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in Episodes on May 3, 2016 by The Mom Hour

Online Pals Turned Real-Life Friends (plus, #podcastinginbed): Episode 49

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS

If you follow us on social media, you probably saw that Meagan and Sarah got to hang out – and record this very podcast episode – in person over the weekend at the Mom 2.0 Summit in Laguna Niguel, CA.

Not only did we get to hang out with one another, we shared a makeshift recording studio (translation: one king-sized hotel bed) with some of our favorite fellow podcasters: Jessica Ashley of Single Mom Nation Radio, Kristen Chase and Liz Gumbinner of Spawned, and Asha Dornfest and Christine Koh of Edit Your Life.

Episode 49 is all about friendships with other moms. You’ll hear each pair of longtime friends  – Meagan/Jessica, Kristen/Liz, Asha/Christine, and Meagan/Sarah – talk about how they met online, when their internet-buddy status morphed into real-life friendship, and what kind of creative opportunities and joint ventures developed as a result.

Podcasting in Bed Collage

Here’s how to find the amazing ladies you heard from in Episode 49

  • Jessica Ashley is the creator of Single Mom Nation and the Single Mom Nation Radio podcast. She and Meagan also have a brand new show forthcoming called The Content Coaches right here on the Life, Listened network!
  • Asha Dornfest is the author of Parent Hacks and creator of ParentHacks.com. Asha and Christine Koh (of Boston Mamas and the Lifestyle Solutions video series) co-authored Minimalist Parenting and co-host the Edit Your Life show
  • Kristen Chase and Liz Gumbinner are the creators of Cool Mom Picks, Cool Mom Tech, and Cool Mom Eats. Together they host Spawned with Kristen and Liz

Meagan Sarah Kids Collage
A huge thanks again to Jessica, Kristen, Liz, Asha and Christine for joining us! Be sure to check out their sites, books and shows to get to know them even better. And we’d love to hear about your online and IRL besties! Leave us a comment or email us at hello@themomhour.com.

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Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: behind the scenes, podcasting, self

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« Realistic Hair & Skincare Routines: Episode 48
Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Episode 50 »

Comments

  1. Kristen says

    May 4, 2016 at 1:43 pm

    I just listened to the podcast and it was awesome as usual. I love listening to you guys, the fun and the real life non judging discussions! As I realize I have moved out of the tiny baby phase and I’m not that “new mom” any longer but more of a mom of older kids it’s so nice to find places to connect vs the forums/new mommy blogs of 6-10 ? years ago!

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      May 6, 2016 at 8:56 am

      Thank you, Kristen! So glad you enjoyed. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kristin says

    May 4, 2016 at 6:20 pm

    I was so excited for the new episode, but the sound quality was so bad I couldn’t listen!! Bummer!!!!

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      May 4, 2016 at 6:55 pm

      Oh, Kristin, bummer! Yeah, this was definitely a special occasion with a makeshift studio so what we gained in interviews and fellow podcasters, we lost a little in sound quality. We’ll be back to our normal recording setup in Episode 50. (On the off chance you want to give it another try, the sound gets way better after the first few minutes.) -Sarah

      Reply
  3. Carol says

    May 5, 2016 at 9:40 pm

    I’m with Kristin – the sound quality was really tough to get past. But, I’m glad I did – I loved the stories of female friendship and how these friendships blossomed in really interesting ways! I think more interviews could be a fun addition to future shows.

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      May 6, 2016 at 8:55 am

      Thank you for sticking with it, Carol. 🙂 Yes, we are going to start recording interview-based shows regularly!

      Reply
  4. Meagan Francis says

    May 6, 2016 at 9:44 am

    Thanks for the feedback on quality Carol and Kristin…Jon made some adjustments so hopefully it made a difference. Next time we podcast in bed we’ll bring two mics! ?

