As moms, we try our best to get things done and do them well—for our children and for our families. And in all of that, there are things we need to be comfortable saying. Expressing them is good for us and for our children. Take a look at these 4 sentences every mom should be able to say. 

1. “I need help. “

You hear a lot about grit in the sports world, and athletes definitely have to dig deep and persevere when they’re training and competing. But there’s another quality that helps us achieve–the ability to ask for help.

Saying “I need help” gets us the support we need. It’s different from telling our husbands, for example, “You should help me more.” It’s admitting that we’ve reached our limit, without pointing fingers. “I need help” gives others the chance to problem-solve and show us empathy, and can actually bring us closer. It can apply to seeking new ideas and ways of doing things—letting others spur us on through collaboration. Asking for help is a good skill for our children to learn. One study found that college kids who ask for help make better grades, and I’ve seen its power on the field when players ask teammates for help and then go on to achieve success.

2. “Look at what I did.”

Most moms are not good at praising themselves. iMOM founder Susan Merrill talks about how coming up with a name for iMOM was a challenge. “Our fatherhood program is All Pro Dad,” she says, “and men are OK with thinking they’re great, but women are so hard on themselves that they would never say, ‘I’m an All Pro Mom!’” 

But it’s good for us to say out loud, and especially in earshot of our kids, “Wow, look what I did.” If you’re hesitant, believe me, I get it. When I come off the field or off the set, my first instinct is to look for what I did wrong. But we should recognize our abilities and achievements. If our children learn to do this, it will help increase their dopamine, boost their self-confidence, and break the negative-feedback cycle if they’re too hard on themselves. All of those outcomes are great for us too!

3. “I can’t right now.”

There are some sentences that moms are very comfortable saying: “Sure, I can do that.” “Yes, I’m free.” “No problem, give it to me.” I’m feeling stressed just typing those words! But I also love the privilege and challenge of having more responsibility! Still, especially in our mom-world, it’s OK to not do it all. It doesn’t mean you won’t take on more eventually, but pause a beat before you do. You can try some of these ways to say no, if it comes to that. 

Again, it’s a positive for our children to see us taking care of ourselves and knowing our limits. Yes, there will be times when we really don’t have a choice—and that’s the time to show grit, but when we do have a choice, it’s fine to say “I can’t right now” to people in our house and out in the world.

4. “I love my job!”

There are days I still can’t believe I get to work at ESPN. My children know that I love what I do. They also know that I love them more than my job. That’s why it’s OK for me to share the joy I get from working. Maybe your job brings you joy, or you find it from something completely outside your job—working out, hiking, cooking, reading, or hanging out with friends. It’s healthy for our kids to see us find joy in different areas of our lives, places where we can use our talents and gifts. When our children see us joyful, they’ll feel even more free to seek and find joy in life.

And finally, I’m going to speak up like Reese and say one more sentence because on the awesome days and especially on the challenging days, we all want to hear, “You’re a great mom, and you’ve got this!” Let’s go!

What’s something you find hard to say, but know you should say more often?

The post Laura Rutledge: 4 Sentences Every Mom Should Be Able to Say appeared first on iMOM.

Of course, all these years later, Reese and Jack are the best part of our life together. So when I see old pictures or videos of us when our children were tiny, sure, we look exhausted, but we look so happy! Life with children is different, and it’s challenged me in ways that I didn’t even know existed. But I’m a better person because of it. And when I accept these 5 realities of life with kids, I’m also a better mom.

1. There is no perfection in parenting.

I am a perfectionist and have been for a long time. I’m harder on myself than I am on other people. It started when I trained as a ballerina, and that tendency is still there, like when I rewatch one of my broadcasts and analyze every word I said. But in parenting, perfection doesn’t exist! 

Knowing this makes me a better mom because I feel less guilty when I do fall short, and I can keep focusing on what really matters: letting Reese and Jack see how I accept my imperfections, admit when things go wrong, and even laugh at my mistakes. I want them to know that they have value because of who they are, not because they’re perfect.

2. Schedules are just suggestions.

Children do not get sick on a schedule. Their bad dreams don’t happen when it’s convenient for us. And their meet-the-teacher event might take place right in the middle of our workday. I lived through this one recently, and it turned out to be a great day. My work team had my back, and I accepted that life with kids means leaning into the chaos when plans change unexpectedly. 

I can be a better mom when I accept that life is messy. I no longer expect my days to go like clockwork. My reaction to life’s disruptions teaches my kids that it’s important to keep things in perspective. 

