How Toddlers and A Broken Foot Are Alike

What parenting a toddler and having a broken foot* have in common:

*Considering you must keep off the surgery foot for 6 weeks by using a knee scooter

1. You can't reach things you need when you need them

2. You don't remember where things are

3. Strangers come up to you and ask questions

4, Your laundry hasn't been done in weeks

5. You keep changing your schedule

6. Going to the bathroom and showering is a challenge

7. It looks easier than it feels - every pebble is a jolt

8. You finally found your favorite top under the bed behind the laundry basket

9. You yearn for someone to make you meals and bring them to you

10. It takes a long time to get something done

11. The world doesn't stop and wait for you

12. People forget what it's like

13. Your car is full of a lot more stuff

14. Family members notice what you're not able to do

15. Some days, it's just hard to be upbeat

16. Whenever you sit down, you remember something you forgot in the other room

17. People say ridiculous things to you

18. You struggle to perform basic grooming

19. People forget it's challenging for you right now

20. Sometimes, it just feels good to cry

Mosquito Philosophizing

Every summer, I am juicy bait for mosquitoes no matter where I am. They seek me out, ride in my car and bite me in all the right areas to make me swell and itch for about a week per bite. If you sit next to me, they won't bite you - so please plan to include me at your next picnic as a decoy! Tonight while simply walking into another room, I felt that tell-tale prick and knew that I had just received the fourth bite of the night on its way to swell to the size of a dime. Each time I'm bit, I need to apply multiple layers of liquid benadryl for approximately 20 minutes before the stubborn itch subsides. No texting or crocheting can happen while I reapply the wand. Sigh. "Here I go again ," I woefully said to self. And then it hit me -- mosquito behavior is worth studying!! Mosquitoes leave lasting impressions. As I write this, the latest bite has increased 50 fold, forcing me to to pay attention to it. What can we do to leave a lasting impression with others causing th...

The "Good Enough" Parent

When I was in grad school in I-forget-which-class, the professor shared that studies had shown that you "only had to be a good enough parent to raise great kids." What great news for any parent, but especially the Type A ones who turn themselves inside out on behalf of their kiddoes trying to make sure everything is perfect. As a therapist, I've shared this concept often. It finally occurred to me to apply this concept for any undertaking and take the pressure off. Instead of saying "I'm going to have the cleanest house ever", or "I'm going to write the most incredible paper," or "I'll be in the best shape I've ever been in this year", what if we adjusted our thinking? What if we aimed for being "good enough"? That's what happened to me recently. I was preparing a message that I wanted to be outstanding. Each day I strained as I prepared and became consumed with perfecting it. As I was getting nowhere, I remin...

The Power of "I"

It sounds like psycho-babble and it isn't proper grammar to start a sentence with the word "I" but it's the best piece of communication advice I've ever learned. Often the exchange of words acts like a pile of pancakes - one person saying something on top of what someone else said. Has anyone even heard the other or were they each so busy preparing what they were going to say next? That's usually what happens. People think that if they say something, it does something. I think saying something is dependent upon how it's presented and how it's heard. So how can we say things so that the other person will listen ? How can we say something so that the other person can hear our intent ? I think it all boils down to the word "I". One of my favorite answers that can't be argued with is "I'm uncomfortable with that" . It's benign, non-judgemental and places ownership on you. You probably wouldn't be surprised at how man...

Don't Therapize Me

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