    Reply
  5. Dayna says

    May 6, 2016 at 10:38 am

    “..if you reached out I would totally get together and hang out.” I hope you meant it because sometime I am in your town! I went camping at Warren Dunes two weeks ago. Here’s a question, how do you reach out to people online with out feeling like you might come across as a stalker? Like right now, I feel like this could be stalker-ish, I assure you I’m not. I’m a fan, just a fan!

    Reply
    • Meagan Francis says

      May 7, 2016 at 3:16 pm

      Dayna, yes!!! Please get in touch next time. As for how to reach out…that’s tough. I think you can just make it really casual – “Hey so and so, I’m going to be in your neck of the woods soon and would love to meet you for a cup of coffee (or whatever) if you have some time!” if you’ve never interacted with that person at all maybe tell them you’re a reader/listener/fan whatever. We’re all just people, right? Sometimes I’ve been very pleasantly surprised when I’ve reached out to seriously big name authors and personalities and asked for an in real life meeting and they’ve graciously said yes right away…and other times I’ve been ignored. But no one has ever told me to buzz off or made me feel like a stalker. Oh, as for the “not coming off stalker-ish” thing…I think if you aren’t a stalker you won’t come off as one. I’ve gotten seriously creepy vibes from people once or twice in the past and chose not to respond to them, but most people are just normal people!

      Reply
      • Dayna says

        May 9, 2016 at 2:09 pm

        Thanks for the reply. I will let you know if I visit the area again. Also, if you are in the Plymouth area and want coffee let me know.

        Dayna

        Reply

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Top 10 parenting podcast hosted by @meaganfrancis (MI) & @powersofmine (SoCal). 8 kids between us, little to grown. Happier motherhood starts here.

The Mom Hour
New episode! "How do you know when your family is New episode!

"How do you know when your family is complete?" is one of the most common listener questions we receive. Meagan and Sarah both now have several years of hindsight separating them from the baby and toddler years, and today we're reflecting on the idea of a "complete" family unit. We acknowledge that it doesn't necessarily look like what we imagined it would - and that for many moms there is uncertainty and even grief wrapped up in all of this - but we also find much to celebrate about the current and future states of our proverbial "family tables".

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
We're signing off for the long weekend, friends. W We're signing off for the long weekend, friends. We'll be back Tuesday with a new episode, and in the meantime we send you all the good vibes for stress-free celebrations and exactly the type of holiday weekend you have the bandwidth for. Parades optional (IYKYK). Sending love, and we’ll talk to you next week. -M & S
Wise words from @meaganfrancis - written 10+ years Wise words from @meaganfrancis - written 10+ years ago when she had a houseful of little kids and a full-time career. On the podcast this week we talk about making peace with the endlessness that is managing a family home - have you listened? Click this image at the link in our bio to visit the show notes, where you can click play to hear our discussion, as well as find the link to this original blog post. 💛
It’s 5:55 a.m., and my notebook is filled with w It’s 5:55 a.m., and my notebook is filled with words I’ve scratched out since 5:00. I have five minutes until I need to wake the big kids up for school. Taking one last sip of my cold coffee, I stretch my arms above my head, then walk down the hall. The house is still clean, but soon, tiny feet will hit the floor, and the work of parenting and running a household will begin again.

I gently open the kids’ bedroom door and stand on the bottom bunk, reaching my hand into the top bunk to place it on Rhett’s head. His breath is slow and steady; he’s still deep asleep. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the day ahead. 

Opening my eyes, I tickle his head, “Hey buddy, it’s time to get up,” I whisper. “I’ve got breakfast on the table.”

“It’s so early,” he grumbles, curling into a ball. 

“I know, but it’s time,” I say, anticipating what he will say next.

“Can you carry me?” he asks. 

I start to protest; that he’s too heavy and big enough to do it by himself. But I pause, knowing he’s asking me to step back a bit—that he hasn’t made the jump to a “big kid” just yet. And maybe, while there aren’t three easy steps to parenting, he’s reminding me I can do this—one step at a time.

