Opening the door to connecting with your son can be tough. Here are some light questions to help you make the first step for a lasting relationship.

Embrace the Mess: Life (and soccer) is messy. Don’t sweat the small stuff—like popcorn kernels under your couch or the soccer cleat smell that’s now permanently embedded in your car. Grab your 3 water tumblers: one is for water, one is for caffeine, and one is for…don’t ask and head to the field to enjoy screaming parents, happy kids, and exhausted mamas. We are all in together.

-When you become a parent, you are no longer the center of your own universe. Listen sister, that ship has sailed. You should have kept it in his pants if you wanted to continue to be the center of your own universe. Children need you to be present and available. They do not need the selfish lady who slept until noon and stayed on her phone for hours because popcorn and wine were her food staples. They do not need a mama who is taking 30,000 selfies instead of spending quality time with them. They need to be the center of your universe. They need to be put first. This doesn’t mean for you to lose yourself. You need to still be a priority but sorry girlfriend, being number 1 ain’t it!

Chapter 2: The Snack Olympics

As the whistle blows and the game ensues, I’m multitasking like a pro. On one hand, I’m cheering on my little soccer star, while on the other, I’m attempting to distribute organic fruit snacks, gluten-free granola bars, and maybe a juice box or two. So basically, chips, Rice Krispies, wine (oops that’s my bag), fruit snacks and cookies. I say tomato, you say tomahto. My car now doubles as a mobile snack shop, and I’m pretty sure I could start my own food truck with the amount of snacks I haul around.

Forget soccer drills; my skills are in snack juggling. Judging by the intensity of my child’s stare, you’d think I held the secret to winning the game in my snack bag. Nothing brings focus like an apple slice and a whiff of desperation! Half the kids don’t like fruit, so I need to come up with something quick…uncrustables and gogurts! Sold. Let’s hit it. We can grab donuts on the way and be the hit of the crowd, well with the kids. Parents will hate me! Oh well.

Being a mama is a journey filled with laughter, tears, and an abundance of love. It’s about savouring the sweet moments and embracing the difficult ones with grace. Motherhood is not always easy, but it is a path rich with rewards that often outweigh the challenges.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have…

Not step, not half, just family. Navigating a blended family

Having open and meaningful conversations with your daughter can strengthen your relationship and foster trust. Here are 21 questions you might consider asking your daughter to encourage dialogue about her thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

All of us should strive to make our home our haven and to do this, we need to connect. Family dinners really help with feeling connected to each other, providing a safe space, and a good meal. Whether it is take out, a full meal, or cereal, it is important to sit down with each other and connect.

Kids can be insane and hilarious, drive us batty and melt our hearts all at the same time. Check out some of the funny mom fails, because, well, life happens.