by Nicole Melancon (USA) | Jul 12, 2011 | International, Motherhood, Post Partum Depression, Third Eye Mom
It wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to me. Yet, two agonizing days after the birth of my first child I knew that things weren’t right. It had nothing to do with my brand new baby boy, Max. He was perfect.
The beautiful, full-head of dark brown hair and angelic dark blue-eyed newborn was healthy. No, he was everything I’d ever imagined him to be and more. Instead, it was me. There was something wrong. Terribly wrong.
I brought my new son home less than two days after a long, exhausting induced labor and was scared beyond belief to leave the hospital. I had never been around babies before.
I was almost thirty-three years old and had no idea how to even change a dirty diaper let alone breast-fed a baby. I was afraid to hold him, panicked when I heard him cry and felt unbelievably exhausted, sore, anxious and scared. (more…)
Third Eye Mom is a stay-at-home mom living in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her two children Max (6) and Sophia (4). Her children keep her continually busy and she is constantly amazed by the imagination, energy and joy of life that they possess! A world wanderer at heart, she has also been fortunate to have visited over 30 countries by either traveling, working, studying or volunteering and she continues to keep on the traveling path.
A graduate of French and International Relations from the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she met her husband Paul, she has always been a Midwest gal living in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Chicago. This adventurous mom loves to be outside doing anything athletic (hiking, running, biking, skiing, snowshoeing or simply enjoying nature), to travel and volunteer abroad, to write, and to spend time with her beloved family and friends.
Her latest venture involves her dream to raise enough money on her own to build and open a brand-new school in rural Nepal, and to teach her children to live compassionately, open-minded lives that understand different cultures and the importance of giving back to those in need. Third Eye Mom believes strongly in the value of making a difference in the world, no matter how small it may be. If there is a will, there is a way, and that anything is possible (as long as you set your heart and mind to it!).
Visit her on her blog, Thirdeyemom, where she writes about her travels and experiences in other lands!
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by Mama B (Saudi Arabia) | Jul 11, 2011 | International, Motherhood, Parenting, Saudi Arabia, World Moms Blog
I just read an article on the first real-time study to be done on spanking. Researcher George Holden originally set out to study how often parents shout at their children. He asked the parents to tape their interactions with their children and was surprised to hear how often they spanked or slapped their children and even more surprised at the reasons.
One parent slapped her child for turning the pages of the story book she was reading him. Another mother spanked her child for approaching the stove (which was not on). And yet, another one slapped her child 11 times in a row because the child was fighting with his sister. (You’d think she would realize it’s not really working!)
The study spanned people from different backgrounds and races, so as not to be bias in one way or another. The parents were told that it was about their interactions with the children, and they were asked to roll the tape from when the children came home from day care or school until bed time. (more…)
Mama B’s a young mother of four beautiful children who leave her speechless in both, good ways and bad. She has been married for 9 years and has lived in London twice in her life. The first time was before marriage (for 4 years) and then again after marriage and kid number 2 (for almost 2 years). She is settled now in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (or as settled as one can be while renovating a house).
Mama B loves writing and has been doing it since she could pick up a crayon. Then, for reasons beyond her comprehension, she did not study to become a writer, but instead took graphic design courses. Mama B writes about the challenges of raising children in this world, as it is, who are happy, confident, self reliant and productive without driving them (or herself) insane in the process.
Mama B also sheds some light on the life of Saudi, Muslim children but does not claim to be the voice of all mothers or children in Saudi. Just her little "tribe." She has a huge, beautiful, loving family of brothers and sisters that make her feel like she wants to give her kids a huge, loving family of brothers and sisters, but then is snapped out of it by one of her three monkeys screaming “Ya Maamaa” (Ya being the arabic word for ‘hey’). You can find Mama B writing at her blog, Ya Maamaa . She's also on Twitter @YaMaamaa.
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by World Moms Blog | Jul 10, 2011 | Canada, Oceania, Saudi Arabia, Third Eye Mom, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary
This week we will be reading some first-time posts from new writers who we have recently gotten to know through the interview questions. We will also meet a new writer for the first time, as well as welcoming back a beloved writer who had to take a break as a result of a personal tragedy.
On Monday we be in Saudi Arabia with Mama B. She talks about the fine line that divides spanking and child abuse, and gives us a glimpse into her own views on this controversial topic.
On Tuesday, we head to Minneapolis, where Third Eye Mom gives us a candid and very brave account of her experiences with post partum depression. This is an important topic that is not talked about enough, despite its frequency.
On Wednesday, we fly north of the US border to beautiful BC, Canada. MamaRobinJ, who we met last week, talks about a subject that many of us have had to deal with: maternity leave! What is maternity leave like in Canada compared to everywhere else? Read this post and find out!
And on Thursday, we are off to Australia, where Inspiration To Dream tells us about one of her more memorable vacations. After reading this story, I think we will all be able to agree that this holiday was definitely memorable, though not necessarily for the right reasons!
On Friday Eva Fannon leads us in the Friday Question. Be sure to check it out and chime in with your answers!
In writer interviews, we meet one new writer and one returning writer. On Tuesday we welcome back Amy Hillis from Ohio. Amy took a break following the illness and passing of her son. She has constantly been in our thoughts, and we are thrilled to hear from her again. On Thursday we will head to Arizona to meet Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn Lanham, who has created a center for helping teens.
— World Moms Blog
Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.
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 Jennifer Burden | Jul 9, 2011 | Culture, International, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Parenting, Tara B., WMB Saturday Layover, World Moms Blog
The name of the Saturday column is now…“Saturday Layover”!
This name was inspired by Mama Robin J of Canada who said, “Or something along the lines of After the Trip – to relate to the travel itinerary that starts the week off.”
She gave us the idea to tie the name into the theme of our weekly travel itinerary, where Kirsten Doyle announces our schedule for the week to come.
We had over 20 suggestions for the column name, and they were narrowed down to the four below. Twenty World Moms Blog writers participated in the voting and here is how it went:
- After Hours 30%
- Afterthoughts 20%
- Saturday Layover 35%
- Midnight Feed 15%
It was close! Thank you to everyone who participated!
So, last week I mentioned that I had written a little something on my personal experience with race relations. As promised, here goes… (more…)
Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India.
She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls.
Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.
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by World Moms Blog | Jul 8, 2011 | Childhood, Eva Fannon, Family, Friday Question, Husband, Motherhood, Norway, Writing
This week’s Friday Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Maggie Ellison of South Carolina, USA. She asked:
“What are your religious views and how are they (or how are they not) a part of your life?”
Here’s how the World Moms answered in order as the responses came in…
Eva Fannon of Washington, USA writes:
“I am Roman Catholic and my husband is an atheist…which makes life interesting. Ever since I’ve had kids, I don’t go to church as regularly as I would like, but I have baptized both of my girls. (And yes, my husband attended both ceremonies and didn’t get struck down by lightning when he entered the church — LOL!)” (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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It wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to me. Yet, two agonizing days after the birth of my first child I knew that things weren’t right. It had nothing to do with my brand new baby boy, Max. He was perfect.
