Gretchen, Senior Writer
Gretchen has lived in Colorado since she was 12 and never wants to leave. She has a 13-year-old son who is into having a good time, especially with sports and Fortnite. Together, they are navigating the teen world of puberty and growing up. She has a wonderful husband, having been surprised and blessed with a second chance at love. Their family enjoys playing board games, watching Avengers movies, and sharing dumb jokes over good food. In her free time, she loves to read, shop for purses, play games, watch football, laugh with her family, cook delicious food, and dream of the next home improvement project.
Proudly Raising a Quitter
Last year, I wrote this article about allowing and encouraging my son to play tackle football. A couple weeks after it posted on the Colorado Springs Moms Blog, my son quit the team. I...
Words with Kids: Yes, Kiddo, I’m Listening
Work to remember what they’ve told you about certain school friends, certain likes and dislikes and their ideas for the future. These important things will come up again. When we recall previous conversations, our kids know we are listening and care about them.
Words With Kids: The Mystery of Learning Language
They way we react to our kiddos babbling is what encourages them to continue communicating. They learn very early on that their sounds mean something to us and are bolstered by our reactions.
What I Learned During My Week As A Stay-At-Home-Mom
During spring break, I took a week off of work to hang out with my ten-year-old son. I have been working outside of the home full time since he was six months old. We...
Words With Kids: A Recipe for Making Mealtimes Matter
As parents, we all want to make a positive impact on our children and do our best to raise them well. The single most valuable thing you can do today as a mom or...
You and a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Consider taking the shortest path to bedtime. The maze of dinner eating, bath taking, tooth brushing, hair combing and story reading can be overwhelming on even the happiest of days. This may be a good evening to let my son skip a bath or not wash his hair. If it won’t make a difference tomorrow, I can skip it, and fast forward to bedtime snuggles.
Reading Aloud: Why Do We Do It?
Out of everything I do during a single day, there’s one thing that is my absolute favorite: reading.
I’ve been reading since age five and have read thousands of books by now. I was so excited...
Progress over Perfection: Confessions a Failure
Life is full of ups and downs. Some days, we are able to stick to the best choices for ourselves. And other days, we are muddling through and hoping for the best. Both days count towards your goals. This journey is not about perfection; it's about making progress toward your goals. Sometimes, my progress is slow, but I keep moving in the right direction.
Your Move: Family Game Night Favorites
My son started playing games around three years old. We started simply with Tic-Tac-Toe and memory match. It wasn’t long before he was beating me at memory on a regular basis. We progressed to Candyland quickly and learned colors. Then came Chutes and Ladders and counting spaces.
Boo Hoo Hoo: Co-Parenting Through Shared Holidays
Don't plan to opt out of all holiday activities simply because your children are away. Plan to be part of a larger celebration with friends or other family members. Visit your place of worship. Attend that party. Wear that ugly Christmas sweater. Put out milk and cookies for Santa. Exchange Valentine's Day notes with your coworkers. Invite a neighbor for pumpkin pie.