[Thank you for signing up to hear from me! ~Laura from Parenting Without Booze Medium Publication]

I’m nervous, so I’m gonna jump right in…

Recently, my daughter was pacing up and down the hallway, rubbing her sweaty hands together while she waited for her music performance to start. I reminded her that waiting is the hardest part. (Most of my parenting one-liners come from Tom Petty or other assorted classic rockers.) I have been feeling the same way about writing this email to you. I have been nervous about sending my first email, but really, I just want to connect. So, I’m skipping the waiting and jumping right in.

Speaking of connections….

It’s the number one thing that helps me parent without booze. Connection is the secret sauce I pour over hard little moments like when my teenager is all angsty or when my little one is feeling defeated about math. I just do my best to connect, even when I’m imperfect and clunky about it. These connections–and the stories we share in between–bring out the sober-best in us.

Below are links to my most recent stories about connecting and exploring sobriety as a parent. (Big slices of vulnerable pie, really.)

My First Sober Christmas

My First Sober Christmas marked a pivotal moment in my sobriety, parenting, and what it means to truly have time to myself. As a drinker, the virtues of being an early riser felt like a curse, especially at Christmas time. After all, don’t parties and extra stress seem like a big permission slip to booze it up?

My Drinking Story

The Ascent publication published How Telling My Drinking Story Changed My Story. But it’s not just a drinking story. It’s about how to understand our stories as just that; stories. We forget that they don’t have to define us and yet there is magic in sharing them. The gems and a-ha moments are in the retelling, the healing is in the rewrite.

Where to find me…

It’s wonderful to be growing my connections on Medium, but they are not as real-timey as Twitter or Instagram. Hope to see you over there as well as on my new website, ParentingWithoutBooze.com

As always, feel free to hit reply with a note, a question or just to say hi (because connecting!)

Also, I believe in you,

~Laura

[Thank you for signing up to hear from me! ~Laura from Parenting Without Booze Medium Publication] was originally published in Parenting Without Booze on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.