The Blog
SOUTH KOREA: Interview with Ms. V
Why do you blog/write?
Writing for me is synonymous with thinking. It isn’t until I start writing about something that I truly understand it and my thoughts and feelings about whatever it is. Writing helps me to know myself. I experience clarity when I get the thoughts out of my head and onto paper (or computer screen, more frequently). Much like “talking it out” helps to sort out feelings and arrive at conclusions; writing for me is talking it out with my own self. Every time I sit down to write about a thought, I’m amazed by what comes out, how the thought evolves, and the conclusions I reach, sometimes ending in a very different place from where I started.
ISRAEL: In Dependence We Are Born, For Our Independence We Fight
“Because you are slowly being made to feel irrelevant. Not only isn’t your opinion sought after anymore, people are starting to tell you what to do. Like you are a child. So what if you memory isn’t what it used to be? Everyone forgets things now and then, don’t they? The circle of life is starting to close.”
CANADA: Get Out There and Shop!!
“…2. Take a friend. This is key to your survival. A friend will be able to spell you off in times of exhaustion, during bathroom breaks, if you misplace a child, and when you spot that cute scarf that you have to try on 14 different ways.”
Travel Itinerary for the Week of November 21st!
We are starting this week in Canada, where Multitasking Mumma is preparing for the holiday season! We know how Christmas shopping can send a busy mom absolutely loopy, right? Save your sanity by following these helpful - and hilarious - tips. On Tuesday, we fly across...
Saturday Sidebar: Difference in cultures about raising boys vs. girls?
This week's Saturday Sidebar Question comes from World Moms Blog writer, Diana @Hormonal Imbalances. She asked our writers, “Are there any differences in your culture on how boys and girls are raised? For example, is there a change in discipline when dealing with...
NORWAY: A Year On…
I was reminded recently that it was about a year ago when Jen asked if I fancied writing some articles about motherhood. I had never seen or read a blog before, and never thought that I would be able to write one but I tried, and I got hooked! I just read the first...
JAPAN: Interview with Melanie Oda
What languages do you speak?
I speak English and Japanese. My spoken Japanese is fluent I guess, though I would never be mistaken for a native. Japanese is a notoriously difficult language to read and write, with two different phonetic alphabets consisting of 47 letters each, plus about 2000 commonly used Chinese characters (called kanji). With both alphabets down pat and a little over half the kanji, I’m proud to say I can read better than my first grader. For now, anyway.
NEW ZEALAND: My do it, MYSELF!
“t’s been a long time since we’ve fed Mr Butterfly, and cleaning up the mess beneath his chair, on his chair, beside his chair, on the front of the table, the side of the table and the top of the table, are simply part of my regular after meal routine. We have plasters and hugs a plenty, so in our house small people using scissors and knives is really no big deal.”
SWITZERLAND: Letters From Mom
“Give me a girl’s night out or a short weekend away and I am loving the breath of fresh air, but crossing the ocean and times zones makes me a nervous wreck.”
UNITED KINGDOM: Interview with Sophie Walker
Q: Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there? A: I live in London, with my husband, two daughters and two step-sons and I think, for a change, I’ll be here for a while. Working as a journalist for an international news agency has meant travelling a lot:...
NEW YORK, USA: A Mother’s Job is Never Done!
So here I am, on vacation with my family (down at the Jersey Shore for those of you familiar with the awful TV show with the same name), enjoying, or supposed to be enjoying, the beach. We were lucky enough to be able to find an apartment for rent, which is right next...
MASSACHUSETTS, USA: Raising Religion
Last week, Tara B. of Washington, USA, wrote a great post about her evolution from Catholicism to agnosticism and what religion has meant as she raises her kids. (If you didn't read it, you can read it here.) Her post stirred a lot of feelings in me and generated this...
Travel Itinerary for the Week of November 14th!
This week we start off in Massachusetts with Kyla P'an. Kyla's post, written in response to Tara B.'s post last week, talks about how Kyla's relationship with religion has shifted over the course of her life. On Tuesday, we head to New York to hear from Maman Aya, who...
SOCIAL GOOD: World Pneumonia Day
“During the call I found my eyes tearing up at parts, such as when Dr. Besser told the story of a visit to Kenya in Africa when he met two daughters the same age as his own two daughters. However, the African daughters died of pneumonia right in front of his eyes. He thought about how unfair it was of why these girls had lost their lives so young. Dr. Levine added that this is so common in developing nations without access to the healthcare that can save them.”
SATURDAY SIDEBAR: World Pneumonia Day: How Do You Feel about Vaccinations?
“So, in honor of World Pneumonia Day today, the World Moms Blog writers are discussing their personal experiences with vaccinations in today’s Saturday Sidebar…Kirsten Doyle of Canada: Vaccinations are a touchy subject for me – or rather, the ability to make vaccination choices on behalf of our children is. There are people who have judged me because I chose to vaccinate both of my kids in spite of my older son’s autism – this happened right when the autism/vaccine theory was rampant. I did a lot of research on the subject when my kids were younger. I read studies on both sides of the debate. I ended up with the view that this theory doesn’t hold water.”
CANADA: Lest We Forget
Although I was born 24 years after the war ended, I grew up listening to stories from my grandfathers, who were both on the front-lines of battle, and from my grandmothers, who had to raise kids alone in times of abject poverty during the war years. The experiences of my parents, who both described what it was like to wake up each morning not knowing whether their father was still alive, had an unquestionable impact on how I was raised.
SINGAPORE: Interview with Ruth Wong/Mommy Cafe
What do you view as the challenges of raising a child in today’s world?
In addition, it can be a challenge raising a child in Singapore because of a strong emphasis on education (not that it’s bad!), which has created a stressful environment for children to grow up in. For example, more and more children are attending enrichment classes at a young age (some as young as few months old) because parents want to give them a ‘head start’ in life. Then when it comes time to enter primary school, there are parents who will do everything they can just to get their children into the top schools – which include doing volunteer work in the school of choice or even to move house. How stressful!
AUSTRALIA: Helicopter Parenting
In essence, it’s about over-parenting; parents solving their children’s problems and keeping them from harm. It’s about not letting children learn for themselves by letting them experience the full range of emotions and lessons in life. I’m no psychologist but even I know that to raise healthy, happy and well balanced children that we need to let them live and learn for themselves.
SOCIAL GOOD: Who Are Your Three?
“Ok. So, do you have your THREE people in your head that would do anything for you? No, don’t worry. You don’t have to share them with us. Actually, it’s probably best we don’t know… ha ha.”
WASHINGTON, USA : How We Pray
I grew up in a devoted Roman Catholic household, but over time, I have drifted away from the church. I have the utmost respect for all my friends and family who are practicing Catholics, but as I really pondered my own spiritual beliefs and stance on various social...
SWITZERLAND: Interview with Kristen Kolb
How would you say that you are different from other mothers?
Eeek! I don’t know if I am much different than other moms. I often see other moms as having their act together and seeming much more relaxed. My oldest son was diagnosed with cancer at 9 months of age so I think sometimes I take things too seriously and need to remind myself to enjoy the small joys!!
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