by Cecilia Hilkey | parenting, tantrums, tools
Once when our kids were young, I found myself sitting on the grass in front of a grocery store while one of them had a full-on meltdown. If you have a child with big feelings or explosive emotions, you know the feeling. Here’s what happened… The kids wanted to go in...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | parenting, tantrums, tools
Parenting can often feel overwhelming, especially when our children experience intense emotions. To effectively support them, we must first process our own feelings. This guide offers practical journal prompts that you can use after a meltdown or before the next one,...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, conflict, parenting
Do you have a child who gets frustrated and resorts to name-calling? Maybe you’ve tried everything… telling them “we don’t use those words”, talking about how “those words hurt people's feelings”, practicing calming techniques, ignoring it, taking them for a break,...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | parenting, resilience, teens
If you’re a young person–or trying to raise one–several things about the future could get you worried. Parents have asked me, “With ‘x’ happening in the [government, economy, climate, society], how can I be authentically hopeful for my kids’ future?” I recently...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | conflict, parenting, teens
Our kids turned into “typical teens” sooner than I had expected. I first started noticing a shift when they were 10 or 11 years old. All of a sudden, there were eye rolls and “duh” and “You don’t get it, Mom”. Even though we had a great relationship with our kids and...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, parenting
If you’ve been following Happily Family because you thought Jason and I have it “all” figured out, let me be the first person to tell you—we don’t. Even though we’ve read many books, interviewed over 250 parenting experts, and worked professionally with kids and...read more
