If your household is anything like mine, summertime can feel like you’ve traded one color-coded calendar (school) for another (everything else). The good news? With a pinch of planning and a dash of research-backed creativity, families can turn the season into a relationship-building sandbox—no matter how full the calendar looks. Here’s the game plan. 1.…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-biova-nakou-465336-1471843-scaled-e1747325765732.jpg11332048Lauren Hallhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngLauren Hall2025-05-25 10:00:002025-06-09 11:38:22From School Bells to Summer Breezes: 9 Ways to Make the Most of Summer
My (almost) two-year-old daughter loves to listen to Elmo songs. Thanks to AI, she can say “Hey Google, play Elmo” in any room in the house and her favorite jams will fill the speakers, so long as Google can “speak toddler” that day. While this is cute and convenient for her, it’s also created a…
As a 34-year-old mom of two (a Lego-obsessed 6-year-old and a toddler who thinks sleep is optional), wife of 12 years, and CEO of a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening families, I often find myself juggling more than just the usual daily tasks. It’s the mental load—the invisible, relentless stream of responsibilities—that truly weighs me down.…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/WP-Banner-scaled.jpg8962048Lauren Hallhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngLauren Hall2025-05-06 10:45:442025-05-06 10:45:47The Invisible Load: Why Moms Are Mentally Maxed Out (and What We Can Do About It)
From School Bells to Summer Breezes: 9 Ways to Make the Most of Summer
If your household is anything like mine, summertime can feel like you’ve traded one color-coded calendar (school) for another (everything else). The good news? With a pinch of planning and a dash of research-backed creativity, families can turn the season into a relationship-building sandbox—no matter how full the calendar looks. Here’s the game plan. 1.…
How Artificial Intelligence is Shaping Families
My (almost) two-year-old daughter loves to listen to Elmo songs. Thanks to AI, she can say “Hey Google, play Elmo” in any room in the house and her favorite jams will fill the speakers, so long as Google can “speak toddler” that day. While this is cute and convenient for her, it’s also created a…
The Invisible Load: Why Moms Are Mentally Maxed Out (and What We Can Do About It)
As a 34-year-old mom of two (a Lego-obsessed 6-year-old and a toddler who thinks sleep is optional), wife of 12 years, and CEO of a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening families, I often find myself juggling more than just the usual daily tasks. It’s the mental load—the invisible, relentless stream of responsibilities—that truly weighs me down.…