by ellenboeder | Jan 22, 2017 | Uncategorized
One of the greatest sources of stress in my life are my relationships. Relationships are also my most valuable resource. Throughout my life, nothing has brought me such enormous pain, or profound meaning, as my relationships. Struggling with relationships with my...
by ellenboeder | Dec 12, 2016 | Girls, Motherhood
Before I became a mother, I used to have no way to understand mother’s who were sad, let alone cried, on their kids’ birthdays. It took becoming a mother for me to understand the birthday crying, along with the rest of the feelings that mother’s have about their kids...
by ellenboeder | Oct 25, 2016 | autoimmune, empowerment, Feminism, health, Marriage, Motherhood, psychology, relationship
Mothers, if you are married or partnered, I know a form of self care that will give you more energy back than you expend doing it. Want to know what it is? Take care of your relationship. I know. You’re already taking care of a TON of things. I know...
by ellenboeder | Sep 26, 2016 | empowerment, Feminism, Motherhood, psychology
Recently I was sitting across from a client in the process of enduring and assimilating a devastating, irreplaceable loss. In the midst of her profound grief and flowing tears, she spoke of an impulse to destroy herself, and a heartfelt realization came to me: For the...
by ellenboeder | Aug 12, 2016 | empowerment, Feminism, Motherhood, values
Ok, I really don’t want to be a downer on the party here. I get why some moms would want to go see the movie “Bad Moms.” It will probably be funny, and cathartic. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be entertained for a night. What I can’t seem to...
by ellenboeder | Jul 24, 2016 | empowerment, Feminism, Motherhood, nurturing, Parenting
This post was partly inspired by a recent decision to ban the sale of ice cream at our summer pools, because ice cream was deemed unhealthy for our kids by the City of Boulder. I was offended that the city felt the need to make decisions for me about what is healthy...
by ellenboeder | May 23, 2016 | empowerment, Feminism, Motherhood, psychology
This weekend I was at a social gathering, and within minutes of arriving became involved in a conversation with a woman I’d just met about some of the changes in herself she noticed after becoming a mother. Ok, yes, I probably did steer our chat in that direction due...
by ellenboeder | May 20, 2016 | Motherhood, psychology, values
“You’re such a good mom.” This is one of the most loaded compliments a mother hears. It’s loaded with someone else’s biases. They’re basically saying, “You mother in the way I think you should, therefore, I approve of your mothering.” It’s a value...
by ellenboeder | Mar 28, 2016 | empowerment, Feminism, Motherhood, nurturing, psychology, values
“Why isn’t motherhood enough?” A smart, career oriented, devoted mother I know recently asked this worthwhile question to a group of mothers discussing the work/motherhood thing (and I’m not going to say work/motherhood “balance” because that phrase makes me cringe)....
by ellenboeder | Mar 14, 2016 | empathy, Marriage, Motherhood, nurturing, Parenting, psychology
Empathy as a mother is a crucial skill. Our children depend on our ability to sense and feel them deeply, and to use that information to keep creating balance, harmony, and well being in our fluctuating family systems. Being empathic is an asset as a human being,...
