by Maureen | Jun 15, 2012 | Communication, Indonesia, Living Abroad, Multicultural, Scoops of Joy
Raising a mixed-culture child is unique, there’s no doubt about it. There’s a lot of mix-and-match of parenting techniques until we finally find our own little blend of both cultures that works for my son and me.
Besides the obvious ability of him to speak bilingual, Indonesian and English, we have a lot of aspects that we assimilate and incorporate from both cultures.
It all started even before he was born. My dotting mother, a.k.a. the first-time-grandma, bombarded me with advice from the moment she found out I was expecting her first grandbaby.
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by Frelle (USA) | Mar 16, 2012 | Being Thankful, Communication, Family, Motherhood, Post Partum Depression, USA, World Motherhood
“Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone’s hand is the beginning of a journey. At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.” ~Vera Nazarian
One of the most misunderstood parts of motherhood is the emotional roller-coaster you’re on right after giving birth. Everyone expects you to be settling in blissfully while staring doe-eyed at your bundle of joy.
But having a baby is both amazingly fantastic and ridiculously exhausting.
Whether you’re a first time mom or not, the disruption while everyone adjusts to the new normal can be overwhelming. You may be fortunate enough to have a wonderful mom (or a well-meaning mother in law) to step in and help but relinquishing a degree of your control over the day-to-day can contribute to frustration too. And if you’re like many women, the combination of these factors may lead to a case of “baby blues”, or to full blown post partum depression [PPD].
These negative emotions can be confusing for both the mom and those around her as well. Many women think there must me something wrong with them, assuming they “should” feel happy. More often than (more…)
Jenna grew up in the midwestern US, active in music and her church community from a young age. She developed a love of all things literary thanks to her mom, and a love of all things science fiction thanks to her dad. She left the midwest in her early twenties and has lived in the south ever since.
On her blog, she tries to write words that make a difference to people. Long before she attended college to major in Special Ed and Psychology, she became an advocate for special needs and invisible disabilities. She's always been perceptive of and encouraging to those who struggle to fit in. Having been through several dark seasons in her own life, she's found empowerment in being transparent and vulnerable about her emotions, making deep and lasting friendships, and finding courage to write from her heart. Her biggest wish is to raise her kids to be compassionate people who love well.
She's been online since 1993, with a total of 19 years of social media exposure. Having friends she doesn't know in real life has been normal for her since her junior year in college, and she's grateful every day for the ways technology helps her stay in touch with friends from all over the world.
Jenna lives in a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina, and is a freelance writer and a stay at home single mom to 3 girls and a boy. She blogs at MadeMoreBeautiful.comMadeMoreBeautiful.com.
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by Courtney Cappallo (USA) | Feb 14, 2012 | Bedtime Routines, Childhood, Communication, Education, Family, Motherhood, World Motherhood
J Patrick Lewis once said, “Great poetry is a circus for the brain. It’s ten pounds of excitement in a nine-pound bag.”
When my mother came for a visit this past August she put my older daughter to bed by reading her poetry. I climbed into bed with them, closed my eyes and listened to my mother’s voice as she read some of her favorite poetry to my daughter. The cadence of her voice was so soothing, it brought my daughter and me such pleasure. I will cherish the memory of the three of us all snuggled up on my bed reading classic poetry.
Since that night in August part of my older daughter’s bedtime routine is for her to read a few poems to my husband or me before we read her a chapter from whatever chapter book we are reading at the time. Hearing her read quality literature is one of my proudest moments of being a parent.
Poetry is for everyone, for every mood — for parents to read to children, for children to read aloud. Reading to your children may be the single, most important contribution that we, as parents, can make toward our children’s success in school.
Poetry is a means of self-expression. Poetry appeals and matters to children because they can find or write a poem about any subject that appeals and matters to them. (more…)
Courtney Cappallo is a mom of two girls, ages 7 and 4-years-old. She is living her dream life by residing on Cape Cod and being able to stay at home with her two little beauties. Courtney is currently homeschooling both of her daughters for 2nd grade and preschool, respectively.
Courtney uses a mix of Classical Education and Montessori. She is a strong believer in teaching to the five senses. Courtney’s homeschooling efforts are unique, as she uses the latest technology of the Smartboard. She is also taking on the task of learning Spanish as a second language, as well as, teaching her two children and husband Spanish.