3. Creativity is our friend.

Creativity helps me figure out ways to get things done. I love to cook. But cooking with two little kids playing at your feet or wanting to help looks a little different. I’ve made entire meals using one hand while balancing Jack on my hip! I’ve switched reading time to the mornings on days when I know I won’t be home at bedtime. And I’ve let Reese “help” me get ready so that I can spend time with her before I leave for work.

Once I accepted that life with kids meant finding new ways of doing things, I felt a lot less frustrated. Now I try to see challenges as opportunities to be creative.

4. Romance looks different. 

An old Instagram post I watched recently shows Josh and me making dinner for an at-home date night when Jack was two months old. There was wine! Baby bottles! Candles! Burping! And a romantic hug with adorable tiny Jack kicking away in his baby seat and our dog acting like nothing unusual was happening! 

Life with kids has given me the chance to see Josh in a new light. I already admired so much about him before we became parents. But the strength, patience, and caring he shows as a father inspire me to be an even better mom because he gives his all to being a great dad. And while romance might look different than in our pre-parenting days, the love that surrounds it is even deeper.

5. It’s OK to ask for help.

I’ve talked before about how I thought I wouldn’t be able to balance being a good mom and having a demanding career. But since having kids, I’ve realized that women are capable of more than we think we are. It’s not easy, but we figure it out because we have to—for the sake of our children. 

Having said that, though, I’ve come to accept that life with kids means asking for help when you need it. I turn to Josh, to my supportive coworkers, and to my family. As amazing as moms are, there are days we can’t do it alone. Admitting that makes me a better mom because not only do I get the support I need to parent well, but I also show my kids that it’s OK to ask for help.

Life with kids is different, but boy, is it wonderful. 

What do you love the most about life with kids?

The post Laura Rutledge: How Accepting These 5 Realities of Life With Kids Makes Me a Better Mom appeared first on iMOM.

Thankfully, my husband, a musician himself, jumped in: “You get better results if you practice a little each day.” The teacher in me couldn’t agree more. He accurately described a learning method we educators know as “spaced practice.” Whether it’s learning how to play an instrument or learning times tables, it works and even provides something AI can’t. Here are 4 reasons you should consider it for your children.

1. It’s easier for kids to accept.

Which sounds better? “You have to study your spelling words for an hour tonight because your test is tomorrow.” Or, “Let’s set the timer for eight minutes to go over your spelling words, and then you’re done.” Getting kids to do something is easier when you break it into smaller chunks of time that are spaced out over several days. 

So, if your child has to learn 10 spelling words by Friday, start using spaced practice on Monday with the first five words. On Tuesday, work on the remaining five. On Wednesday, go back to Monday’s words. On Thursday, review Tuesday’s. You can mix up the study methods—write the words, spell them out loud, spell them while jumping—just be sure she’s studying some of the words every day.  Check out these five time-tested study skills she can use during spaced practice. 

2. It works.

Kids call last-minute studying for a test “cramming.” Researchers call it “massed practice.” Teachers call it a disaster. No matter what it’s called, it doesn’t work for long-term retention. Spaced practice does. University of Melbourne researchers found that “gaps between exposures have a positive effect.” In other words, the gaps are what power spaced practice.

A study published in The Journal of Neuroscience used brain scans to watch what happens when people study with spaced practice instead of cramming. Researchers found that spaced practice creates more consistent neural patterns in brain activity, leading to better long-term learning. 

So if your middle-schooler or high-schooler uses spaced practice, they’ll be able to recall a semester’s worth of learning more easily when midterms or finals come along. The key is to have your child review the material at expanding intervals rather than every day. For example, when your child gets home from school on Monday, have her review what she learned in class that day. On Tuesday, she’ll review Tuesday’s lessons but skip Monday’s. Instead, she’ll revisit Monday’s material on Wednesday, and so on as the week progresses. She needs a gap of at least a day before she tries to retrieve that information. The brain uses that gap to lock in the information.

3. It makes kids struggle in a good way.

With spaced practice, your child reviews material from previous days with built-in gaps. As she tries to retrieve that knowledge, she might struggle to remember it. That’s a good thing. The effort of trying to remember what she’s already studied leads to better retention. That effort makes up for the cognitive offloading she’s likely doing by using AI elsewhere in her life. 

