Wanna know what one thing has made the difference in becoming a better mother to my children? I made this 4-minute video to tell the answer to that question, and why I write at jessconnell.com. One of the lies moms have been fed in this past decade or so is that “you’re the expert” and that “you innately possess all the mothering…
Category: Grow as Mom
Mama, Do You Flinch?
Fanny Price is one of my favorite characters in Jane Austen’s literature. She discerns the truth about people, and sees them for what they truly are at their core. Their dressing up, fakery, and flattering does not alter her observations about their character and priorities. This quality makes her a tricky person to have around. In…
My 2-Year-Old Punched Me In the Face
Ever experienced the outplay of a two-year-old’s punch to the face? As a mom of 7, I’ve experienced some version of it, several times over. One little boy, many moons ago, slapped me in the middle of a Hobby Lobby trip. Several have yelled “no” at me. And this happened almost a year ago: It…
24 Hours of Motherly Affection
(I wrote this 11/29/12 as a way to chronicle the loving, affection happening in our home and spur other moms on toward loving affection in their homes. I never published it, recently found it, and am sharing it even though it’s now 3 years old.) This morning, when Moses woke up, he came and crawled up…
Video: Floor Play Ideas With Your Preschooler
Here’s a 4-minute video I made with my 3- and 5-year-olds to share some ideas of specific ways to get down in the floor and play with your preschoolers. IN THE COMMENTS, SHARE: Do you do wrestling play like this with your little people? Any other ideas along these lines that you’d like to share?
What Age Do We Start Teaching Them to Obey?
It’s hard to discern sometimes, isn’t it? Especially the first time we face these things as a mom! Did he really hear me? Does she really understand what I’m asking? How can I know what I should/shouldn’t expect. When do our children know enough to start obeying us? For us, obedience starts long before they’re speaking, and…
Video: Motherhood is Noisy
Here’s a 3-minute video I made, smack-dab in the middle of my real life, to talk about the noise and chaos of real-life motherhood. IN THE COMMENTS, PLEASE SHARE: Has motherhood been more, or less, noisy and chaotic, than you expected?
How I’m Fighting Mindless Eating & Distractedness
It’s gone on long enough. MINDLESS EATING Somewhere along the way of adult womanhood, I got the sense that I deserved treats just for making it to the end of the day. Or, even to 3pm. Pistachio gelato, a bowl of cheerios, a handful of dried-out-after-dinner plain pasta, a few slices of smoked gouda with…
Peace on Earth, Peace in My Controlling Heart
The angels announced the coming of Christ to the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Christmas lyrics echo the cry of the angels: In despair, I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said; “For hate is strong, And mocks the…
Mommy Life & Getting Past Survival
Can we just say it: After you become a parent, the first few months are brutal, yes? Well, they were for me, with Ethan (our first son, in 2002): NICU for a week I had mastitis for a solid, bloody-cracked-painful month Trying to figure out every single thing, and feeling like it mattered so very…