Prior to becoming a homeschooling teacher, Courtney was the Director of Marketing for Simon Property Group, which is the largest U.S. real estate company. Courtney was Simon’s Director of Marketing for the Burlington Mall, Arsenal Mall and Cape Cod Mall. Courtney is a graduate of Villanova University and is proud of her small town roots from growing up in Oxford, Pennsylvania, which only has two traffic lights! She can be found making homeschooling lessons and more at Table of Four !
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by Multitaskingmumma (Canada) | Jan 24, 2012 | Canada, Communication, Family, Husband, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, World Moms Blog, World Motherhood
It's so hard not to give into that face!
I grew up in a very structured house with clear rules, expectations, and responsibilities. There were consequences for inappropriate behaviour, and we were well aware of them.
One parent was not more lenient than the other, they worked as a team.
At the time I thought they were unfair, overbearing, and awful. I felt like I had no freedom, had to plead every time I wanted responsibility, and was missing out on excitement.
Looking back, I can see that I was given a stable home, independence and the ability to learn from my mistakes.
Now that I have a child of my own, I am quickly learning that consistency, structure, and a united front is crucial in raising a child.
But it is difficult. (more…)
by Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn Lanham (USA) | Jan 13, 2012 | Being Thankful, Communication, USA
Happy New Year Moms! Can you believe it’s 2012? last year just flew by and some of it seems like a blur. We all had our ups and downs last year but we made it through. What didn’t kill us made us stronger Right? Right! We all want better than we had, which is why we continue to make ‘New Years Resolutions.’
Every NEW year we set resolutions hoping that we will ‘resolve’ whatever it was in the prior year we didn’t handle; we want to stop smoking, exercise more, be nicer and accomplish goals.
We all want a better year than the last. Resolutions are made because it is our plan to follow through, to actually accomplish them THIS time.
We want something different to occur in our lives but we keep doing the SAME things, expecting different results; that’s called insanity.
Most of the time we make resolutions out of emotions; we think back on what we didn’t accomplish and (more…)
Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn Lanham is an Indiana native now living in Arizona, USA. She’s the Founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Teen Center – Hodge Podge the Teen Cafè™ (http://www.HdgPdg.com), CEO of Iron WoMan Inc™ (http://www.IronWoManInc.com), a writer, is known to teens all over the world as the S.W.A.G Doc™ (http://www.TheSWAGDoc.com), a wife and most importantly a mom to two awesome boys. She joined the Army when she was a senior in high school because she did exceptionally well on the testing and was involved in the Gulf War. She served 8 years and is now a disabled Vet but that doesn’t get her down, nor stop her. Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn Lanham loves to write and help teenagers feel better about themselves. She knows ASL and signs with her deaf friends when she can. She’s always busy writing and building her Brand and found it great when she was given the opportunity to write for World’s Mom Blog. She has many goals on her bucket list and once her business has grown to her satisfaction, her goal is to own her own bull(s) (yes, real bulls!) and have them participate in the PBR (Professional Bull Riding). Traveling is a love of hers and one day she will visit Italy! You can find Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn Lanham on FaceBook at http://www.FaceBook.com/theSWAGDoc or Twitter @JeanelleLanham – Her heart is true to Rehabilitating Teens, Coaching Moms & Encouraging others.
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by Susie Newday (Israel) | Nov 22, 2011 | Communication, Family, Grandparent, Israel, Life Lesson, Parent Care, Susie Newday
There is nothing like spending time with the older generation to make you appreciate the complexities, the wonders and the ironies of life.
For those of us who will be lucky enough to live to a ripe old age, life will come full circle. For those of us who have not yet reached the golden years, comes, instead, the challenges the circle of life present.
There is a good reason that we refer to life as coming full circle.
We are born helpless and totally dependent. Our basic needs are met by others. That is if we manage to even communicate what it is we want by crying, screaming or laughing. That is if we are lucky enough to have parents who are capable of taking care of us. (more…)
Susie Newday is a happily-married American-born Israeli mother of five. She is an oncology nurse, blogger and avid amateur photographer.
Most importantly, Susie is a happily married mother of five amazing kids from age 8-24 and soon to be a mother in law. (Which also makes her a chef, maid, tutor, chauffeur, launderer...) Susie's blog, New Day, New Lesson, is her attempt to help others and herself view the lessons life hands all of us in a positive light. She will also be the first to admit that blogging is great free therapy as well. Susie's hope for the world? Increasing kindness, tolerance and love.
You can also follow her Facebook page New Day, New Lesson where she posts her unique photos with quotes as well as gift ideas.
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Raising a mixed-culture child is unique, there’s no doubt about it. There’s a lot of mix-and-match of parenting techniques until we finally find our own little blend of both cultures that works for my son and me.
