About the Blog

Parenting is the hardest thing we've ever done, and while we're so far from perfect at it, we've learned a few things since our parenting journey began years ago. One thing that we've learned recently is that if we focus on the struggles we're experiencing with one of our children (or any child, actually) we will start to associate negative feelings with that child.

For instance, as I write this, our daughter, Abigail, is a couple months shy of her fourth birthday. Not only is she 3, but she is saucy, sometimes aggressive, and stubbornly refuses to poop on the potty, even though she's starting kindergarten in a few weeks.

We have talked with each other about our woes. We've talked with family. We've talked with friends. We've even made casual comments to complete strangers (think,"Yes, we've got our hands full with this one!") Her behaviour has such an immense impact on our family, and we are confronted with it so often, that it is really easy to become blinded to how funny she is. To how much she loves snuggles (on her own terms.) To how sensitive her feelings are, and how much she loves her brother and sister. She has a fabulous imagination, and a great sense of humour.

Add on to all of this my anxiety and tendency to worry about things rather than enjoy them, and you'll realize that seeing the positive is a real struggle at this point of our lives!

Matthew had the idea to start a blog where every day we post something that makes us happy or that is positive in our lives, and call it The Happiness Project. Well, that name was already taken, but we figured that there wouldn't have been many Glanfield-specific happiness projects out here, so here we are! Starting a family blog that talks about the many things that are good in our life together with the goal of changing our thought patterns so that we see the good and happy things more easily as we go about our day.