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Stories from real family life + the small daily anchors that help me stay grounded enough to connect with my kids.
The internet is full of parenting advice.
Most of it assumes:
• you slept well
• you only have one child
• and everyone in your house enjoys cooperating.
Parenting Connected is a weekly newsletter about real family life - the funny, messy, unexpectedly great moments of raising children while trying to stay grounded enough to actually connect with them.
I’m Lou - a writer, mum of three, & former social worker who used to teach other parents about emotional regulation.
Now I mostly practice it while:
• negotiating with a toddler about wearing trousers
• allocating one swear word per week like linguistic pocket money
• trying to exercise in jeans because I couldn’t be bothered to change after the school run
Every Monday I write about family life as it actually unfolds.
I take the most chaotic moments from our week, find the humour in them, & turn them into stories you can read and think:
“Oh good - it’s not just us.”
If you’re brand new, start here:
Later in the week, I share the small things that quietly made my days feel better.
Not big changes, just the specific adjustments that shifted something.
Reading a magazine in the car while waiting between kids’ clubs instead of reaching for my phone.
Listening to an audiobook on normal speed so I actually enjoy it.
Buying candlesticks because scented candles don’t work in our house & I missed them.
Realising (via a hand-me-down water bottle) that I’m allowed nice, slightly unnecessary things too.
Small things.
But they change everything.
That’s what Parenting Connected is really about.
What I Mean by Small Shifts & Anchors (and how I actually use them)
I share this in a few different ways and each one does something slightly different.
Weekly Small Shifts.
In a way, these posts have become a kind of real-time experiment in what actually helps mums feel good, in the middle of real life, not outside of it.
I explore the subtle changes in how I move through my days, the tiny tweaks that make things feel calmer, lighter, or just a bit more like me.
Not products or recommendations, just real-life shifts inside ordinary moments.
Monthly Edit.
Every month I share my Anchors. The books, products, shows, and small rituals that made the month feel more enjoyable - or gave me something to look forward to.
Seasonal Anchors
These sit underneath everything.
A big part of feeling good (for me) comes from noticing the season I’m in and gently leaning into it, rather than pushing against it.
What I can see, smell, cook, decorate for.
What feels slower, what feels fuller.
Letting the natural pace of that time of year shape my days, just a little.
Try this Small Shifts post for free - my aim is to give you some ideas for tiny tweaks in your own life.
Don’t Know Where to Start?
If figuring out your own anchors/shifts & where they might actually fit into your current life (this part matters most for consistency) feels a bit out of reach, I can help.
I’ve opened a small number of Personal Anchors sessions.
This is a 45-minute reset where you can share what your days currently look like (what feels heavy, rushed, or not quite working) & I’ll help you find a few small, realistic shifts that would genuinely make them feel better.
Before the call, you’ll send me a rough picture of your routines, & I’ll come prepared with a few personalised anchors and where they could actually fit into your week.
We’ll then talk it through together & shape it into something that feels doable in your real life.
You’ll leave with a handful of small changes that feel manageable, but make a noticeable difference to how your days feel.
There’s also an Email Reset option if you’d prefer to write everything out & have me come back with a few reflections and personalised anchors to try.
I’ll keep both to a few each week so it stays personal.
If it feels like something you’d want, you can reply to this email or send me a message & I’ll share the details.
When You Subscribe
Free subscribers receive:
my weekly Day-in-the-Life posts about ordinary family life
occasional funny essays & reflections on motherhood
quarterly seasonal anchors, a collection of small, seasonal, simple ways to bring a bit of ease, comfort or enjoyment into everyday life as the seasons shift. A bank of ideas you can dip into whenever you need to top your own cup back up.
Paid subscribers receive:
• More personal story pieces - the kind you might normally tell a friend over dinner rather than publish on the internet.
Stories like: Our Unexpected Third Pregnancy
• Weekly Small Shifts - personal reflections on my week & the small adjustments that helped me stay feeling good (sane) inside it.
I share them as a little inspiration for anyone else trying to keep their own cup topped up while raising a family.
• The Monthly Edit — a chatty 30 minute video on the books, shows, products & small rituals quietly making life feel fun.
No repeats from my Weekly Shifts, these are additional products or tangible things that gave me something to look forward to each day.
If you can appreciate the funny side of motherhood & you are looking for small, impactful ways to make family life feel good so that you can show up in connection, you’ll probably enjoy it here.
You can subscribe below, come & join us.