Cognitive offloading is when we let AI do the thinking for us. Professor Ethan Mollick says that when children do this type of cognitive offloading in a learning environment, it “undermines mental effort.” Spaced practice forces kids to struggle a bit, something AI lets them skip. One more note on this point: When you introduce spaced practice, give your child a heads-up that she won’t remember all the previous material the first time she revisits it. Reassure her that this is normal. Explain that the struggle builds her “mental muscle,” making her a stronger student and helping her retain what she’s learning. Spaced practice can also help anxious test-takers relax because they’ll feel more confident they can remember what they studied. 

4. It’s effective for children with learning challenges.

Spaced practice is especially helpful for ADHD learners whose attention spans benefit from shorter study bursts. Pair spaced practice with other study methods that your ADHD learner has done well with in the past. If he likes index cards, help him organize his cards by study day—Monday’s cards get moved to Wednesday, Tuesday’s cards to Thursday, and so on. Children on the autism spectrum and those with dyslexia or other learning challenges can also benefit from using flashcards during spaced practice. For them, sort each day’s cards into two piles, “Still learning” and “Got it!” As mentioned before, remind them that recalling older information might be a challenge.

How-To for Spaced Practice

Take a look at this graphic that walks you through the how-to of spaced practice. It explains how kids can use it to study for tests and review and remember what they learned that day in school.

Have you tried spaced practice with your kids? Has it helped?

The post What Is Spaced Practice? (and How It Helps Kids Learn Better) appeared first on iMOM.

I saw it from their side, and from the mom side too. Most moms are already spread really thin, and no matter how much time we give our children, we still feel like we’re not giving enough. That’s what had me struggling. I felt like I was letting them down because I couldn’t give each of them the attention they wanted. So, we started doing something relatively simple. We call it Special Time, and it’s been working pretty well.

Special Time Basics

Special Time is intentional, daily, one-on-one time. Giving it a name makes it feel unique to Reese and Jack, and to me. During Special Time, there’s no phone, no work, no anything but my undivided attention. And the big key is that siblings aren’t a part of the mix. Special Time is at least 10 minutes with each of my children. I know, 10 minutes might sound like “Wow! You can only give 10 minutes of undivided attention to your kid?” But 10 minutes can feel like a long time when it’s Mom’s full, undivided attention. And even on busy days, I can do at least that, and most of the time we go longer than 10 minutes.

Kids get to choose.

A fun part of Special Time for kids is that they get to choose what to do. One day, Reese wanted to go pick some flowers in the yard; another day we did some gymnastics (as my body reminded me the next day!). Jack is all about riding his scooter down the street. Another great aspect of Special Time is that you get to hear what your children are interested in and see what makes them happy. And you get to do it with them!

It makes leaving easier.

Special Time has been really great because even when I have to leave, I can say, “Hey, when I come back we’re going to do your Special Time, so think about how you want to spend that time and what you’d like to do with me.” It makes leaving easier for my kids by giving them something to look forward to. When I get home, they won’t have to act out to get my attention because they know they’re going to get dedicated time with me.

It lowers my “mom guilt.”

Special Time has helped me a ton too, maybe even more than it’s helped Reese and Jack. Instead of feeling guilty about not making enough time for them, now I can look at the day and say, “You know what? I’m really busy. I have all these things going on, but I’m going to allocate this time to my children.” And, unsurprisingly, having that time with them is the best part of my day.

That said, I only have two children, and I understand that for moms with more than two, having daily Special Time is a bigger challenge, especially if you don’t have someone to watch your other kids while you’re in one-on-one time with another child.

So go easy on yourself. Maybe your Special Time will be once a week or on weekends when you can get someone to help with the kids. Maybe your Special Time can be at bedtime when you tuck your younger kids in first and then spend one-on-one time with your older kids.

Since we started Special Time at my house, my kids act out less and seem more settled when I leave and when I get home. They’re happier. And as we know, when our kids are happier, we’re happier too.

Do you have a special tradition that you share with your kids?

The post Laura Rutledge: When My Kids Wanted My Attention, Here’s What Worked appeared first on iMOM.

The sidelines are a pressure cooker. You’re reading body language, deciding on the one question to ask in a split second, and staying calm when everything around you is anything but. Motherhood requires all of that and then some. Every working mom has her own version of the sideline. If you’ve ever wondered how work makes you a better mom, here are 4 lessons I’ve learned to apply at work and at home.

1. Read the situation quickly.

As a sideline reporter, I have seconds—not minutes—to assess what just happened on the field. Is the coach furious about the play call or proud of his team’s execution despite the bad result? Is the quarterback rattled or already locked in on the next drive? Reading the room is everything. Getting that wrong means a terrible interview. Getting it right means you actually get the story.