--

✨ Read @stacybronec's essay by clicking this image at the link in our bio. ✨
New episode! Not feeling like an expert in the ho New episode!

Not feeling like an expert in the housework realm? Turns out, very few of feel like we know what we are doing. Last week Meagan and Sarah talked about WHAT we do to keep our households in a state of "good enough," and this week's Part Two is all about the feelings that came up as we tracked a week of real-life housework. We dive into some of our insecurities as home managers, the difference between housework and mothering, and some of the really sticky aspects of finding your identity as a mom and homemaker in the 21st century. We have LOTs of thoughts - and we hope you'll join us!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #housework #reallifehousework #feelings #homemanagerinsecurities #momin21stcentury
This is me, at the age of 20. In over my head, lea This is me, at the age of 20. In over my head, learning to mother a sweet but mystifying baby boy while most of my friends were in the middle of their junior year of college. I had a stubborn optimistic streak and a supportive family in my corner, but not much else.

When I look at the girl I was then, I'm so glad that optimism won out and that Jacob is here today. Motherhood was a life-altering experience that shaped everything about the person I became.

But when I think about the lack of practical and active societal support that girl and her baby received nearly twenty-five years ago, I'm sad and angry. What (inadequate) assistance was offered came tinged with a sense of failure and shame. And the movement working tirelessly to protect the rights of my unborn baby largely seemed to ignore my personhood except as a means to keep him alive.

Even for the much more privileged, it's a tough time to be a mother. The needs of moms (and by extension, living children) are ignored, and we all pay the price.

At The Mom Hour, we are Pro-Mom. We value our entire community and celebrate that this group represents a diverse set of backgrounds and beliefs. Our goal is to always be part of a dynamic and inclusive conversation, not an echo chamber or soapbox.

We also believe that mothers have immense value in their own right, not merely as a vessel for new life, or the means by which to kept that life fed, warm, clean, disciplined, entertained, and educated for the next 18+ years. Motherhood is not a consequence or a political tool. Mothers should not be the collateral damage of other people's beliefs. We are important, worthy of consideration, and worthy of care.

When I look back at the girl in this picture, I wish I'd known how valuable I was: not just for what I could do for the baby on my hip, but simply because I existed. 

I hope you all know it now, and that it colors not only the way you treat yourself but the way you treat other moms.

Because we all deserve it, and now more than ever, we need each other.-M

p.s.: I wrote about the origins of belief and the benefits of challenging them over at @meaganfrancis today. Would love to hear your thoughts.
New episode! What we remember from childhood help New episode!

What we remember from childhood helps build our narrative of who we were - even if those memories are fuzzy or slightly flawed. Today Meagan and Sarah get in the way-WAY-back machine and reflect on what we were like as kids and teens. As a child, Meagan was dreamy, imaginative, chatty, and obsessed with balloons (!!), while Sarah was studious, quiet-but-sociable, responsible, and circumstantially prone to tears. We touch on how our personalities developed as we grew up, whether we were “popular” or not, and if we felt clueless or confident come high school. Join us for this fun More Than Mom to get a glimpse into our growing up years (at least the way we remember it!).

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #growingup #childhoodmemories #memories
The Powers family is road-tripping this weekend, a The Powers family is road-tripping this weekend, and I (Sarah) wanted to share two things:

1️⃣ In Episode 365 we shared listeners’ best family travel tips, and so many moms talked about stocking up on snacks (you can’t have too many, they said!). ONE listener shared that their family does the opposite: bring almost zero snacks so that kids are plenty hungry when it’s time to stop, and so that those gas station purchases seem even more special. We tried the latter today and it worked GREAT for my kids. We had some very uninteresting, nutritious snacks in the car, and then we let them each pick two things from our first convenience store stop. They were THRILLED, and I didn’t overbuy on stuff nobody wanted.

💡 Takeaway: Sometimes the opposite of what everyone else is doing is right for you! 

