Books
Blog
Podcast
Kari
Speaking
Video & Press
Kari’s Viral Posts
Columns
Connect

Get Kari’s posts by email:

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address

Sitemap

HOME
ABOUT ME
BLOG
COLUMNS
FICTION
- Reader Reviews
- First Chapter of Candy Apple
CONTACT

Kari Kampakis, Writer

12 hours ago

This beauty just arrived, and I can’t wait to share it on April 5!📣 One of the best parts of MORE THAN A MOM are the testimonies describing what we model for our kids as we work toward wellness or through a trial. You’ll love the wisdom and stories from Kristin Sartelle, Shannon Thomas, Andrea Goodson, Jill Partridge, Annie Pajcic, Rachel Fry, Meredith Mann, Mary Crenshaw, Whitney Long, and Leann Hanes. Big thanks to these special ladies for contributing in a special way.Preorders are important in the book world - they impact print runs, media opportunities, buzz, and much more. I’d so appreciate your pre-order, and as a thank you, you can receive an amazing bundle of pre-incentives. If you order by this Friday at Barnes & Noble, you’ll get 25% with the code PREORDER25. That is the best deal I’ve seen yet.Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this journey, and to my amazing team at Thomas Nelson and W Publishing for believing in this book. April can't come soon enough:)*PRE-ORDER INCENTIVES: bit.ly/3r4BDF6*BARNES AND NOBLE: bit.ly/3rXmRzm*AMAZON: amzn.to/33OLB4V*BAM: bit.ly/3rQ7I2G*CHRISTIAN BOOK: bit.ly/3rQ7s3I*AUDIBLE: adbl.co/3KOtH2J #motherhood #momwellness #morethanamombook ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Kari Kampakis, Writer

2 days ago

"I knew my instincts were right when my daughter relaxed in my arms. In these moments, I was her safe place, a source of comfort when she was tired.Sometimes she didn’t hug me back. I didn’t take this personally because I knew the hidden truth. She still craved my love and affection, but she didn’t want to ask for them.It’s easy to forget this as our kids grow up. When they’re small, we distribute hugs and kisses freely because they’re so cuddly and cute. They run to us with outstretched arms, making it hard to resist sweeping them up and kissing all over them.But as they mature, they want space and privacy. They stop running to the door when we come home and giving us the rock-star treatment. As hormones kick in, their cues get harder to read. We aren’t sure when to back off.This is why I try to love my teenagers regardless of whether they love me back. I try to show affection even if it’s not reciprocated. After all, that’s the essence of unconditional love. That is how we love our children with no strings attached."Read more: ... See MoreSee Less

10 Ways to Love a Teenager

www.karikampakis.com
When my daughter became a teenager, she did something that baffled me. It happened when she was tired or had just woken up. She’d stand in front of me, drop her head, and not say a word. When I ask....

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Kari Kampakis, Writer

2 days ago

I’ve always been an anxious person, only I didn’t know it growing up.By nature I’m a perfectionist and hard worker. I like to please and do well. What I realized in high school and especially college is that the more a girl achieves, the louder people applaud. This makes you feel like you’re on the right track chasing dreams or setting high goals to the point of an unhealthy obsession. My saving grace - I realize now - was my parents. While I loaded pressure on myself, they took that pressure off. Whenever I lost, or fell short, or didn’t get the desired outcome, my dad had one question: “Did you do your best?” When I said “Yes” he’d reply, “Well then, there’s nothing you could have done differently. Just do your best - and leave the results to God.” They were always proud of me and my siblings because they trusted God’s plan for our lives.One mistake we make as parents today is believing only 1 outcome is acceptable - and if it doesn’t pan out, life is over. We don’t trust God’s plan and sovereignty, or His ability to open doors through pain. A counselor told me that if we don’t put our anxiety into something higher than ourselves, we’ll try to micromanage it. This is where we spiral. This can make us overly controlling as we fixate on forcing one outcome. It can make us anxious parents who add to our kids’ anxiety - instead of taking the pressure off.My parents weren’t perfect, but they got the big things right. They didn’t live through us or rely on us to make them look like rock-star parents. They cared more about our faith than our resumes, and they taught us to do our best - and leave the results to God. This motto has worked wonders for my anxiety, and I now see anxiety as a desirable difficulty that fuels my faith. Nothing brings me peace like feeling His love and trusting His plan over mine. Today’s kids are drowning in anxiety. As parents, we have a chance to help with our response. As we grow healthy-minded, we become better guides and mentors. We learn to frame events through a bigger lens - and embrace the story that God is telling through us and also our kids🤍For more inspiration join Kari Kampakis, Writer, pre-order Kari's new book #morethanamombook (amzn.to/3qAJ8Dz) or check out these bestselling books:#loveherwell —> amzn.to/2EtDBFX #10truths —> amzn.to/2niGdf9 #likedbook —> bit.ly/3ow245h ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Kari Kampakis, Writer

4 days ago

When your kids are little, you can get parenting advice from anyone. You can go to a playgroup and find someone to help you with potty training, or ear infections, or toddlers jumping out of the crib. As your kids grow up, however, you’ve got to be more selective and careful who you talk to. Your village, team, or circle of advisers gets smaller, and it’s increasingly important to choose advisers who share your values and are trustworthy. One reason why I wrote #morethanamombook and #loveherwellbook is to give moms a springboard for conversation - stories they can talk about or study in a small group to get the community and encouragement they without betraying their child’s confidence. It takes prayer and intentional thinking to toe the line between protecting your teenager’s privacy and getting the support you need as a parent. In a world that overshares and values “transparency” make sure the stories you share are your stories to tell🤍For more inspiration join Kari Kampakis, Writer, pre-order Kari's new book MORE THAN A MOM (amzn.to/3qAJ8Dz) or check out these bestselling books:#loveherwell —> amzn.to/2EtDBFX #10truths —> amzn.to/2niGdf9 #likedbook —> bit.ly/3ow245h ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Kari Kampakis, Writer

6 days ago

Oxford! 💙❤️ Thank you for three amazing mother and daughter events hosted by @ouumc. I forgot how much I love making new friends at speaking events, and I could not have asked for a better audience or warmer welcome (especially you moms this morning after my husband gave me a heart attack buzzing in the middle of the talk…funny afterward but not when I thought something was wrong!) A huge thanks to Jenny Addy and Carmen Maddox for planning this event, and the many hands who played a role, including Ashley Kinard, Beth Hunt, Lauren Norton, Olivia Prescott, and Caroline. Also, dinner at @thesipponsouthlamar was delicious and I highly recommend it for anyone in or visiting Oxford. Thank you to everyone who came and made my trip special - this was my first event of 2022 and got me excited for what’s ahead!#speakingevents #mothers #parenting #raisingteens #loveherwellbook #morethanamombook #10truths #likedbook #oxford #southerntowns ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
My Tweets

Kari on Instagram

This beauty just arrived, and I can’t wait to sh

Moms of tween girls often ask when they should all

Last game of a really fun season cheering on the S

When your kids are little, you can get parenting a

Oxford! 💙❤️ Thank you for three amazing mot

From an article I wrote in 2020, and still relevan

As moms, our labors of love go largely unseen. Our

Load More... Follow on Instagram