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I speak often (too much?) about how much I love the show Parks and Recreation and the character of Leslie Knope specifically. One of my favorite Leslie bits involves her made-up holiday of Galentine’s Day, which falls on February 13 (today!). Leslie describes the holiday as follows: “Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13, my…
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Emma, mom to a 1 and 3 year-old, was a proud member of what she called “The Sleep Police.” Her kids were on a strict sleeping/napping schedule that she would move mountains to maintain. By her own admission, Emma was rigid with her children’s schedules, believing that if she wasn’t, chaos would ensue. Emma’s holiday plans always involved staying over…
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Moms, you are not Santa. You do not have magical reindeer. You cannot consume a gazillion chocolate chip cookies without getting gravely ill. And, most importantly, you do not have a staff of elves to do your bidding. In a recent post I talked about how moms have overblown expectations for the holiday season—they expect magical things to happen and…
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Those of you who’ve seen my previous videos and articles will know that I am a hardcore fan of planning ahead for big events. Not surprisingly, I advocate for extensive holiday planning, starting a few weeks out from the holidays. Here are a few guidelines for effective holiday planning: Break big tasks down into smaller steps: Make a list of…
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It’s no secret that the holidays can be incredibly stressful, especially for moms of little ones. Here’s a list of eight cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) strategies for surviving the holidays with young kids. Set appropriate expectations: Those first few holidays with little ones will likely not be magical, thanks to the completely unpredictable nature of young kids. Set your expectations low,…
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As soon as my son was born, I started dreaming about his first holiday season, even though it was only April. By the time December rolled around I had everything perfectly planned out: adorable Christmas sweater, check. Toy menorah, check. Appointment to sit on Santa’s lap, check. I’d waited so many years to bring the magic of the holidays to…
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About Me
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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