October 6
Lily Asked Me to Stay and Not Say the Thing
My eight-year-old was sad and couldn't say why. What I learned from Isaiah 53 and a woman I taught beside about staying put before saying anything.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa
Autumn · October
Every essay, every home note.
The complete archive of Melissa Whitaker's essays and reflections on LDS Family Life, organized around family discipleship, honest motherhood, marriage, faith at home, and the home rhythms that shape a family over time. Showing older posts, page 2.
Family discipleship
Practical essays on prayer, scripture study, Sabbath patterns, and building a faithful home culture in ordinary life.
Motherhood & marriage
First-person reflections on parenting, emotional honesty, family fatigue, closeness, and raising children without performance.
Home rhythms
Home notes on homemaking, hospitality, steadiness, and the spiritual texture of ordinary family routines.
Essays
October 5
Tonight We Each Pick One Conference Talk and Say Why
Thirty-seven talks is too many for any of us to hold. Tonight each person in our house picks one, and we're going to try keeping it for three Mondays.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa
October 4
Talk to Your Kids Before the Salt Lake Temple Open House
The temple doors open to the public April 5, 2027. I think the talking has to start months before anyone stands in line, and here's how I'd go about it.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa
October 3
What I Caught of Saturday Afternoon With Ben in the Room
Watching conference with a two-year-old means missing pieces. Here's what I caught from this afternoon's session and how I decide what's worth keeping.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa
October 2
Caleb Wants to Know When He Can Give Blood
The Church just gave the Red Cross more than $7 million. My eleven-year-old can't donate for six years, so here's what he and Lily can do at a drive now.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa
October 1
Soup Is Only Cheap If Somebody Eats It
The short rotation of soups and slow-cooker dinners I run for five or six once it turns cold, what I buy in bulk, and how I freeze the rest.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa
September 30
Don't Leave the Kitchen When Your Kid Cooks Dinner
Caleb is eleven and cooks one dinner a week. Here is why I stay in the room, what I keep my mouth shut about, and who washes the pan.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa
September 29
Don't Call the Other Mother First
A friend asked if I'd phone the other child's mother. After five years of third grade, here's who I'd call first, and what I'd leave alone.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa
September 28
Our Conference Weekend Setup, and the Parts That Never Work
Snack tins, listening sheets and a plan for a two-year-old, plus the things I've quit trying before General Conference this Saturday.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa
September 27
A Refuge From the Storm Doesn't Mean the Storm Stops
This week's Come, Follow Me verse gets read to scared kids as a promise it never makes. What I told Lily after a Saturday night thunderstorm.
By Melissa Whitakerwith love, Melissa