squabbling some semblance of chores and house cleaning schooling done (even if imperfectly!) toddler meltdowns bottoms wiped bellies filled it is easy to get to mid-afternoon and to SIMPLY. FEEL. DONE. I have most definitely felt like this before, and yes, sometimes daily, especially when all my…
We’ve all heard of (and experienced) the Mommy Wars. But what is God’s view of it all? As mothers, we can feel completely removed– even from other believers– if we make a parenting choice that is contrary to what they are choosing or what they chose. No matter where you live, if you’re reading this…
Instead of having a good idea of what motherhood entails, most of us learn the ropes of motherhood while we live it out. We’re already in the role by the time we realize we’re almost entirely unprepared for it. This often leads to stress and anxiety for new moms as they not only take on the hardest, most…
You may already know what I’m referring to. It’s the job where nearly everyone– celebrities, politicians, nurses, and stay-home-moms– struggles, almost from the first few minutes. In this place, we feel self-doubt we feel pressured to do it all we are ill-equipped in what we do we have no idea how to do it we’re pretty…
Pandora is something I use almost every day. I’ve got a variety of playlists there, for when we’re feeling silly, worshipful, mellow, dancy, quiet, or happy. I love the control it gives me, to set the tone and go on with the day. I’ve got a question for you: If your life was a Pandora playlist, who’s the one…
Wanna know what one thing has made the difference in becoming a better mother to my children? I made this 4-minute video to tell the answer to that question, and why I write at jessconnell.com. One of the lies moms have been fed in this past decade or so is that “you’re the expert” and that “you innately possess all the mothering…