Reese and Jack have given me a lot of chances to practice. I’m guessing your kids have given you plenty too. When Reese is blowing bubbles and Jack keeps popping every single one with a stick, I’ve learned to do a quick read before I say a word: Is he doing it to be funny. or is he actually trying to make his big sis mad? Is she about to lose it, or does she think it’s a little bit funny? Sometimes I read the situation wrong and have to pivot fast, but live TV has taught me how to shake it off and move on.

2. Ask the right question.

I don’t have much time with a coach or player on the sideline. There’s no warm-up, no small talk, no easing into it. I’ve spent years learning to cut straight to what they actually want to talk about, whether that’s the momentum shift, the emotion of the moment, or what needs to be adjusted for the next half. That skill came from repetition and a lot of mistakes.

I literally ask questions for a living. But motherhood has taught me that one good one beats twenty every time. At bedtime, my little spitfire usually gets going on her own. Those nights, I just try to keep up with all of her stories. On other nights, it takes the right question, like “What was the hardest part of your day?” or “What made you laugh today?” to hear about the parts of her day that mattered most.

3. Stay focused despite the chaos around you.

I’ve reported from stadiums with over 100,000 fans screaming, players running within inches of me, and extreme weather conditions. And I still have to deliver a clear, calm sideline interview. Over the years, I’ve learned to build a little bubble of focus in the middle of all of it. I can’t turn down the noise, but I can choose to turn my focus to who is right in front of me.

There are days when I walk through my front door, and it’s like the whole world needs something from me at once. Jack. Reese. Dinner. The dog. Josh. Packed stadiums have nothing on a Tuesday night at the Rutledge house. You don’t have to work on the sidelines to know that feeling. These are the moments when I really realize how work makes you a better mom. I remind myself to find the same calm bubble I built on the sideline. When I stay calm, my calm becomes their calm. I don’t always pull it off, but I’ve seen it work enough to keep trying.

4. Build trust by consistently showing up.

I admired Paul Finebaum from afar long before I ever got to work with him. What struck me wasn’t just how good he was but how consistently he showed up, week after week, with the same preparation and the same integrity. When I finally got to SEC Nation, I understood it even more. In this business, coaches and players open up because you’ve shown up the same way a hundred times before.

I used to dream of a back row full of kids. But as a working mom, I can’t always be there the way I want to be. I do drop off, but not pickup. I miss things. We all do. But Reese and Jack know what they can count on: our bedtime routine, the breakfast I make before I leave, and the FaceTime calls when I’m on the road. And I always make sure Reese knows how proud I am of her. I do the same with Jack, even if right now his version is more belly raspberries than heart-to-hearts. The showing up is the trust.

Have you ever noticed how work makes you a better mom? What’s the skill that surprised you most?

The post Laura Rutledge: 4 Sideline Lessons That Apply to Parenting appeared first on iMOM.

These days, AI is about as close as we’re going to get. ChatGPT will never replace a mom’s wisdom or instincts, but like the best intern, it can work well under your direction. And the more guidance you give it, the more helpful it becomes. If you’ve been curious about ChatGPT for moms but weren’t sure where to start, here are 3 practical ways to put it to work.

1. Meal Planning 

There are three little words so many moms dread hearing every night: What’s for dinner? We answer that question at least 365 times a year, which means we need a plan 365 times a year (give or take 10 nights where it’s acceptable to serve cereal). 

That’s why a ChatGPT meal plan has become one of my favorite kitchen helpers. 

ChatGPT can help you:

• Plan meals around your family’s actual schedule
• Stretch your grocery budget
• Use ingredients before they expire
• Work around allergies and picky eaters
• Reinvent leftovers into something your family might actually eat

When using ChatGPT prompts for meal planning, skip the generic “give me easy dinners” request and be specific instead: “My daughter has soccer until 7. My youngest refuses anything green and doesn’t like food that touches. I have ground turkey that needs to be used tonight, $40 left in my grocery budget, and about 25 minutes to cook. Give me 3 options.”

Customize these prompts:

• “Plan five weeknight dinners for a family of four. Our kids are 14 and 11. We have sports practice on Monday and Wednesday. I want one slow-cooker meal. Include a grocery list for Aldi with a budget of $200.”
• “Here’s everything in my refrigerator and pantry. Build three dinners using these ingredients before adding anything else to my shopping list.”
• “My family eats gluten-free, my 10-year-old refuses mixed casseroles, and I have a $125 weekly grocery budget. Create five dinners and five school lunches.”
• “Suggest five meals that hide vegetables and are likely to win over a picky toddler who loves finger foods.”

