Adopting a child is a life-changing experience that brings joy and fulfillment to many families. However, it is also a complex process that can be filled with stress and uncertainty. As someone who has gone through the journey of adoption twice, I understand the challenges and emotions that come with it. That's why I believe it is essential to share some insider tips to help make the adoption journey smoother and more successful. These tips are often overlooked or not commonly discussed, but they can significantly impact your overall experience. By following these tips, you can reduce the st ..read more

**TRIGGER WARNING** Depression, Anxiety, Child Sexual Abuse For moms struggling with mental health, please know you are not alone. Like many, I have battled my mental health even before motherhood. My whole life, I have always felt inadequate, unworthy, and full of self-loathing. Like many, my existence focused on being a people pleaser without regard for my mental health. The worst part is that others accepted this because it met the expected standard. Unfortunately, I was the perfect target for a predator, and every fear about speaking up about my abuse came true. The responses were more t ..read more

Before motherhood, my life always included anxiety. It was all I knew because it was how I lived.   "What if..." was one of the most common phrases in my vocabulary.   Risks and dreams were squashed by the "what if...".  Parental anxiety is a well-known worry that moms often feel. Even before becoming a mother, anxiety was constantly present in my life. It was a familiar feeling I had grown accustomed to, and I always thought, "What if...". This phrase seemed to be one of my vocabulary's most commonly used expressions. Whenever I considered taking a risk or pursuing my dreams, n ..read more

Momma, have you ever felt inadequate, unworthy,  and paralyzed by self-hatred?   My life has been centered around pleasing others without regard for my needs.    Constantly, I felt like I was taking space that I did not have a right or deserve to do.   To say I felt like a possession or a hindrance is an understatement.   Only with a few months of therapy my self-hatred is slowly changing.   Realizing that I genuinely do not know myself feels like a rebirth.  The self-hatred is evolving into self-love.    If you have similar feelings, please k ..read more

Boundaries - Momma, Do You Struggle In Setting Healthy Boundaries With Your Child?  You are not alone. Going to therapy has been full of discoveries.  I have realized that I struggle to set healthy boundaries with my children.   As a trained people pleaser,  the guilt of setting boundaries has been engrained.   The other realization is that my husband and I need to allow our children to set healthy boundaries with us so they learn how to set boundaries.     Not setting boundaries is a disservice, but I continue to try to improve upon it.   Momma, if ..read more

As a mom living with anxiety, depression, and ADHD, my feelings could become overpowering.   Yet, during the past few years, I have found ways to cope and calm my body and mind.   The other day was one of those days; fortunately, my supportive husband was home.   I told him I needed to meditate to calm my body and mind.  Although this might not seem like a huge milestone, for me, it truly was empowering.    Therapy teaches me to know myself better and value my needs.   Learning to know and love myself allowed me the awareness to talk to my daughter about feel ..read more

Mom, Are You Feeling Overwhelmed? I Know How You Feel! This mom has been extremely overwhelmed! I felt pulled in multiple directions and didn’t know where to start. No matter what I did, it was never enough, or I struggled with following through.  Full disclosure, I am still feeling overwhelmed but processing more constructively.   Information overload, self-induced pressures, and toxic triggers impacted my physical and mental health.    However, my past impacted the majority of my overwhelmed feelings and affected my husband, children, and quality of life.    My ..read more

SAHM and Working Moms: Treading Water Requires Strength, and Women Are Strong Undoubtedly, women are strong, making moms strong as a mother.  Treading Water demands strength and stamina.  As a SAHM, I know being a mom is not for the weak.   We are imperfect and always will be, but we are strong as SAHMs and Working Moms! Check out our Strong as a Mother merch and much more at https://mom-treading-water.square.site/  Please be sure to join our mailing list to learn about new updates to the savings! https://www.momtreadingwater.com/subscribe/  Check outthe mom self-love ..read more

Both moms and dads ask us how we can financially survive on 1 income, allowing me to be a  SAHM.   Learn our tips and tricks for fast and easy savings on managing our food and grocery bills.    Please note that I am not a financial advisor.  This is not financial advice.  I am sharing our experiences in hopes of helping other moms and dads keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.   Rakuten: Rakuten is one of my favorites and a  FREE APP!    You search where you plan to shop, click on that particular store, and start saving.  ..read more

Confidence Within:  Mothers and Daughters Learning From Each Other  My 5-year-old daughter, Mickey, shares her voice and claims her rightful space. She is her own person, and her confidence within has changed my life.   To try and mold her to be who I think she should be is wrong.  She has a right to be herself.   She is not a reflection of me and to treat her as such is projecting my own insecurities onto her.    When I feel challenged or fearful of finding my confidence within, I think, “WWMD?”  What would Mickey do? Undoubtedly, she would be true to ..read more