2️⃣ Meagan and I made a conscious decision last year to move away from recommending Amazon (and profiting from those recommendations) as the solution for *everything*. It’s not a boycott at all - just a gentle redirection  of our influence toward small, local, or even just *different* retailers. In my personal life, I have moved away from Amazon for almost all recurring everyday essentials, and it has felt right for me. HOWEVER: When stocking up for a road trip, bless the everything store and Jeff B take all my money. These seatback caddies with touch screens for iPads are cheap and may not last beyond this trip but they’re working GREAT.

💡 Takeaway: The 80/20 rule is a-OK. If you need permission to break your own rules, consider this it.

Safe travels, friends. ♥️
One of our most popular blog posts EVER is refresh One of our most popular blog posts EVER is refreshed for 2022! Click this image at the link in our bio to read the just-structured-enough approach Sarah took during those long AZ summers at home when her kids were 6, 4, and 1.5. 😎 

#stayathomemom #preschoolers #summermomlife #arizonasummer #summerschedulefortoddlers #summerscheduledforpreschoolers #samplesummerschedule #summerdaysathom
How To Organize End-Of-School Artwork & Papers

✏️ Stop looking for the perfect system.
✏️ Don't overthink it.
✏️ Remember that you have all summer. Or maybe it's a fall project.
✏️ It's fine. You're doing fine. Everything will be just fine.

This week on the podcast I talked about these accordion portfolios from Lakeshore Learning (no brand relationship whatsoever) that I use for keepsake papers and art. I also said - and it bears repeating - ANY OLD BIN WORKS TOO. It's not about the vehicle, friends.

I also shared that while Meagan and I tracked our home management tasks the week of May 31 and I mentioned *starting* this process that week, by the time we recorded on June 16 my end-of-school paper piles were alive and well and still not put away. I can now report that we leave for a week on Saturday and I can GUARANTEE it won't be done before then. So best-case = July at this point.

Do you have specific questions for me about storing End Of School (or anytime) kids' keepsake art and papers? I'll pop into stories today and take some questions if it would be helpful. I can promise most of my answers will be a version of "don't overthink it, it's all going to be okay" BUT I am happy to use my decade+ of school parenting to share experience if it helps.

Happy Summer, all. You're doing great.
New episode! Most of us enjoy having a clean and New episode!

Most of us enjoy having a clean and tidy home, but have you ever kept track of how much you do throughout the week to keep it that way? In today’s episode, Meagan and Sarah share what seven days of real-life housework looks like in our homes. We reflect on the tasks we knew went into running a home, and some surprising ones we never thought of as housework before (like picking plums and chasing chickens!). Whether you prioritize deep-cleaning on a regular schedule or tend to tidy as you go and hope for the best, it’s eye-opening and gratifying to acknowledge the work that goes into managing a home full of kids.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #endlesscleaning #housework #cleaning #tidyingup #
Math Quiz: If 3 kids dirty an average of 15 dishes Math Quiz: If 3 kids dirty an average of 15 dishes per day while away at school 7 hours per day, how many additional dishes will they dirty while home all day for summer break?

67. The answer is 67. Yes, I’ve checked my work! Maybe someone who passed calculus can explain? 🤪 -M

#mommath #drowningindishes #summerbreakisnotreallyabreak
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looking for something?

New episode! "How do you know when your family is New episode!

"How do you know when your family is complete?" is one of the most common listener questions we receive. Meagan and Sarah both now have several years of hindsight separating them from the baby and toddler years, and today we're reflecting on the idea of a "complete" family unit. We acknowledge that it doesn't necessarily look like what we imagined it would - and that for many moms there is uncertainty and even grief wrapped up in all of this - but we also find much to celebrate about the current and future states of our proverbial "family tables".