We’re not quite living in the Jetsons era, so AI won’t cook dinner for you…yet. But if ChatGPT for moms helps answer “What’s for dinner?” a little faster, that’s one less decision your brain has to carry today.

2. Kids’ Homework 

I don’t know exactly when it became part of the parenting job description to be an expert in dividing fractions, the water cycle, and literary analysis, but here we are. The problem is, most of us haven’t solved for x in a while. Plus, the teaching methods have evolved since then anyway.

ChatGPT can help you:

• Explain tricky concepts at your child’s level (or reteach you first, if needed)
• Create extra practice problems 
• Brainstorm ideas for science projects around your child’s interests
• Break big assignments into smaller, more manageable steps
• Turn a study guide into a fun quiz or game

Customize these prompts:

• “Explain how to find the area of a triangle to a 4th grader who learns best with visual examples.”
• “My 3rd grader is struggling to memorize multiplication facts. Give me 10 ideas to help him. He loves cars and playing basketball, so give me ideas that involve those things.”
• “My son has ADHD and keeps forgetting assignments. Help me break this history project into daily tasks that he can finish in 15-20 minutes.”
• “My middle schooler says, ‘I don’t know where to start.’ Here’s the assignment. Don’t solve it. Help us figure out the first three steps.”

Just like a good intern, AI shouldn’t do the work for you (or your child). But it can make it easier for you to do your best work and help your child do his best too.

3. Discipline and Hard Conversations

Even for this professional writer married to a counselor, sometimes the hardest part of parenting isn’t knowing what to do. It’s knowing what to say (and how). What do you say when you suspect your middle schooler stumbled upon porn online? Or when your hyper-sensitive child comes home in tears because of friendship drama? Or after one of those mornings when everyone is running late, you lose your cool, and you’ve been piling on the mom guilt ever since?

That’s where ChatGPT for moms can help you find the words for the everyday hard stuff. (The bigger struggles, though, such as ongoing anxiety, grief, and anything that keeps you up at night, deserve a real conversation with a counselor or pastor.) 

ChatGPT can help you:

• Script calm, age-appropriate responses to behavior issues
• Prepare for difficult conversations
• Find words to repair your relationship after you’ve lost your cool
• Brainstorm consequences that fit the child and the situation

Customize these prompts:

• “My 12-year-old keeps lying about screen time. Give me a calm, age-appropriate script that stays firm without shaming him. I prefer natural consequences over punishment, and he tends to shut down when voices get louder.”
• “My son gets overwhelmed every Sunday night before school. Help me think through what questions I should ask before assuming he just doesn’t want to go.”
• “My daughter asked why God lets bad things happen. Help me explain this in a way that’s appropriate for an 8-year-old and aligns with what the Bible says. Include Scripture references that I can use with her.”
• “Help me explain the same consequence to a strong-willed child, an anxious child, and a highly sensitive child.”

While ChatGPT for moms helps us put into words what we’re struggling to say or gives us ideas on discipline, we are still the experts on our kids. So trust your gut and decide what works best for your family.

Before Putting AI to Work for You

Every good intern needs supervision. ChatGPT and other AI chatbots make mistakes with the confidence of a teen debating a missed curfew, so verify facts, Scriptures, math, and anything else that matters before you rely on ChatGPT for moms. Second, share patterns, not particulars. ChatGPT doesn’t need your child’s name, school, or photo to help you. And third, if your kid’s school has an AI policy, know it before using these tools for homework help. It’s also never too early to teach digital literacy to your kids. Make sure they know the difference between getting help from AI and getting answers.

AI can’t hug your child or pray for them. It can’t notice the look on your child’s face that tells you something’s wrong. But if it can take a few decisions off your plate so you have more energy for those things…that’s a pretty good intern.

How would you put your new AI intern to work?

The post 3 ChatGPT Hacks That Make Mom Life Easier appeared first on iMOM.

Motherhood and live broadcasting have more in common than I ever expected. Both are completely unscripted. Both will humble you on your best day. And both require you to stay composed when everything is coming at you, even a hangry toddler. Live TV was a better preparation for motherhood than I ever gave it credit for. Here are 5 things it taught me about how to be a calm parent.

1. I can’t control everything, but I can control my response.

Live TV has handed me plenty of moments I didn’t see coming, including a post-game interview that many people saw on Monday Night Football and had a lot of opinions about. I had no control over the player’s response, but I had full control over how I showed up in that moment. I pivoted, stayed present, and finished the job.

