by Maggie Ellison | Nov 20, 2010 | Family, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, Special Needs, USA
This is part II of III parts, beginning with last Saturday’s post, “Too Loud“…
I knew I needed to get my son evaluated, so I made an appointment with the pediatrician and explained what happened at the fire house and downtown. We got a referral to have an evaluation done with an occupational therapist (OT). We were given a diagnosis of sensory integration disorder (SID). We started therapy twice a week. I read one book after another on SID, and there were parts that explained my son so well.
It was actually a relief to get some answers and reasons for his behaviors. He was getting help, and we were, too. I joined a support group and got a ton of information from other moms. One thing that stood out was when one mom told me that SID usually doesn’t walk alone. This had me thinking about what else could be going on with him. Did we have it all? What about his language? (more…)
Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
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by World Moms Blog | Nov 19, 2010 | Canada, Eva Fannon, Friday Question, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
Today’s Friday Question was composed by World Moms Blog writer, Courtney Cappallo, our world-class homeschooling mother from Massachusetts, USA. Courtney asks,
“What practices do you use to teach your child good manners?”
Every mom is unique. One common goal we all share as mothers is that our children will use good manners. Manners are a universally important topic, and a child with good manners makes us all proud. Our World Moms Blog writers share with you our practices that we use to help our little ones with their manners… (more…)
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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by Sunny Springer (USA) | Nov 18, 2010 | Culture, Family, International, Japan, Kids, Motherhood, Multicultural, Parenting, USA
Toy magazines are popping up in the mail almost everyday. As soon as my youngest son learns that a new one has arrived, he goes through every page so diligently, devouring detail upon detail. When he finally returns them to the pile at the corner of my kitchen, his fingerprints are on every page. The important pages are bent, and some items are marked. It’s plain to see that the holidays are coming soon….
And, I am looking forward to them. Maybe it’s because my children are going to be off from school—I can sleep in with them. Or maybe it’s because I am still new to the whole beautiful idea of the holidays in the United States.
Growing up in Japan, I did not celebrate Christmas as a child. Though my family is Catholic, and we always attended mass on the night of Christmas Eve, there was no family feast or exhilarating exchanging of gifts. Besides, school was still open on the morning of Christmas Eve. It wasn’t that surprising, considering we would go to school six days a week in Japan.
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by Kirsten Doyle (Canada) | Nov 17, 2010 | Canada, Family, International, Motherhood, Parenting, Special Needs
Last Saturday morning, there was a brief period during which peace and quiet reigned. I mention this because it is such a rare occurrence. Peace and quiet, much like Halley’s Comet or a solar eclipse, only happens in my house once every eighty years or so. George, who is seven and has autism, was constructing a Lego tower that could rival Toronto’s CN Tower in height. James, who is almost five, had enlisted me to play with him and two hundred of his favourite cars. We were all content. The calm before the storm.
All of a sudden, for reasons unknown, all hell broke loose. George let out an ear-piercing scream of rage, ferociously threw his Lego against the wall and fled from the room. I took off after him, knowing that I had to get to him before he started smashing his head on the hardwood floor in the hall. I reached him just in time and dragged him kicking and screaming back to the carpeted area. With an expertise born of prior experience, I wrestled him into a full-length position on the floor, and then used my body weight to immobilize him. He was screaming in what sounded like anger, but was probably something closer to despair or frustration.
I lay there on the floor with him for maybe an hour, maybe more. I softly spoke reassurances into his ear – I love you. It’s OK. You’re safe. You’re a good boy. I love you. – hoping and trusting that my words were cutting through his frustration and his screams. Whenever I looked into his eyes, I saw utter despair. The kind of despair that twists your heart and makes you wish for the ability to take all of your child’s pain onto your own shoulders. (more…)
Kirsten Doyle was born in South Africa. After completing university, she drifted for a while and finally washed up in Canada in 2000. She is Mom to two boys who have reached the stage of eating everything in sight (but still remaining skinny).
Kirsten was a computer programmer for a while before migrating into I.T. project management. Eventually she tossed in the corporate life entirely in order to be a self-employed writer and editor. She is now living her best life writing about mental health and addictions, and posting videos to two YouTube channels.
When Kirsten is not wrestling with her kids or writing up a storm, she can be seen on Toronto's streets putting many miles onto her running shoes. Every year, she runs a half-marathon to benefit children with autism, inspired by her older son who lives life on the autism spectrum.
Final piece of information: Kirsten is lucky enough to be married to the funniest guy in the world.
Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Be sure to check out her YouTube channels at My Gen X Life and Word Salad With Coffee!
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by Amy Hillis (USA) | Nov 16, 2010 | Communication, Culture, Education, Family, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
Ah, technology. When it’s running smoothly, life is good. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Skype, iTunes, You Tube, email, IM’s, blogs, games, news, videos…..whew, I need to take a break! Which is what I did, not voluntarily, mind you. My borrowed laptop crashed, and let’s just say the last week has been difficult.
Okay, that’s an understatement. I mean really, I had to write out my thoughts and ideas on actual paper. Paper?!? Do you know how hard it was to find paper around here? Or a pen, for that matter? I’m not really sure I can decipher the chicken scratch that has become my handwriting.
What did we do without computers and the internet and the instant gratification of talking with near strangers in real-time? It’s amazing, really, to think that we, as a civilization, have lasted as long as we have without such technology. Pony express? Please! Could you even begin to wait months for news from around the world?
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Amy is a native Chicagoan that currently resides just outside of Cincinnati, OH. A city girl, through and through, she’s still adjusting to small town life. Amy has a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art with a minor in French from Elmhurst College. She was working on her Master’s degree at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, when she became pregnant with her 3rd child. Although this angel boy was only here for a very short time – he left quite a legacy.
Nathaniel was born with a rare genetic disorder called Citrullinemia. Amy and her husband, James, went on to have 4 more boys, 3 of whom were also born with Citrullinemia. In January 2011, her youngest son, David passed away from complications of a liver transplant performed to 'cure' the Citrullinemia. Now a stay-home mom of 5, she started blogging in October 2010, while David was still in the hospital. Two of her other sons have had successful liver transplants to cure their genetic disorders.
Her 2 older children still live in Chicago. When not hanging out with her kids, she spends her ‘me’ time writing, sewing, reading & walking. Amy also spends a generous amount of time online. She can be found on Twitter @transplantedx3. On Facebook and on her Website <a href="http://mytearstainedlife.com"My Tear-Stained Life
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This is part II of III parts, beginning with last Saturday’s post, “Too Loud“…