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
We're signing off for the long weekend, friends. W We're signing off for the long weekend, friends. We'll be back Tuesday with a new episode, and in the meantime we send you all the good vibes for stress-free celebrations and exactly the type of holiday weekend you have the bandwidth for. Parades optional (IYKYK). Sending love, and we’ll talk to you next week. -M & S
Wise words from @meaganfrancis - written 10+ years Wise words from @meaganfrancis - written 10+ years ago when she had a houseful of little kids and a full-time career. On the podcast this week we talk about making peace with the endlessness that is managing a family home - have you listened? Click this image at the link in our bio to visit the show notes, where you can click play to hear our discussion, as well as find the link to this original blog post. 💛
It’s 5:55 a.m., and my notebook is filled with w It’s 5:55 a.m., and my notebook is filled with words I’ve scratched out since 5:00. I have five minutes until I need to wake the big kids up for school. Taking one last sip of my cold coffee, I stretch my arms above my head, then walk down the hall. The house is still clean, but soon, tiny feet will hit the floor, and the work of parenting and running a household will begin again.

I gently open the kids’ bedroom door and stand on the bottom bunk, reaching my hand into the top bunk to place it on Rhett’s head. His breath is slow and steady; he’s still deep asleep. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the day ahead. 

Opening my eyes, I tickle his head, “Hey buddy, it’s time to get up,” I whisper. “I’ve got breakfast on the table.”

“It’s so early,” he grumbles, curling into a ball. 

“I know, but it’s time,” I say, anticipating what he will say next.

“Can you carry me?” he asks. 

I start to protest; that he’s too heavy and big enough to do it by himself. But I pause, knowing he’s asking me to step back a bit—that he hasn’t made the jump to a “big kid” just yet. And maybe, while there aren’t three easy steps to parenting, he’s reminding me I can do this—one step at a time.

--

✨ Read @stacybronec's essay by clicking this image at the link in our bio. ✨
New episode! Not feeling like an expert in the ho New episode!

Not feeling like an expert in the housework realm? Turns out, very few of feel like we know what we are doing. Last week Meagan and Sarah talked about WHAT we do to keep our households in a state of "good enough," and this week's Part Two is all about the feelings that came up as we tracked a week of real-life housework. We dive into some of our insecurities as home managers, the difference between housework and mothering, and some of the really sticky aspects of finding your identity as a mom and homemaker in the 21st century. We have LOTs of thoughts - and we hope you'll join us!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #housework #reallifehousework #feelings #homemanagerinsecurities #momin21stcentury
This is me, at the age of 20. In over my head, lea This is me, at the age of 20. In over my head, learning to mother a sweet but mystifying baby boy while most of my friends were in the middle of their junior year of college. I had a stubborn optimistic streak and a supportive family in my corner, but not much else.

When I look at the girl I was then, I'm so glad that optimism won out and that Jacob is here today. Motherhood was a life-altering experience that shaped everything about the person I became.

But when I think about the lack of practical and active societal support that girl and her baby received nearly twenty-five years ago, I'm sad and angry. What (inadequate) assistance was offered came tinged with a sense of failure and shame. And the movement working tirelessly to protect the rights of my unborn baby largely seemed to ignore my personhood except as a means to keep him alive.

Even for the much more privileged, it's a tough time to be a mother. The needs of moms (and by extension, living children) are ignored, and we all pay the price.

At The Mom Hour, we are Pro-Mom. We value our entire community and celebrate that this group represents a diverse set of backgrounds and beliefs. Our goal is to always be part of a dynamic and inclusive conversation, not an echo chamber or soapbox.

We also believe that mothers have immense value in their own right, not merely as a vessel for new life, or the means by which to kept that life fed, warm, clean, disciplined, entertained, and educated for the next 18+ years. Motherhood is not a consequence or a political tool. Mothers should not be the collateral damage of other people's beliefs. We are important, worthy of consideration, and worthy of care.

When I look back at the girl in this picture, I wish I'd known how valuable I was: not just for what I could do for the baby on my hip, but simply because I existed. 

