Perennial Parenting Wisdom in The Secret Garden

I just finished reading The Secret Garden (1911) by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the tale of 10 year-old Mary Lennox and her cousin Colin who live in a drafty old castle in England. Mary is the quintessential spoiled child, and Colin is bedridden, believing he is going to die. In discovering and tending to the secret garden, Mary develops into a compassionate child, and Colin’s mind and body are healed.

When I read The Secret Garden as a child, I loved the idea of the children running free with little adult supervision, their pact of secrecy, and the element of magic. But everything I observe nowadays is through the lens of motherhood, so what I gleaned from this novel was insight into raising happy, healthy children.

So here are 4 keys to motherhood I've learned from the Secret Garden (or at least a few things I’ve been mulling over lately).

1.  Children really don't need much to make them happy.

Hand and Hand Through The Tumultuous Threes

Around here, we never used the family bed style of sleeping. But I just spent a week-long vacation sharing a king-sized bed with my husband Bill and our three year old daughter. Now I can see the allure of co-sleeping, especially when the daytime can be filled with so much turmoil.

Mommy Milestone: The Missing Shoe

This Mother's Day I experienced a rite of passage when my three year old bellowed from the other room, "Ma!  Where's my other shoe?" Of course, a simple shuffling of an item revealed the elusive sandal. I've arrived. Happy Mother's Day!

Patriotic Finger Painting

I thought it might be fitting to hear a little patriotic music today.