Posts by: Sophia San Filippo

Based in New York City, Sophia San Filippo has worked with Love What Matters as a lead editor and content curator since early 2019 and has acted as Managing Editor since early 2021. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Binghamton University who holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She is passionate about personal storytelling and creating a positive space in media to better the lives of others. On a typical day you can find her rocking out at her local concert venue, admiring nature, or baking her latest kitchen experiment.

This Powerful ‘Calm Down’ Technique Transformed My Child’s Tantrums

“‘We’ll get some ice cubes and a spoon and stir them…’ Her yelling stopped so she could hear me a little better. ‘Come on,’ I continued. ‘We’ll need a bowl, or something to put the ice in.’ Just like that, her breathing slowed, her mind settled.”

Sophia San Filippo - Mar 30, 2021

‘Can you take a pair of siblings?’ 45 minutes later, we met our boys. Babies? Easy. Toddlers with trauma and neglect? Not so much.’: Couple adopt ‘forever sons’ from foster care

“Dakota was 2.5 years old and could barely utter just five words. Nate, 2.5 months old, was extremely sad and had rashes all over. He didn’t cry when he was hungry, wet, or had a poopy diaper because his biological mom had not met his needs. ‘Would you like to adopt them?’ Without hesitation, the answer was YES.”

Sophia San Filippo - Mar 30, 2021

‘I’m a take out pizza kinda mom. My friends are meals-with-vegetables-waiting-in-the-freezer moms. All our kids are fed.’: Mom shares important reminder ‘we don’t have to parent the same to parent well’

“Just because I parent differently from another mom doesn’t mean either of us are doing it wrong.”

Sophia San Filippo - Mar 30, 2021

‘You’re in the area to buy crack.’ I was alone on the side of the road, my beachball-sized belly hiding under my dress.’: Woman shares encounter with police officer, ‘I felt I didn’t belong’

“The whole situation, I was looking for any other reason for his behaviors outside of race. I didn’t want it to be race related. We never do. Ever.”

Sophia San Filippo - Mar 30, 2021

No One Talks About The Messy Parts Of Miscarriage

“I remember thinking, ‘Why didn’t anyone tell me it would be like this?'”

Sophia San Filippo - Mar 29, 2021

‘Relax, it’s just an empty toilet roll.’ I carry the mental load for this family. I complete the invisible, thankless tasks no one wants to do.’: Stressed mom powerfully urges ‘please think of me’

“For me, it’s not just that one task, it’s one less thing on my list, one less thing on my mind. So, the next time you pull the last piece of paper off the roll, for once, please just think of me.”

Sophia San Filippo - Mar 29, 2021

‘Are you willing to take in two more boys?’ They were filthy, skeletal. ‘We encourage you to bathe them immediately.’: Mom shares the beauty and heartbreak of foster care

“Along the way, many people have asked, ‘Why keep doing this? It’s painful.’ They need to know they are enough. They need to know they are worthy of safety and love. For every child we have loved and lost, we would do it all over again, in a heartbeat.”

Sophia San Filippo - Mar 29, 2021

‘Who is that tall man that now towers over her? Where is her little boy? How did it go so fast? She rests her read against his broad shoulder.’: Mom urges ‘remember how it all feels’

“The tiny newborn. The sweet toddler. The adventurous boy. The challenging teenager. The confident man. The doting father. She’s loved them all. And she knows that for as long as she lives, she’ll always remember how this feels.”

Sophia San Filippo - Mar 29, 2021