Jackie Nastri Bardenwerper
Jackie Nastri Bardenwerper lives in Fairfield, CT with her husband and three children, ages 10, 7, and 4. She is the author of several novels that encourage tween and teen girls to listen to their inner voice, from saving the family fishing business in ON THE LINE, to following a passion for crafting in SALTED CARAMEL DREAMS, and exposing a friend’s hurtful social media platform in POPULATTI. She is currently working on a new children's book series and a new novel on motherhood. She also shares her own motherhood experiences on her Instagram @jnbwrite. When not writing, you can find Jackie and her family enjoying Fairfield’s beautiful coastline where they love fishing, swimming and sailing.
Our Family’s YouTube Detox: Reading the Classics
It was a brilliant Saturday morning, the sun shining, the air warm—just the type of day my kids loved for playing outside. Yet instead of racing out the door, my kids were clumped together...
If I Could Bottle Up Age Four
If I could bottle up age four, pictures of rainbows would always cover my walls. The letter “m” in mom would be big and shaky, the “o” not quite closed. There would forever be...
Yes, I Tell My Daughters They’re Pretty
A couple weeks ago, I was talking with a group of moms when one mentioned she was angry a storeowner had called her daughter pretty.
“We won’t be going back,” she said. “It’s inappropriate.”
I nodded,...
Youth Sports Are Dangerous, Let Them Play Anyway
When my husband’s phone rang, we’d just returned home from a weekend trip.
“Are you watching the Bills game?” his brother asked.
“Just about to turn it on,” my husband said.
“Don’t,” he said. “Someone might’ve died...
Surviving Medication Shortages. My Search for Children’s Ibuprofen
It was a Sunday night after a busy week of holiday travel when my oldest appeared from her bed.
“Mommy, I don’t feel well,” she said.
I felt her head. She was burning up.
Our youngest had...
My Daughter’s First Christmas Without Santa
I was driving my oldest daughter to gymnastics practice one mid-November evening when she asked if we could talk about Christmas.
“Sure,” I said, assuming she would ask about something easy. Items for her Christmas...
Serving Up Self-Control With a Plate Full of Vegetables
When my oldest child was a toddler, she ate everything. Peas, broccoli, carrots, entire meatball subs. Whatever she tried, she liked, making mealtime a breeze.
Until she turned two-and-a-half.
During this time, we lived in temporary...
In Our Family, We Walk to School Together
My nine-year-old daughter’s question caught me off guard as we meandered down the sidewalk, halfway through our daily half-mile walk to the elementary school.
It was a beautiful morning, the sky clear, the air still...
Summer’s Not Over Yet! Five Ways to Enjoy the September Heat
Every year after Labor Day, my mind drifts to Don Henley and his ’80s hit single, The Boys of Summer. I think of it as I walk the kids to school. As I drive...
I’m a Neon-Loving, Crop Top-Wearing Mom of Three. Is It Time to Grow Up?
It all started with a pair of scratched sunglasses.
Not just any sunglasses, but custom neon ones I had designed online in colors with names like acid pink and retina burn. Out of all the...