Go Parent

After a whirlwind few weeks, this one began quietly: a rare, slow Sunday before life picked back up again. I made the kids sit down for dinner with me. No phones, no rushing, just food and conversation. It was exactly what we needed a pause from the constant motion. The kids slept in, caught their breath, and we re-connected over something simple. By Monday, we were back to football practice and school routines. My son’s schedule keeps us constantly moving, which means I get

A guide to building resilience and managing mental health. When I first picked up this book, I was really excited. Mental health in children is one of those topics that every parent worries about, yet many of us feel unqualified to handle. I was hopeful this book would give me practical tools to help my own kids and the families I work with, learn how to manage big emotions and build resilience. Dr. Caroline Leaf is a cognitive neuroscientist who has spent years studying how

What Every Parent Needs to Know Let’s be honest, talking to teenagers can feel a little like trying to hug a cactus. You love them deeply, but sometimes every word you say seems to poke or irritate. I recently read How to Talk So Teens Will Listen and Listen So Teens Will Talk  by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, and Holy Cow! This one is worth every dog-eared page. It’s one of those books that made me stop mid-chapter and think, “I wish I had known this five years ago.” Here

No Dinners But Lots of Fun Family dinners have been my big goal this year: 100 family dinners in 2025. There was a moment early on when I thought this wouldn’t be a big deal. Then summer rolled in, and between camps and travel, we went three whole weeks with just one  dinner together. Now that school has started, things haven’t exactly slowed down; they've just shifted. My son has football five nights a week, and my daughter spent this week performing with Missoula Children’s

Real Life Connections Happen Every Day! This week was rodeo weekend ! The kids were in the parade, Addie had a birthday party, and school life is now in full swing. My daughter started drama club and dance classes, while my son has football practice every single day. His schedule is intense: early mornings, late evenings, and scrimmages in between as the team gears up for their first games. Looking for the Small things: One of the realities of small-town life is that everythi

Co-Parenting, Back-to-School, and Pasta We are blazing through the year. 30 weeks in and it’s already August. The first full week of August always feels like a turning point. Summer’s freedom slips away, school ramps up, and suddenly everything is busy again. This week was no exception. The Co-Parenting Balance Co-parenting continues to be its own kind of journey. My son, now a senior in high school, has adapted to this new rhythm in his own way. Since he can drive, he pops o

Back to School, Meal Planning, and Family Dinners And just like that, summer is over. We are officially back to school, and I still can’t believe I have two kids in high school. My son is a senior, and my daughter is a freshman. There are so many emotions that come with this season: pride, excitement, a little bit of disbelief, and (let’s be honest) a lot of logistics. My Kids, My Heart My son is 17. He’s a stroke survivor with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and developed epilepsy

Calm Before the Storm, Teenagers, and the Power of Family Dinners: The Summer is Almost Over This week felt like the calm before the storm. School is about to start, and for the first time in a long time, we had very little on the schedule. My son had three friends over 18-year-old boys, which meant lots of snacks, sodas, big breakfasts, and late-night movies with popcorn. I sent them into the forest to find swimming holes, let them stay up late, and we all still sat down to

Summer Camp, Southeast Asia, and Myself This summer looked different. My kids went off to camp, something they’ve done with me every year of their lives and for the first time, I got on a plane without them and flew halfway across the world. With the encouragement of my friend Holly from Go Mama Go Travel , I looked at trips I would not take my kids on. Destinations that are not moody teenager friendly. In the end I joined an Intrepid Travel group for their Cambodian Traveler

Road Trips, Family Tables, and Finding Connection This week was a big travel week. On Sunday, the kids came back from their weekend with Dad, and by Monday, we were in full packing mode. We had a lot to think about: five days at my mom’s house, two weeks of camp for the kids, and an international trip for me. It was one of those “how are we going to fit it all in the car?”  kind of weeks. Connecting By Driving By July 1st, we hit the road for the 12-hour drive to my mom’s. Lo

Quiet Moments, Real Connection Why Connection-Based Parenting Matter This week we shared three simple but meaningful dinners: Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday. Before transitioning into a long weekend with their Dad.  During our week we took trips to Phoenix to visit friends, tackled loads of laundry from camp and travel, and squeezed in packing for his next round of summer camp. It was a quiet week, full of togetherness in its simplest form: laughter during road trips, shared m

Connecting with your kids is so important. Big or small it makes a different.

Sometimes, parenting gives you a season where the pace slows down, the to-do list gets a little shorter, and the moments feel more...

This week was a blur of family moments that reminded me why I started this 100 Family Dinners  journey. Spoiler alert: we only managed...

Alright Dad let’s talk about one of the most underrated parts of back-to-school prep: The closet. You know, that magical space where...

Hey Dad! It’s that time of year again. The one where school supply lists are longer than grocery receipts, socks have mysteriously...

May 18–24 Family Dinner Count: 1 (Number 58) Heart Full: Limitless The last week of school always hits with a whirlwind of events,...

Back-to-School Hey Mama, feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone. The back-to-school season often brings chaos forms, schedules, supplies,...

May 11–17 Dinners 56 & 57 This week was packed with the fullness of May: Mother’s Day, school banquets, dance recitals, and the kind of...

By Allison Lloyd, Parent Coach & Child Advocate Let’s be real: Back-to-school season hits different when your child has an IEP. While...