As a mom, I know the struggle of trying to get your family to eat healthy. What’s worse, even seemingly “healthy” snacks are filled with refined sugar, saturated fats, and artificial flavors. I also know that while Shakeology is an incredibly important source of dense superfood nutrition, most of us Read more…
Stressed? You’re not alone. Apparently 70 percent of U.S. moms say mothering is “incredibly stressful.” And 96 percent also feel that we are far more stressed than our own mothers were.
So what’s triggering Mommy Angst, circa 2017? (How much time do you have? LOL) It’s everything from financial insecurities, a more intensive parenting style and higher expectations for our kids’ success to a lack of support, time famine, relationship demands, and concern that the world is more perilous for kid raising.
The excitement when I found out our youngest was a girl and would be the little sister to our sweet 2.5 year old daughter was just overwhelming. I was excited for them to be the best of friends like my sister and I. They would play dolls together, have sweet tea parties, run around together, etc. Life would be grand as sisters.
Then reality set in about 12 months in. Our girls are complete opposites and getting them to play together is like oil and water. NOT the vision I had in my mind the day our second was born. In fact, it has been a struggle to teach them how to get along and understand each others’ differences since pretty much day one.
For most (If you haven’t already returned to school), It’s that time of the year when schools are getting ready to re-open and begin the new academic session. While all will make a fuss about going back to the school routine, it is this same school routine that gives kids the much needed focus and stability we all long for. So how do we go about preparing for this return?
Kindness, consideration, and respect are qualities I hope to instil in my children. Some today may find the concept of proper etiquette old fashioned, but teaching children basic good manners is one way to enforce these important ideals.
“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.”—Emily Post
While I could write a whole book about manners (as Emily Post most famously did) here are 10 very basic lessons we can teach our children, providing them with the understandings necessary to become well-mannered adults.
Oh the day is coming and I am DREADing dropping off my sweet, innocent little girl to school for kindergarten. I’m sure I am not the only parent out there who is feeling the heavy stomach and realizing the day is coming faster than I can blink! 3 weeks…that is it! My baby will be leaving my care that she has gotten for the last 5.5 years of her life and someone else besides myself will be teaching her…YIKES! Having previously taught kindergarten for 4 years, I know all too well the first day jitters parents show…and now I will be on the other side of the door with those same jitters I witnessed other parents express just 7 short years ago.
So how does one mentally prepare for such a “drop off?” I want to express what I have done to prepare myself and my daughter for the day she will walk into the care of someone else and learn by the teachings of another woman. (I am sure you can sense how difficult this is for me…it is my first baby and I can’t imagine my days without her next year).
I get so busy doing dishes, running the sweeper, keeping up with my online business, running errands, cooking, etc. that sometimes I fail to STOP and PLAY! Play with my kids, appreciate the stage in life they are currently at and just enjoy…just…enjoy…life!
I have started to make it a point to relax and soak in my kids a bit more. Am I busy, YES…is it hard, YES…is it wirth it…YUP! Here is a list of some things I have done to create some lasting memories with my family and some things I plan on doing in the near future…some ideas on how I was, am, and will be able to STOP and PLAY a bit more.
I was just getting home from a work trip and my husband says to me…
“Now don’t get too alarmed…I am sure it isn’t anything BUT…our daughter seems to be experiencing some sort of strange head jerks that she can’t control.”
Of course I flipped out and then quickly witnessed it for myself. It appeared to be a seizure to the untrained eye and with that, we rushed her to the hospital. They hooked her up to every machine, put an IV in her tiny little vein and the process began. She was just 8 months old and as new parents, we were not ready for this…like AT ALL.
Ahhhhh…the cool breeze of spring leaving us and the HOT “dog days” of summer arriving. This is my time of year. In fact, I would say that summertime has allowed me to be creative…let me explain how. With hot weather comes days of eating a bit less BUT eating a bit unhealthier than usual. Oh, you know, ice cream with gobs of chocolate sauce, burgers and hot dogs on the grill with potato chips, potato salad smothered in mayonnaise, cotton candy and elephant ears at your local fair, etc. Food can either be our fuel or our enemy…and we get the opportunity to choose. Fortunately for you, I have some amazingly creative ways to get your fruits and veggies into you and your children’s diets without them batting an eye, squealing with disgust, or turning their cute little noses up at the thought of eating 2 cups of spinach daily. In fact, if you are not someone who loves their veggies, read on…this is your blog post my friend!
I find myself watching our little ones at swim class, week after week, and it looks like they’re doing the same thing without really learning anything. I gets a tad frustrated and makes me start to rethink this whole swimming lessons thing, since they’re not making progress…and it’s expensive. Let’s Read more…