Parenting — The Happiest Home

How to plan a child’s birthday party without losing your mind

by Meagan Francis March 16, 2014

Every Sunday morning I share a moment from my week and something it illustrated about motherhood, family life, or simply being human. I invite you to set aside a moment out of your weekend for reflection and join me for Sunday Morning Tea. -Meagan Very cool animated photo courtesy of my husband Jon and Flixel.com. Taken […]

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Zen Parenting PLUS Spring Fashion: Podcast Episode 24

by Meagan Francis March 12, 2014

Have you ever wished you could be calmer in the face of tough parenting decisions – and feel more confident with your choices? If so, you’ll love today’s interview with Todd and Cathy Adams, the husband-and-wife team behind Zen Parenting Radio. In the interview, we talk about: How to pay attention to your gut and […]

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Yes, you ARE awesome: why confident kids make better choices and how to help build true self-esteem

by Meagan Francis March 5, 2014

“I’m pretty awesome, aren’t I, Mom?” Clara says stuff like this all the time, and I’m always both amused and a bit taken aback by her utter self-confidence. To her four-year-old brain, there’s nothing she can’t do or be, and the simple acceptance that she is worthy, lovable, and amazing seems to be wired into […]

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You probably won’t remember this later…and that’s OK.

by Meagan Francis March 2, 2014

Every Sunday morning I share a moment from my week and something it illustrated about motherhood, family life, or simply being human. I invite you to set aside a moment out of your weekend for reflection and join me for Sunday Morning Tea. -Meagan This is Clara. My only daughter. My youngest child. My baby. But in […]

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Helping kids cope in a busy, distracted world & finding your mom style: Podcast Episode 21

by Meagan Francis February 20, 2014

Our kids are living in a distraction-heavy, rushed world. And as parents, it’s not always easy to find the balance between creating a soft place to land and also helping them cope with the realities of life today. Today’s guest on The Home Hour Podcast is Kristen Race, Ph.D., a brain scientist, educator, and author […]

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Building Boys with Jennifer Fink: Podcast Episode 20

by Meagan Francis February 13, 2014

Are boys and girls different? As a mom of four boys and one girl, I know I don’t exactly have a balanced sample to work with. But in my limited experience, yes – or at the very least, parenting boys and girls is very different indeed. We could argue about whether that’s due to biological […]

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overscheduling, outliers, and the Olympics: are parents “pushing” kids to be great?

by Meagan Francis February 11, 2014

I’ve shared before that we are protective of our family time, and that we have intentionally created a home-based life rather than spending every evening carting kids around from activity to activity. But if I’m really honest, my children have made that easy. So far my kids have had, at most, an average interest in athletics […]

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WATCH: Are today’s kids over-scheduled? Weigh in!

by Meagan Francis February 4, 2014

Have you watched The New Having It All Show? It airs live every Wednesday at 1:00 EST on Google+, or if you don’t have G+, you can watch all the back episodes on YouTube. We’d also love for you to join us for tomorrow’s show! The topic is kids, activities, and over-scheduling. Do you feel […]

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GIVEAWAY! Notes From A Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider

by Meagan Francis February 3, 2014

Do the choices I make line up with how I really want to live? That’s the question Tsh Oxenreider asks herself – and challenges readers to ask themselves, as well – in her brand-new book, Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World. Following her journey to Turkey, […]

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Sunday Morning Tea: Paper Swimsuits and the Stories We Tell

by Meagan Francis February 2, 2014

Every Sunday morning I share a moment from my week and something it illustrated about motherhood, family life, or simply being human. I invite you to set aside a moment out of your weekend for reflection and join me for Sunday Morning Tea. -Meagan My parents separated when I was five years old, and soon […]

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