Emily Roark
Emily is a wife and stay-at-home mama of two elementary schoolers and a preschooler. When she's not filling milk cups, helping with homework or sweeping crumbs off of the floor, Emily works from home as an editor and is also a contributor at The Mom Hour. When she can find alone time, she enjoys working out, baking and writing.
If Not For the Pandemic, Would We’ve Continued Growing Our Family?
"Four kids." Ten years ago, when my husband and I sat side by side in premarital counseling and the counselor asked each of us how many kids we desired to have, I said four.
When...
5 Television Shows for Little Kids that You’ll Also Enjoy Watching
In an age of limited screen time, I'll be the first to admit that my family and I love watching TV. My kids don't have tablets, so TV is their only screen time, and...
We Were Not Meant to Consume So Much News
Everywhere we turn, there is news. It’s on our phones, it’s on TV, it’s on our Google Homes and Alexas, it’s on the radio and in podcasts. Unless you live a completely technology-free lifestyle,...
I Wasn’t Ready, But I Had to Let Her Go
In the days leading up to the first day of kindergarten, I agonized over everything. “Will she get motion sick on the bus?” “Will she be able to find her classroom?” “Will she be...
Getting Back to “Normal”: I Don’t Know How to Do This
Just one year ago, we wondered when we would "get back to normal." We cried -- missing milestones, canceling events; we mourned -- the lives lost, the routines we were leaving behind, and we...
Why Traveling With Little Kids Is Worth It
I think most parents would agree that traveling with children is exhausting and patience-testing, and more of a trip than a vacation. On a recent family road trip, I told my husband that I must have travel amnesia. I get the urge to take a trip with my family a few times a year, and I forget how difficult it is until we're back in the car, doing it again. So... why do we keep doing it?
My Pandemic Baby, You’ve Lived Your Life in a Bubble
You've lived your life in a bubble. All twelve months, plus the two months that you were still in utero.
You've yet to know the joy of bouncing up and down in a restaurant high...
5 Boy Mom Myths, Debunked
My oldest daughter was 18 months old when I found out that I was pregnant with a little boy. While everyone we told seemed genuinely excited, we also got some responses along the lines...
I’ve Lost My Spark for Stay-at-Home Mom Life
I've been a stay-at-home, work-from-home mom since the beginning of my motherhood journey. Growing up, I thought I'd like to be one, and when it happened, it felt like a dream come true. For...
I Want to Lose the Baby Weight
There, I said it. I know, I know, I'm supposed to give myself grace, but it's true -- I want to lose my baby weight. After my first two pregnancies, I didn't know what...
I Had Nap Time Plans Today, but My Baby Gave Me Rest
I had nap time plans today. I always have good intentions at nap time, but today, I was actually going to accomplish everything on my to-do list. I put on a pair of sweatpants...
I Didn’t Get to Say Goodbye
My grandma passed away last month. Suddenly, unexpectedly, too soon despite the fact that she lived a long 92 years of life -- and I didn't get to say goodbye.
I was supposed to see...
10 Benefits of Having a Baby During a Pandemic
I had my third baby in mid-May, right as the stay-at-home order in Indiana was lifted. We were only a couple of months into the pandemic and there were so many unknowns. Doctors were...
Why Having a Son Fascinates Me
I found out that I was having a boy on a cold, snowy afternoon in March. My husband and I went to the ultrasound together, leaving our 18-month-old daughter at home with my mom....