If your little boy or girl is in daycare all day or elementary school and comes home and melts down, it could be as simple as spending some extra minutes with your child asking questions to access their day and to affirm who they are. Melissa Trevathan and Sissy Goff address this in Raising Boys & Girls when they speak about how little girls, especially, have such a strong desire to please their teacher or daycare provider that when they get home, they are emotionally drained from holding it all together. (I also saw this in a grandchild who is on the autism spectrum when he was first in school.)

It takes intentional parenting to keep your cool. Be willing to give some extra time to quell the raging waters! Sometimes they are hungry, so a bite while you talk may do wonders.

As a mom of eight children (I gained seven more amazing people through seven of our kids’ marriages) and 17 grandchildren, I have experienced quite a bit when it comes to working with children. We taught our eight children at home through high school. The younger five got in on the PSEO program in their junior and senior years. (I breathed a sigh of relief when they enrolled. I no longer was responsible for their academics!)

My husband and I have successfully and happily weathered many years of marriage since 1974. We both have grown and changed immensely. This is the only way a marriage becomes successful. I have three necessities in marriage:

• Commitment: this is made to each other and your vows.
• Transparency, honesty: this fosters a strong, healthy relationship.
• Teachable: being teachable allows you to learn from each other; it’s an opportunity to say to your spouse, you are right (and, at times, I was wrong); this promotes the development of a stronger relationship with each other.

My passion is to share what I have learned from my experiences but especially from my mistakes. I also desire to instill a love for parenting in young moms, but often our own baggage gets in the way. Before we can love the Littles in our lives, we have to love ourself. Too often, I meet women who do not like who they are. (I was there! I know how it goes.)

May you be encouraged by what I share. I love interaction, so ask away! They only question that is useless is the one that isn’t asked! Always contact me at https://valeriehallcoach.com/contact/.