Parenting

Kids and the Concept of Love

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

“I’m in love.”
“No, you’re not. You don’t know what love is. You love cupcakes and ponies.” – Steve Byrne, The Byrne Identity

Kids are funny when it comes to love. Adults see it as a deep emotional connection, but children are still figuring out what that feeling even is. They might say “I love you” to a parent, announce plans to marry a playground friend, or juggle “relationships” with multiple classmates. They hug with their whole bodies and may even offer a kiss simply because they don’t know another way to show affection.

Kids may not fully grasp what love means, but they’re learning how it feels, how to express it, and how to set safe boundaries—and that learning begins from the moment they’re born.

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Child(ish) Reads: The Family Dynamic

| Patti Webb

When I was in college, our rowing team competed at The Head of the Charles in Boston, and a group of us stayed in one of the dorms at Harvard. The girl we stayed with was a friend of some of our rowers and she had a twin brother who also attended Harvard.

So, there’s two high-achieving kids in the same family who are Harvard educated. I found out later that they had triplet younger sisters, all of which excelled in their own respective sports, including rowing and wakeboarding. Later, all five of the siblings would graduate and enter the fields of medicine and public speaking. How? Just… how??

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Patti’s New Year’s Resolutions: 2026

| Patti Webb

Last week, I passed my PMP certification exam. This was my biggest goal from 2025, and I’m so relieved and excited to have that under my belt. Last year (hopefully) was the end of a tumultuous couple retrograde years and I’m happy to put it all in the rear view with something tangible to show for it.

Now that I’m out from underneath the studying, I’m faced with a million different TikToks of young 20-somethings figuring out planners and annual productivity goals for the first time…

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Mary’s New Year Resolutions: 2026

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

I’m proud to say that I accomplished most of my resolutions from last year. 2025 became a real reset for me, serving as a chance to recharge and rethink how I want to move through this next phase of life.

This year is about real follow‑through, committing to making progress on the goals I’ve let slide in the past. In the clinic, I used SMART goals to help ensure that care is clear, measurable, and aligned with my clients’ needs:

  • Specific – the goal is clear and focused
  • Measurable – progress can be tracked and know when it’s achieved
  • Achievable – realistic to one’s current capacity and circumstances
  • Relevant – aligns with one’s values and priorities
  • Time-bound – the deadline or time frame for the goal to be met

Using this method for my resolutions, I’m aiming to lock these habits in for good. It’s a lifestyle change; a deliberate break from routines that just don’t fit me anymore.

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Our SweatHouz Mom Date

| Patti Webb

We’re going easy for the first content week of the year, by sharing our latest Mom Date review. Mary and I were both hosting and coordinating for what seems like the entire holiday season. So, we took advantage of a quiet window of time last weekend to visit the new SweatHouz that just opened up by me.

SweatHouz is a modern wellness studio, using infrared saunas, cold plunges, and contrast therapy to reset the body and mind.

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