Dawn Downes
Hey, y’all! I’m Dawn – a native Tennessean who could not wait to escape the small town for the big city. After attending a women’s college in Atlanta, I took root there and stayed. One marriage, two homes, two kids, and 25 years later, here I am, back in Tennessee. My husband moved here in January of 2016 to start a new job while our two boys, Brendan (born 2003) and Beckett (born 2006), and I stayed behind to finish the school year and sell our house. We arrived in July 2016 and have been working to make a happy new home here since then. We love living on the North Shore and I am enjoying finding unexpected beauty and little joys throughout our new city. I am also mama to fur babies, Josie the Rhodesian Ridgeback/Lab mix, and Miller, a sweet orange and white tabby cat. I'm into art, movies, music, TV, pop culture, nerdy stuff like Doctor Who and Game of Thrones and I know more than my share about the DC Universe, Pokemon, Minecraft, Battlefield, and all things LEGO thanks to having two boys.
And If You Don’t Know, Now You Know: Learning as You Parent
Lying in Savasana in a yoga class last week my blood pressure started to rise when I heard a new student talking to his...
The Proper Care and Feeding of Adult Friendships
When my son asked me at dinner a few nights ago why my friend Alaina and I stopped being friends, it momentarily stirred up...
Climbing off the Competition Carousel
Catching up on Facebook, I see the kind of post by another parent that used to knock me off my parenting axis and send...
After the Last Box: Unpacking the Emotional Load of Moving
Hi! Welcome to Chattanooga, Mama.
You just made your move here and I know you feel worn out from planning it all. Choosing a neighborhood....
Let It Be: Letting Go of Expectations So Your Child Can Find Their Own...
Before my sons were born, like most new parents, I had big ideas about the kinds of kids and men they’d grow into, the...
Learning Rx: A Review of the Cognitive Skills & Brain Training Facility
"He'll grow out of it,” they said. They being every friend, colleague, teacher, counselor, or stranger in the grocery store line I confided in...
Mindful Mama: Cultivating Mindfulness through Compassion
As mamas we just want to get it right. Raising happy, healthy, resilient kids -- that's it. But, boy...what a challenge! For so many...
Bullying: How to Help if Your Child is a Victim
The past week has had me thinking about bullies a lot…and sadly not because I just watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, although that program...
A Chattanewbie Looks Back on Her First Year
Just a little more than a year ago my family and I moved to Chattanooga. We actually moved in July, but it took us...
Midlife is What You Make It: A GenXer Responds to Oprah.com
Heads up, GenX Fam!
In case you missed it, the over 40 crowd should feel miserable. Sad. Angry. Maybe even bitter. Definitely jealous of your...