Lindsay Goldberg 
I am so thankful for my amazing daughters, my loving and supportive husband, and my community. I am so grateful for the laughter, the songs, and the hugs that are constant in my life. And I am thankful for… dirty diapers.
The fact is, this isn’t about bento box at all. This is about the constant pressures of motherhood, the constant fear that we are not providing the best for our children, and the constant battle of social comparison. To me, the bento box encapsulates the constant striving for perfection. And, the fact is, I’m done striving for perfection. I’m striving to be perfectly fine.
All of a sudden, the school year has begun, the leaves are starting to change, and I’m putting on a sweater. This is the time for apple picking, for yard clean up, and for fall soups. Yes, soup! As the days start getting shorter and the temperatures start dipping, I find nothing more comforting than a bowl of soup. And as a mom of two trying to get dinner on the table after a day at the office, there is nothing more comforting than my Instant Pot — my amazing set-and-forget, one-appliance wonder.
Of course, if it’s full empowerment you’re going for, why not have your kids help plant and grow their own vegetables? They will feel so proud of their work that the V won’t be for vegetable, it will be for victory! If gardening isn’t in your future, a trip to the local farm or farmer’s market might do the trick. Even choosing the produce at the grocery store will help them feel more invested.
We grew together as a family as we learned from our failures and wrestled with waiting to see if Mother Nature would come through. We brainstormed and problem-solved, we raked and we watered, and we got to see cucumbers grow from seed into an almost overwhelming amount of produce. The look of pride on my daughter’s face when she walked in with her haul of ruby red tomatoes folded up in her shirt was priceless.
Recently, I was asked to speak on a panel about going back to work after having a baby. Having done this twice, I am definitely no expert, but I can speak about what worked for me. Here are nine things I’ve learned (or wish I’d known) based on a predictable weekday schedule.
I’ve been told I need to start liking winter in Boston, if not for me, then for my kids. I really do owe it to them to try to like winter. And, honestly, I’m getting tired of feeling trapped indoors.
See, I’m totally aware that my daughter’s not walking. And I’m totally aware that kids develop different skills at different times. And I’m really proud of the things she does do. Her language and social skills have really exploded in the last couple weeks. But this constant barrage of questions kills me and leaves me feeling like she’s the racehorse who hasn’t even left the gate.
It all started by accident. Halfway to work one day, I realized I had forgotten my cell phone. I was forced to spend a good nine hours with no cell phone.