parents
The boundless love a parent has for their child is matched only by their capacity to embarrass them.
Mom: New Body and Wellness
In my early 20s, it popped up in my mind that I've always wanted to be a mom. All I know about raising kids is to take them to fun activities, and how to change their diapers. I had no idea about how difficult it can be to adapt to body and wellness changes as a new mom. Once I became a mom, I learned a lot, and I'm still learning today. I enjoy being a mom, in good and bad moments, with my own children. Also, I struggle to adapt to my new body and lifestyle. So I'll talk about how it's affecting my self-esteem.
By KaSandra Madrigal7 years ago in Families
Parenthood
Parenthood is fun, challenging, puzzling, wonderful, perplexing, infuriating, delightful, awe-inspiring, crazy, and overall: weird. I love being a parent. I am the parent of a wonderful, fun, imaginative, caring, infuriating, tenacious four-year-old boy. I love him so much. He is my world, and I know from the way he looks at me, that I am his.
By Anastasia Barth7 years ago in Families
Helping Your Teens See Their Options After High School
As high school graduation day approaches, you may find your teen stressing out about what to do in the near future. It can feel like they are on a time crunch to completely figure out the rest of their lives. That can feel like a huge weight on their shoulders. When you stop to think about it, High School graduation can seem as if we are asking 18-year-olds to figure out the rest of their lives in a few short months, stressful right? As a parent, it can be very difficult to see your child struggle with that decision. Don’t feel helpless in this situation, there are so many ways to help your child figure out the correct life path.
By Jade Pulman7 years ago in Families
The Big Image Divide
I've read tons of articles about how mothers need to be careful about how they refer to themselves and their bodies in front of their children, namely their little girls. The logic behind this is pretty solid; little boys and girls that grow up hearing their mothers constantly saying negative things about themselves can potentially develop these tendencies too! I still struggle to be kind to myself, its difficult to learn to be confident when you have never had that before! Still, I find that there's something missing from this argument: Dads. A few days ago my very own husband made a comment about his weight and feeling "fat." The kind of comment he has made about himself many many times before. "Oh stop, you're fine. I love you no matter what, and I think you look great," is my usual reply. This time, on the other hand, hearing him speak about himself, and his body, in such a way sent chills up my spine. If I can't express all of my negative feelings about myself, for fear of my child ending up just as insecure and damaged as I am, then why is it okay to hear our partners express that they feel this way? Obviously, these feelings shouldn't be hidden or dismissed, but I can definitely recognize the importance of being KIND to ourselves! This particular time, I watched my son look up at his dad, watching his daddy look down at himself in disgust. Something I've done a million times over. I saw my son listening to those words, taking them in, and learning from them, and I realized that we need to do better. We ALL need to do better. My husband does such a great job of making me feel beautiful as often as he can, and I've realized I don't really know how to help him feel better. I don't think I compliment him nearly enough, and I don't think I show my appreciation for all of the things he does and sacrifices he makes for me. We all deserve to feel comfortable in our own skin. My hardworking husband, who is exhausted from working long hours so that I can stay home with our toddler, but still comes home to cook dinner and play and take care of us, is not any less deserving of loving words and a reminder of how amazing I think he is and looks, than I am. Why is he the only one bringing home flowers or a surprise chocolate bar just to remind me he loves me? Why do I find myself telling my son how cute and handsome he is a gazillion times throughout the day, but can't really remember the last time I said that to my husband? These men that we picked to be our partners in this new journey that is parenthood deserve to be validated too! They deserve to feel good about themselves when they leave us, and they deserve to be confident enough to be the role models that our sons need and that our daughters learn love from. Trust me, I understand how hard it is to feel less than and unhappy with the person staring back at me from the mirror, and that's exactly why this topic feels so important to me and to my heart. Men don't seem to focus on self-care as much as I've seen women focus on and care about learning to love ourselves. Why not take the time to show them how much they mean to us? If not for their well being, but for our children's. Let's continue to nurture ourselves, and make sure to nourish them too!
By Catherine Luna7 years ago in Families
The Working Mom
So, what is with the shaming of mom's by employers? I have two small children, and unfortunately they get sick quite often, as kids often do. I do not have the luxury of grandparents to help as both sets are late. I don't earn enough to hire help, so what happens I have to take time off work to take care of them, because it's the mom that is needed or wanted way more than the dad, and I am still breastfeeding 😱😱 my two year old. So when she is ill that's all that will console her. I am so tired, exhausted mentally and physically, as mother's we do so much and are responsible for almost everything. We are sleep deprived, as is the norm, yet we still get up as normal, and do everything we need to do.
By Adeeba Jean-Louis7 years ago in Families
Mindfulness for Moms
Being a mom is hard. Don't get me wrong, I love my four littles so incredibly much it hurts sometimes, but seriously, it's the toughest gig out there. You can lose yourself in the mom role and forget who you are because you are just giving everything you have to your family. Before you know it, you are lying on the floor of your bathroom, staring blankly at the ceiling, wondering what is left of you.
By Stephanie R7 years ago in Families
Five Activities To Help Your Kids Beat the Heat This Summer
When summer hits, and school is out, most parents are left wondering how they'll keep their kids entertained. While the internet has a lot to offer in terms of things to do, this can result in your kids gluing themselves to screens for longer than you'd like. If you'd like to get your children outside, but know the heat will be a problem, you have options. There are many activities, including these listed below, that can keep them cool and away from televisions and computers:
By Jade Pulman7 years ago in Families
Life of a Super Mommy
Definition of a, “Super Mommy:” SUPER busy, SUPER tired, but SUPER blessed! There are days where I feel like I am winning at life. The kids wake up in a good mood, they are not arguing, because the other is looking at them (this is apparently a reason to be upset in my home), we are out of the house on time, and nobody forgot a shoe. Sometimes I even have good hair and make-up day too, but those days are about as rare as snow in Florida.
By Bridgette Diana7 years ago in Families
A Crappy Birthday Card, from the Happiest 4 Year Old
My dad and I have this relationship centered around food. It's like a sliding scale of emotional binge eating, to simply spending time together. My dad and I haven’t had a perfect relationship, but somehow food seems to bring us closer.
By Karma Coco7 years ago in Families
Concerned Parent
It all seemed like the perfect world. My two little angels seemed to have it all. They play on top elite teams in sports, they participate in various school activities and most importantly they were perfect students. As they started to grow I continued to support them in all their endeavors and stressed the importance of their school work. Over time they start to get a little older and let's just move the story to the present day.
By Praia Princess7 years ago in Families