Parenting little ones works the same way. When Jack has a full meltdown in the middle of a grocery store, I can’t rewind the situation and stop what set him off. But I can take a breath, get down to his level, and just be with him in it. That’s usually enough. He calms down faster. And I feel less frantic.

As moms, we can’t script motherhood. But deciding how we respond is the first step in figuring out how to be a calm parent.

2. I focus on what is instead of what isn’t.

There’s nothing quite like losing your earpiece during a live broadcast to teach you about staying present. When the feed goes dead, or I can’t hear my producers, I have two options: panic about everything I’m missing or lock in on what’s right in front of me. I learned to read body language, stay in the conversation, and trust what I could see.

The same thing happens at home. When Jack was running a fever and everything we’d planned just didn’t happen, I had the same two choices: stress about the missed event or focus on what was right in front of me—an extra snuggly little boy who just wanted his mom. Those slow sick days are actually some of the sweetest ones we’ve had because I was fully there for them.

As moms, the moments our kids remember are rarely the ones we planned.

3. I practice quick mental resets.

On NFL Live, I might have 90 seconds between segments. If I messed up a stat or a segment went sideways, I can’t carry that weight into the next one. The camera won’t wait for me to process my feelings about it. So I learned the power of the quick reset: deep breath, shake it off, refocus. Done. Dwelling on what just went wrong costs you the next opportunity. Every time.

It works at home too. Some nights, bedtime is a whole thing. Reese requests a dance routine from Josh and me. Jack has like a bazillion questions about dinosaurs. And they both want more water. When I start to feel myself losing it, I’ve learned to stop and take a beat before the next thing. That’s it. That’s the whole reset.

As moms, sometimes the kindest thing we can do for ourselves is just take a breath and start fresh.

4. I laugh at mistakes in real time.

I love a good blooper. I genuinely do. I don’t take myself too seriously at work, and when I say the wrong team name or completely trip over my words on air, I just laugh and move on. The moment I treat a mistake like it’s catastrophic, it becomes one. But when I laugh and keep going, so does everyone else. That’s true in a broadcast studio, and it is absolutely true at home with my family.

Cooking with my kids is a guaranteed blooper reel. The audio I cut from my cooking videos tells the whole story. Reese is singing at the top of her lungs. My wildman Jack is adding in extra shakes of spices—something inevitably spilling—and the dog is convinced it’s all for him. I wouldn’t trade it. When I laugh instead of stress, the chaos and cracked eggs on the floor just become part of the fun.

When we laugh at our mistakes, our kids learn to laugh at theirs.

5. I transition fast without overthinking it.

After halftime interviews, I have roughly two minutes to make it from the field to the concourse to host the halftime show. It’s a full-on sprint. There is no time to mentally ease into the next thing. I just go. I trust my prep and make the transition. I can’t hesitate or overthink it, or I’m toast.

Nobody warned me that walking through my own front door would feel like sprinting to the halftime desk. One second, I’m “Laura Rutledge, NFL Live host,” and the next I’m “Mommy.” There’s Reese twirling around, showing me her artwork from school. Jack needs a diaper change, and dinner is not going to make itself. I used to stand in the doorway for a second, trying to mentally switch gears. Now I just walk in the door ready for what’s next.

As working moms, we constantly sprint between roles. Learning how to be a calm parent starts with letting go of the graceful transition and just making it.

What’s one thing that’s helped you figure out how to be a calm parent?

The post Laura Rutledge: What Live TV Taught Me About Staying Calm as a Mom appeared first on iMOM.

Through a lot of trial and error, I’ve found four things that help me stay close to Reese and Jack when I’m at work or on the road for ESPN. These little rituals help all of us feel less far apart. And they’ve become my personal playbook for how to stay connected with my family while traveling. (They can work for you too.)

1. I take their toys on adventures with me.

Reese and Jack’s stuffed animals have become a part of my unofficial travel entourage. I’ll tuck one or two into my bag when I fly out for a game and take photos along the way. I’ll text Josh a snapshot of Wildstar waving from the 50-yard line or high-fiving the team mascot to show the kids.

For them, it flips the script. Mom’s not just gone for work; Wildstar is out there having the best time. And just like that, my two worlds don’t feel so far apart. My kids get a kick out of it, and honestly, so do I.

2. I record short voice messages just for them.

On early mornings before the kids wake up, I’ll record a quick voice message or video—just a simple “Good morning, beautiful!” or “Hey buddy, I’m thinking about you today.” Josh plays it for them when they come downstairs.

