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I’m going Hands Free. I want to make memories, not to-do-lists. I want to feel the squeeze of my daughter's arms, not the pressure of over-commitment. I want to get lost in conversation with my spouse, not consumed by a sea of unimportant emails. I want to be overwhelmed by sunsets that give me hope, not by extracurricular commitments that steal my joy. I want the noise of my life to be a mixture of laughter and gratitude, not the intrusive buzz of cell phones and text messages. I am letting go of distraction, disconnection, and perfection to live a life that simply, so very simply, consists of what really matters. I’m going Hands Free. And if this sounds like a life you want to start living, come along. A Hands Free revolution starts here! I hope you will join me!Join The Hands Free Revolution on Facebook
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Author Archives: Rachel Macy Stafford
The Important Thing About Yelling
I cherish the notes I receive from my children—whether they are scribbled with a Sharpie on a yellow sticky note or written in perfect penmanship on lined paper. But the Mother’s Day poem I recently received from my 9-year-old daughter … Continue reading
What Our Children Want Us To See
*name has been changed Have you ever had a child tell you he wishes you were his parent? If you haven’t, let me tell you what it feels like. It feels like the floor beneath you just gave out, … Continue reading
Today I Lived and You Did Too
Today I was awakened by the sound of shuffling feet. It was my early-bird riser in her big sister’s pajamas that drug across the floor. I wanted to pull the covers over my head and feign sleep. But instead … Continue reading
Brushing Away the Fears of the World
When the occupational therapist handed each of us a three-inch plastic brush, my co-teacher and I looked skeptically at one another. I was pretty sure we were both thinking of certain male students in our classroom who possessed a force … Continue reading
Living Off the Web
Along this Hands Free journey, I have been inspired by the fact that even temporary breaks from technology can positively impact my relationships. However, it is the longer reprieves from the online world that truly impact my inner wellbeing. … Continue reading
Living By Heart: Hope for the Pressured Parent
This post was inspired on a gorgeous day during my children’s spring vacation. After helping my youngest daughter apply sunscreen, I sat in a lawn chair as my children did cartwheels and played ball. That’s when it suddenly … Continue reading
Posted in What I Would Have Missed
49 Comments
Changing the Way the Story Ends
*name has been changed to protect privacy For ten years I thought of him every day, but yet I never thought to look him up. The only former students of mine that I happened to hear from were the ones … Continue reading
Posted in Take Time to Say It, What I Would Have Missed
Tagged affirming messages, compassion for others, feeling let down by the choices of others, Hands Free Mama in Reader's Digest April 2013, helping children overcome difficulties, helping overwhelmed parents, how to build up a child or his parent, loving a difficult child
40 Comments
The Armor We Can Give Our Children
The ocean water was barely 55 degrees, but yet my daughter ventured out each day of our vacation bravely pushing aside her fear of hungry sharks, poisonous jellyfish, and chattering teeth to ride the waves. And she wanted me … Continue reading
Posted in Right Here Right Now, What I Would Have Missed
Tagged building a close relationship with your children, building trust between a parent and a child, communicating with your children, empowering your children, raising confident children, talking to your children about difficult topics, talking to your children about sex
42 Comments
When Someone We Love Loses His Way
*name has been changed to protect privacy After teaching children with severe learning and behavior issues for eight years, I was in need of a change. A first grade position opened up in the district, so I applied and … Continue reading
Holding a Piece of the Pain
My blog post, “Giving a Gift That Matters,” was recently published on DailyGood.org. The editor of Courageous Creativity saw the article and was intrigued. She contacted me in hopes that my nine-year-old daughter would be interested in writing a piece … Continue reading