Dear Coco,

This year, I’ve noticed parents and kids carrying more than ever. The emotional load is heavier, the challenges are bigger, and many of you have been stretched in ways you never expected—school refusal, emotional storms, sibling conflict, family chaos, and the hard, honest look at how you show up as a parent.

And I want to acknowledge YOU.

Your effort.
Your strength.
Your willingness to keep trying, even on the days when you feel tired, discouraged, or unsure whether anything you do is making a difference.

As I watched so many of you walk through these difficult moments this year, I found myself reflecting on my own early years of parenting—especially over Thanksgiving, when my husband and I spent time with our adult sons. Sitting with them—laughing, talking, watching who they’ve become—I felt this wave of gratitude wash over me.

It reminded me of how hard those early years really were… and how impossible it often felt to see beyond the moment I was in. Back then, I didn’t have a coach or a guide. I didn’t have anyone to help me understand what was happening in my heart, in my home, or with my child.

But if I had, I know exactly what I wish someone would have said to me.

And that is what I want to share with you today—because these messages are not just my wish for the parent I once was… they are my wish for you.

 My Wish for You This Holiday Season

If I had a magic wand…
I’d clear away the self-doubt, the harsh self-judgment, and the pressure to be perfect—so you could see the capable, resilient parent you already are.

If I could transport you into the future…
I would show you an older, wiser, calmer YOU—at peace with your child’s growth and progress, no longer worried about fixing or changing anything, and instead fully embracing all the GOOD there is in your child.

If I could teach but one lesson,
I would teach you how to see yourself as separate but connected to your child. Separate enough to know that what they say or do is NOT personal; connected enough to protect the relationship with every fiber of your being.

If I could give one tool to use in your parenting,
It would be curiosity. Genuine, pure, uncensored curiosity that lets you stay neutral, ask open-ended questions, and accept everything your child says as simply information—nothing to take personally, nothing to fix or change. The kind of curiosity that allows you to see your child as having a hard time, not giving you a hard time.

If I could give you one word of wisdom,
I would say: honor your child’s journey. Their path is not your path; their likes, dislikes, wants, and desires may not match yours. They are fully who they are. They will show you the way—if you give them the space and trust them. They have such beautiful lessons to teach us, and through those lessons, we become the parents we are meant to be.

May these words encourage you to enter this holiday season with new eyes. As the days unfold, look for the slightest flickers of possibility.
Not perfection.
Not big breakthroughs.
Just a tiny glimmer that reminds you things are shifting, growing, evolving—one moment at a time.

I’ve come to understand what so many parents tried to tell me: the days can feel heavy and long, yet the years pass in a heartbeat. We hear this all the time, but in the thick of it, it’s hard to believe.

And yet one day, you really do look back and wonder how it all happened so fast. And the lingering question will remain:

Did I build a tight, loving connection with my child—one that will last a lifetime?
That is a parent’s deepest desire.

If your view is clouded by chaos and disconnection, and you’ve tried everything you know to do, don’t struggle alone. Reach out—I’m only a click away.

Wishing you a holiday season filled with small moments of connection, quiet glimmers of possibility, and the gentle reminder that you’re becoming the parent your child needs—one loving step at a time.

With so much love,
Coco