Little kids don’t understand time zones or broadcast schedules. They just know Mama’s voice. Hearing it in the morning, even when I’m not there to make their eggs, is a tiny bridge between us. I’ve found these messages do something for me too. They give me a moment to be fully theirs before I have to switch from Mommy to Laura Rutledge, ESPN Commentator.

3. I FaceTime from behind the scenes.

Before a broadcast, I’ll sometimes FaceTime Reese and Jack and give them a little tour of the cameras, the set, and the crew, getting everything ready. Or I’ll call them from a breakfast spot in Oxford or Tuscaloosa, wherever I am that weekend, and show them the little place where I’m eating my favorite sandwich. My kids love an overstuffed extra-cheesy breakfast biscuit as much as I do.

When my kids can picture where I am, I’m not really gone from home. Instead, I’m at the place with the cowboy hats, eating those fresh beignets like last year, or sitting on The Quad where Daddy went to school. They get to be part of my trip in a small way.

4. I leave behind surprise notes or treasures.

Before I head out, I’ll put a note in Reese’s lunchbox or leave a little drawing near her pink cape so she’ll find it that day. Nothing elaborate, just a heart and “I love you!” in my handwriting. Other times it’s a small treat hidden in Jack’s backpack. My wildman loves all things sports and construction.

These little notes or treasures say what I can’t always say in person, whether I’m at the ESPN desk or on the other side of the country. It’s a simple thing, but what I want them to feel when they find it is this: Even when I’m not here, I’m thinking about you. 

Mom guilt is a joy killer, and I don’t think it ever fully goes away. What I’ve learned, though, is that you can still show up for your kids even when you can’t be there in person. A stuffed animal riding along on a work trip, a “good morning” message recorded before sunrise, a FaceTime from the sideline, a note tucked in a lunchbox—these are my favorite ways to stay connected with family while traveling. And for Reese and Jack, it’s how they feel loved, and that’s all that matters.

What are your best tips for staying connected with your family while traveling to make your kids feel loved?

The post Laura Rutledge: How I Stay Close to My Kids Even When I’m at Work appeared first on iMOM.

On the days I’m anchoring NFL Live or coming off a long day of production meetings, cooking is sometimes the last thing I feel like doing. But it’s become one of my favorite routines I get to do. Yes, cooking with kids takes longer. Yes, I’m wiping flour and sauces off every surface within a three-foot radius of my son. But the mundane is anything but ordinary.

Here’s what cooking with kids has taught me along the way and why I think it’s worth it.

1. It creates quality time that feels natural.

When we’re standing side by side at the counter—Jack on his step stool, Reese measuring out ingredients—conversation just happens. We talk about their day, their latest big ideas, and the funny thing that big George, our not-so-little puppy, did that morning. There’s no pressure, no agenda. Just us, making something together.

It’s not perfect, but that’s the secret. The moment I decided the meal and the process didn’t have to look restaurant-quality, everyone relaxed, including me. It’s probably why we often throw in some song and dance moves in the middle of it all.

2. Kids are more inclined to eat what they’ve made.

I used to spend real energy trying to convince Reese and Jack to eat what I put in front of them. And then I realized that when my kids helped make dinner, they were way more invested in actually eating it. Ownership is a powerful motivator, even for a preschooler.

Let them stir the soup. Let them sprinkle the cheese. Let them (carefully) pour in the pasta. Whatever recipe you’re making for your family, find at least one job that’s theirs. You’d be amazed at what a little hands-on involvement can do for a child who swore they didn’t like vegetables ten minutes earlier.

3. It sneaks in real-life skills.

Measuring, mixing, pouring, and following steps in order are all skills my kids are picking up without even realizing it. Jack is learning gentleness every time he cracks an egg (although right now he just crumbles all the shell in his hands and throws it in the bowl). Reese is developing confidence in her ability to follow a recipe and make something special for the family.

When cooking with kids, investing in the right tools makes all the difference. A kid-safe knife, a sturdy mixing bowl with a handle, and a reliable step stool make it safe and manageable for your kids to contribute. Once I stopped worrying about every sharp edge and hot surface, I realized how grateful I was to share my love of cooking with them.

4. It slows me down—in the best possible way.

At ESPN, I’m wired to move fast, think faster, and be ready for anything. Cooking with kids forces me to do the opposite. You cannot rush a toddler who is very seriously spooning tomato sauce into a pot one tiny spoonful at a time.

