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My kids have been incredible during these pandemic/apocalypse/end-of-days-times. I, however, have not. I have started to lose my mind over really minor stuff (e.g. everything having to do with the procuring and disposing of food). I know I’m not alone in this, since all of of my mom and dad patients and friends have been experiencing the same thing. In…
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Last week, I gave the first in a series of three talks for the Junior League of Summit about psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. This virus poses a significant threat not only to our physical health but also to our mental health. The consequences of dealing with illness (either one’s own or a relative’s), social isolation, disruption of one’s…
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Why do so many moms, especially during these scary times, believe that being strong means ignoring their emotions and hiding them from the kids? In my latest piece for Scary Mommy, I write about maternal emotions and what it truly means to be a “strong mother.” To me, there is nothing stronger than facing your feelings and doing what you…
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I don’t often post things geared towards parents of older kids, but this piece by the amazing Lisa Damour touches on a number of concepts that I often discuss with my mom patients and include in Mom Brain. She writes in terms of the parent-teen relationship, but these ideas apply in many other types of relationships as well. The difference…
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I constantly challenge moms to stop “shoulding” all over themselves. Which is why I feel compelled to confess that I’ve been stuck in a “should storm” of my own, as it’s been weeks since I posted on this blog. This is due to a perfect storm of end-of-summer beach vacation, back-to-school insanity, and looming book deadline. Every week, I’ve thought…
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I don’t often recommend fiction in my professional life, but whenever I encounter amazing writing about motherhood, I feel compelled to speak up. In Fleishman is in Trouble, Taffy Brodesser-Akner captures the complex emotions of motherhood so succinctly and perfectly. It’s an incredibly nuanced and thoughtful take on the motherhood experience, which can by turns be joyful, overwhelming, boring, anxiety-producing,…
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I’m Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco, Ph.D., aka DrCBTMom. DrCBTMom.com combines the expert advice of a self-help book with the warmth and readability of a mommy blog.
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- Parent guilt in the time of COVID (and after!)
- Mom BrainStorm: Stop trying to figure out your feelings!
- Mom BrainStorm: Feeling like the “World’s Worst Mom?” Keep a diary of “Mom wins”
- This Mom BrainStorm brought to you by…Cabbage Patch Kids
- Introducing Mom BrainStorms! Today’s topic: Nighttime mom meltdowns