I’ve been listening to a bunch of dads share what they love about parenting, and a few themes keep popping up. Many say the simple stuff—watching a favorite movie together, swapping playlists, or just the joy of a black tee and a pair of Jordans—makes the day feel special.
Across the board, they’re honest about the mix of discipline and encouragement, the desire to be there whenever their kids need them, and the pressure they feel to raise kind, responsible people. Even the “tired” dads admit it’s a badge of honor, and they remind themselves to cut themselves some slack.
Tom Llamas sums it up: being a dad is the best job, but it’s also hard, so enjoy the moments, let the little things become automatic, and give yourself grace.
The piece starts by pointing out that most of what we know about ancient nursing comes from a single, well‑cited study: Melvin Konner’s 1980 work on the !Kung. In that field research, mothers nursed every 13 minutes on average, with bouts lasting about a minute and a half, even through the night. The frequency, not the total time, kept prolactin high and suppressed ovulation, which helped stretch birth intervals to roughly four years.
From there the author contrasts that pattern with the modern “schedule‑based” advice most new parents hear—spaced feeds, emptying the breast, avoiding night snacking, and keeping the baby out of the parents’ bed. Those recommendations emerged in the mid‑20th century when formula was marketed as scientific progress and breastfeeding was painted as primitive.
The article argues that this shift wasn’t driven by solid evidence about infant health; it was largely a cultural and economic move that transferred authority from intergenerational, mother‑centered knowledge to a male‑dominated medical and commercial system.
The takeaway is a reminder that the way we frame motherhood today still reflects those historic power shifts. Knowing the original, on‑demand breastfeeding pattern helps us question whether current guidelines serve families or the interests that created them.
The second week of summer brought with it a cool breeze that allowed us to keep our windows open all week (huge win for our electric bill) a pool day with a gaggle of fun kids outdoor walks with an audiobook playing in my ears me already forgetting to water the flowers 2 golf lessons, 5 baseball games, 5 morning hockey camps, endless games of backyard soccer my son’s playlist on repeat in the car a lost debit card ughhhhhhh an expensive drive through lunch for my kids at McD’s for those darn World Cup meals a very…lived in house and a happy mom.
Happy Sunday! It’s HOT outside. We’re at the lake this morning, but heading to Greenville, SC in a few hours to meet up with some friends before Camp Greystone drop off tomorrow! Caroline is headed to camp for five whole weeks and I don’t know how I’m going to live without her that long. She, however, is pumped! I’ve gathered some really good links to share with you this week, so without further ado… please enjoy your Sunday Scroll. An Instagram friend sent me this award winning digital museum exhibit that breaks down the history of summer camps in Western North Carolina.
Let’s uncomplicate cooking this week! I’m sharing two of my favorite EASY kid lunches that are healthy and ones my toddler actually eats. Every Sunday at 7:00AM EST, HealthyMom Club Paid Subscribers receive two lunchbox ideas plus recipes and product links—in addition to our Monthly Family Meal Plans, monthly expert guest articles, and more! Join Our Summer Reading Challenge! Join as a paid subscriber today & don’t miss the JULY FAMILY MEAL PLAN coming this week! 31-days of healthy, family-friendly easy meals and recipes! Subscribe now TWO Kid’s Lunchbox Ideas👇🏻🍎🥯 Read more
Getting dressed everyday while juggling kids’ schedules, deciding what to have for dinner, and 18 loads of laundry is a lot. Comfort is key, and sometimes the right outfit can shift your whole day. We’re bringing the Pinterest board to you with comfy & easy outfits that still look chic.
One of the hardest things about estrangement is that the pain doesn’t stay the same throughout the year. There are periods when life feels manageable. Work, friendships, hobbies, and daily routines can provide enough structure and meaning to keep grief in the background. Then a holiday arrives and the absence becomes impossible to ignore. Most estranged parents don’t simply miss a conversation, a visit, or a phone call. What they miss is the feeling of mattering. Holidays are designed around that very experience. They are rituals that tell us who belongs, who is remembered, who is invited, and who holds a place in the lives of others. When your son doesn’t call on Father’s Day, or your daughter doesn’t reach out on Mother’s Day, the silence can feel like more than silence. It can feel like evidence that you no longer matter. But that’s not necessarily what the silence means. Estrangement creates a vacuum, and our minds rush to fill it. We imagine that if our child cared, they would call. If they loved us, they would text. If we mattered, they would find a way to acknowledge us. Yet the research and my clinical experience reveal that it’s far more complicated than that. Adult children may stay silent because they are conflicted, ashamed, stubborn, influenced by others, uncertain how to reconnect, or afraid of reopening old wounds. Their silence may tell you something about their emotional state, but it doesn’t reliably reflect your worth or even their attachment to you. You also matter because of the decades you spent loving, sacrificing, worrying, providing, protecting, teaching, and showing up. You matter to friends, partners, grandchildren, siblings, colleagues, neighbors, and communities. You matter because your life has value independent of any one relationship, even one as important as the relationship with your child. This doesn’t erase the grief. Holidays will still hurt. They may always carry a measure of sadness. But when we place our entire sense of worth into the hands of someone who is currently unable or unwilling to have a relationship with us, we suffer twice: once from the loss itself and again from the conclusion that the loss means we don’t matter. The work of healing is to refuse that second loss. And if you need help in this area, join us tomorrow for a FREE ZOOM SESSION SURVIVING FATHER’S DAY 830-9AM Pacific Register here for the Zoom invite Many of you have written to say that you’d love to come to the summit in Chicago but can’t afford it or can’t attend personally. We listened and as a result created a Virtual Pass so you can view it remotely or listen to the recording for $245. You can register and learn more here. For those unable to travel, the Virtual Summit Pass is an opportunity to participate in these important conversations from anywhere in the world and gain insights from experts who have spent decades researching, counseling, and working with families navigating complex relationship challenges. And to register for the in-person experience go here. Being there in person allows you to develop a community of other estranged parents, network, and meet the speakers after the event!
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