And honestly? I need that. When I’m following Jack’s pace and celebrating the fact that he remembered to “stir slowly” all by himself, I’m not thinking about the next segment or the email I still need to send. I’m just there with him. Those tiny wins—trying a new food, mastering a small skill—are the moments I want to collect. And when I look back at the random moments documented on my phone each day, I can’t help but smile. Cooking with kids is chaos. It’s a mess. But it’s so dang fun.

5. Kids feel like important contributors.

There is nothing quite like watching your child stand a little taller because she did something real. When Reese slices fruit, or Jack enthusiastically squeezes the tomatoes into the bowl for the sauce, they’re not playing pretend. They’re really helping to make a meal.

I’ve learned to let them own their task completely, even when it’s not exactly how I would do it. Slightly overcooked scrambled eggs made by a child who is beaming with pride? That’s a meal worth eating. Giving our kids real responsibilities—not just the pretend kind—is where confidence is built. And the kitchen is one of the best places I know to start.

What are your go-to recipes for cooking with kids? This kid-friendly spaghetti carbonara is in the rotation in my kitchen.

The post Laura Rutledge: Why Letting Your Kids Help Cook Is Worth It appeared first on iMOM.

Between my years covering elite athletes at ESPN and watching Josh transition from MLB player to hands-on dad, I’ve learned a lot about what actually makes a man great. The qualities I’ve come to admire most have nothing to do with talent or status, and everything to do with character. For me, these 3 things are at the heart of how to raise a boy into a good man. And they are exactly what I want Jack to know.

1. He has the power to change the energy in the room.

My mom always told me to find joy in every situation. Learning to be the person who brings the light in shaped me more than almost anything else she taught me. And now, I’m teaching that to Jack too.

There are mornings when our house is full of competing needs: Reese twirling, talking a mile a minute, Josh hunting for the leash to take the dog out, and me cooking breakfast and cleaning up spills. And then Jack comes into the room, belly-laughing at absolutely nothing, and somehow the whole room shifts. That’s not a small thing. That’s a gift.

At ESPN, I’ve noticed that often the best teammates aren’t necessarily the most talented. They’re the ones who keep it light under pressure and lift the people around them when everything is on the line. That quality starts at home. When your son pats his baby sister’s back because she’s crying and he just wants her to feel better, that’s something you helped create. Don’t underestimate that.

2. He doesn’t have to choose between tough and tender.

Some of the men I admire most in sports are fierce competitors on the field and completely unguarded off of it. They’ll fight hard for every yard and then turn around and talk openly about what they’re struggling with, or give a teammate a hug when things fall apart. That combination of toughness and tenderness is something I find deeply impressive. And it’s something I want Jack to grow into.

I already see both sides in him. He’ll wrestle with Josh like it’s a championship bout, then turn right around and use the gentlest little pats on our puppy’s head. He loves sports, trucks, and snuggling on the couch with his favorite blanket. And he adores his big sis. All of it counts. None of it cancels out the other.

As moms, we get to teach our sons that being strong doesn’t mean hiding how you feel. Strength can look like gentleness. The world needs men who can hold both. And we get to be the ones raising them.

3. His character matters more than his achievements.

One of the things ESPN has taught me is that careers end. Stats fade. Even the most celebrated athletes eventually hand over their cleats. But your character endures: how you made your teammates feel, whether you showed up when it mattered, what kind of person was underneath the jersey.

I think about Josh’s journey a lot. He was a professional baseball player. Now he’s the dad who gets on the floor to wrestle with Jack, fixes Reese’s hair for school, and, in a pinch, picks out my outfits for TV. Watching him show up for our family with the same commitment he brought to baseball is the kind of integrity I hope Jack absorbs just by being around his dad.

Our sons will have plenty of people pushing them to be the best in the room. But our job is to raise them to be the kindest. To be honest, to show up for others, to make people feel seen and loved. When they’re grown, their character will matter far more than any achievement or accolade.

The good man is already in there.

Nobody hands you a play-by-play game plan for how to raise a boy into a good man. (And they don’t hand you one for raising daughters either.) But somewhere between the 85th reading of Where’s Spot and the mornings when Jack says “pwease” without being reminded, I’ve started to see it. The man my little boy will become is already taking shape.

Mom, those small things aren’t filler between the big moments. They are the moments. And you’re in the middle of them every single day. You are raising up the man your boy will grow into. Every time you encourage your son to use his words, cheer on a friend, or get back up after a hard day, you’re building character that will outlast any trophy or title. Keep going. The good man is already forming.

What’s one moment that showed you the good man your son is already becoming?

The post Laura Rutledge: 3 Things I’m Raising My Son to Know appeared first on iMOM.