I hope you all know it now, and that it colors not only the way you treat yourself but the way you treat other moms.

Because we all deserve it, and now more than ever, we need each other.-M

p.s.: I wrote about the origins of belief and the benefits of challenging them over at @meaganfrancis today. Would love to hear your thoughts.
New episode! What we remember from childhood help New episode!

What we remember from childhood helps build our narrative of who we were - even if those memories are fuzzy or slightly flawed. Today Meagan and Sarah get in the way-WAY-back machine and reflect on what we were like as kids and teens. As a child, Meagan was dreamy, imaginative, chatty, and obsessed with balloons (!!), while Sarah was studious, quiet-but-sociable, responsible, and circumstantially prone to tears. We touch on how our personalities developed as we grew up, whether we were “popular” or not, and if we felt clueless or confident come high school. Join us for this fun More Than Mom to get a glimpse into our growing up years (at least the way we remember it!).

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #growingup #childhoodmemories #memories
The Powers family is road-tripping this weekend, a The Powers family is road-tripping this weekend, and I (Sarah) wanted to share two things:

1️⃣ In Episode 365 we shared listeners’ best family travel tips, and so many moms talked about stocking up on snacks (you can’t have too many, they said!). ONE listener shared that their family does the opposite: bring almost zero snacks so that kids are plenty hungry when it’s time to stop, and so that those gas station purchases seem even more special. We tried the latter today and it worked GREAT for my kids. We had some very uninteresting, nutritious snacks in the car, and then we let them each pick two things from our first convenience store stop. They were THRILLED, and I didn’t overbuy on stuff nobody wanted.

💡 Takeaway: Sometimes the opposite of what everyone else is doing is right for you! 

2️⃣ Meagan and I made a conscious decision last year to move away from recommending Amazon (and profiting from those recommendations) as the solution for *everything*. It’s not a boycott at all - just a gentle redirection  of our influence toward small, local, or even just *different* retailers. In my personal life, I have moved away from Amazon for almost all recurring everyday essentials, and it has felt right for me. HOWEVER: When stocking up for a road trip, bless the everything store and Jeff B take all my money. These seatback caddies with touch screens for iPads are cheap and may not last beyond this trip but they’re working GREAT.

💡 Takeaway: The 80/20 rule is a-OK. If you need permission to break your own rules, consider this it.

Safe travels, friends. ♥️
One of our most popular blog posts EVER is refresh One of our most popular blog posts EVER is refreshed for 2022! Click this image at the link in our bio to read the just-structured-enough approach Sarah took during those long AZ summers at home when her kids were 6, 4, and 1.5. 😎 

#stayathomemom #preschoolers #summermomlife #arizonasummer #summerschedulefortoddlers #summerscheduledforpreschoolers #samplesummerschedule #summerdaysathom
How To Organize End-Of-School Artwork & Papers

✏️ Stop looking for the perfect system.
✏️ Don't overthink it.
✏️ Remember that you have all summer. Or maybe it's a fall project.
✏️ It's fine. You're doing fine. Everything will be just fine.

This week on the podcast I talked about these accordion portfolios from Lakeshore Learning (no brand relationship whatsoever) that I use for keepsake papers and art. I also said - and it bears repeating - ANY OLD BIN WORKS TOO. It's not about the vehicle, friends.

I also shared that while Meagan and I tracked our home management tasks the week of May 31 and I mentioned *starting* this process that week, by the time we recorded on June 16 my end-of-school paper piles were alive and well and still not put away. I can now report that we leave for a week on Saturday and I can GUARANTEE it won't be done before then. So best-case = July at this point.

Do you have specific questions for me about storing End Of School (or anytime) kids' keepsake art and papers? I'll pop into stories today and take some questions if it would be helpful. I can promise most of my answers will be a version of "don't overthink it, it's all going to be okay" BUT I am happy to use my decade+ of school parenting to share experience if it helps.

Happy Summer, all. You're doing great.

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