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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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We’ve all seen those back-to-school ads: kids look depressed while moms look positively gleeful, happily dancing through the aisles of an office supply store as they lob pencils and glue into their carts. But in reality, moms are often anxious at back-to-school time. They worry about everything from how they’ll get everything on the school supply list to how their…
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Here’s a hard lesson I had to learn when I first became a parent: “Vacation” is not synonymous with “relaxation.” If you’re looking for a low-stress, relaxing vacation, you’re not going to find it if you’re traveling with young kids. Vacations can actually be more anxiety-provoking than routine weeks at home. When we’re away from home, we don’t have control…
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I talk to moms—A LOT—about expectations. That’s because we moms expect so much of ourselves (and, let’s face it—society expects so much of us). We want to excel in all things Mom. But here’s the thing: none of us are perfect, which means none of us can Mom perfectly. Take me, for example: I am a complete arts and crafts…
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I have a distinct memory of an awful day when my older son was two months old. It was 90+ degrees and humid, and he refused to nap. I sat with him outside on the balcony of my apartment, cradling him in my arms as he wailed inconsolably. Exhausted and distracted, I found myself daydreaming about throwing him off the…
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My 4 year-old son is in a refusing-to-go-to-bed phase. Once we close his door for the night, he calls out for us, repeatedly and hysterically, to help him with everything from the vaguely believable (“I’m thirsty! Can I have some water?”) to the utterly ridiculous (“My pillow isn’t cold enough!”). Fed up, my husband and I decided to put my…
My New Book
Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood—and Relax into Your New Self
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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