by Ms. V. (South Korea) | Mar 13, 2012 | Family, Motherhood, Parenting, South Korea, World Motherhood
A few weeks ago, the Saturday Sidebar question here on World Moms Blog was about how we chose the name for our children. As I shared, we named our little one after his great-grandfather on my husband’s side, and one of his uncles on my side. Two great men, two great names; it was an easy decision for us.
My husband’s grandfather passed away days before Christmas. As we reflected on the man he was and the life he led, we were so happy that we’d chosen his name for our son. We did it not only to honor a man we respected very much, but also as a gift to our child. We see it as an honor to share a name with someone who embodied many of the qualities we hope to instill in our son. (more…)
Ms. V returned from a 3-year stint in Seoul, South Korea and is now living in the US in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her partner, their two kids, three ferocious felines, and a dog named Avon Barksdale. She grew up all over the US, mostly along the east coast, but lived in New York City longer than anywhere else, so considers NYC “home.” Her love of travel has taken her all over the world and to all but four of the 50 states.
Ms. V is contemplative and sacred activist, exploring the intersection of yoga, new monasticism, feminism and social change. She is the co-director and co-founder of Samdhana-Karana Yoga: A Healing Arts Center, a non-profit yoga studio and the spiritual director for Hab Community. While not marveling at her beautiful children, she enjoys reading, cooking, and has dreams of one day sleeping again.
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by World Moms Blog | Mar 10, 2012 | Family, Motherhood, Parenting, Saturday Sidebar, Scoops of Joy, Tara B., World Motherhood
This week’s question comes from World Moms Blog writer, Tara B. She asked WMB writers to toot their own horns!
“What is one of your best attributes and how do you share it with your family?”
Read on to see what some of our world moms had to say…
Mamma Simona of South Africa writes:
“”Tooting my own horn” is something that I find extremely difficult to do! That said, I think that my best attribute is that I find it easy to empathize with others (i.e. looking at things from their point of view). The flip side of that is that for too many years I neglected to look at MY side of the equation! I was so busy looking out for everybody else that I neglected myself. I have now finally learned to “put on my own oxygen mask” before attempting to rescue others. I have always asked my children how they would feel if they had to swap places with the child they were having a problem with. They are now very caring teens who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in, yet remain respectful to others who have different beliefs from them. I feel that I have shared my values simply by living by them. Children learn from how you act and not really from what you say! :)” (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 Kirsten Doyle (Canada) | Mar 9, 2012 | Brothers, Canada, Death and Dying, Family, Motherhood, Parenting, Siblings, World Motherhood
Some would say it was the perfect way to go.
It was a sunny South African day, and my aunt Ann was doing what she loved most – walking her dogs down the quiet country road she lived on. A car approaching from the distance set in motion a chain of events that led to Ann falling and striking her head on a rock. She never knew what hit her. She was dead by the time her body came to rest on the ground.
There was no pain, no languishing in a hospital bed with tearful family members keeping vigil, no questions about whether or not to keep the life support going.
As merciful as Ann’s death was, it was a terrible shock to those of us left behind. When my mother called me with the news, I felt as if all of the breath had been sucked right out of me. It was the last thing I had (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 World Moms Blog | Mar 3, 2012 | Bedtime Routines, Breastfeeding, Culture, Family, Japan, Motherhood, Parenting, Saturday Sidebar, Sleep, Sleep and Children, Twins, World Motherhood
For this week’s Saturday Sidebar, our writers were asked,
“Do you co-sleep or have your child(ren) sleep in their own room? If they sleep in their own room, did you do this from the start?”
Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…
Multitasking Mumma of Ontario, Canada writes:
“We co-slept when my daughter was an infant because it was easier for feedings. Now that she’s almost two she starts out in her own bed and comes in during the middle of the night. I don’t mind one bit because I know that time is fleeting and I won’t get these moments back.” (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 Fiona Biedermann (Australia) | Feb 28, 2012 | Husband, Motherhood, Oceania, World Motherhood
It occurred to me today that there’s nothing quite as attractive as a ‘tough’ guy who responds to a young child’s enthusiasm. Today driving home from work I stopped at the traffic lights and watched as a mother steered her young daughter, who was probably three or four, in a pram / tricycle combination across the crossing.
The endearing smile and enthusiastic wave that this small bundle of energy bestowed on everyone sitting at the traffic lights was enough to lighten the heaviest heart. What was great was that in the two separate cars alongside me, both of the ‘tough guys’ in work shirts waved back with the same enthusiasm as this little girl. This put a smile on my face that stayed with me all the way home. (more…)
Fiona at Inspiration to Dream is a married mother of three amazing and talented MM’s (mere males, as she lovingly calls them) aged 13, 16 and 22, and she became a nana in 2011!
She believes she’s more daunted by becoming a nana than she was about becoming a mother! This Aussie mother figures she will also be a relatively young nana and she’s not sure that she’s really ready for it yet, but then she asks, are we ever really ready for it? Motherhood or Nanahood. (Not really sure that’s a word, but she says it works for her.)
Fiona likes to think of herself as honest and forthright and is generally not afraid to speak her mind, which she says sometimes gets her into trouble, but hey, it makes life interesting. She’s hoping to share with you her trials of being a working mother to three adventurous boys, the wife of a Mr Fix-it who is definitely a man’s man and not one of the ‘sensitive new age guy’ generation, as well as, providing her thoughts and views on making her way in the world.
Since discovering that she’s the first blogger joining the team from Australia, she also plans to provide a little insight into the ‘Aussie’ life, as well. Additionally, Fiona can be found on her personal blog at Inspiration to Dream.
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by Maman Aya (USA) | Feb 27, 2012 | Bilingual, Breastfeeding, Family, Motherhood, Travel, USA, Working Mother, World Motherhood
On Monday I am told, “you need to go to Paris for 3 days next week.” I say “OK”, but think, “How can I pull that one-off? I am still nursing!”.
So I go into action, first calling my mother (who happens to be French, has a large family that live in Paris…and who is the primary caregiver during the day while I am at work), and then I start looking up plane tickets and hotels. The only way for me to be able to go on this business trip is to take the baby, and therefore, I need to take my mother to care for her while I am at work.
In turn, I need to take my 4-year-old son as well, since he would be otherwise left without a caretaker while we are away. Tickets are bought, hotel reservations made (which is a process on its own, since I need is a place with a kitchen, so that we can prepare food for the kids and are not forced to eat every meal out), bags are packed, and we are off! (more…)
Maman Aya is a full-time working mother of 2 beautiful children, a son who is 6 and a daughter who is two. She is raising her children in the high-pressure city of New York within a bilingual and multi-religious home.
Aya was born in Canada to a French mother who then swiftly whisked her away to NYC, where she grew up and spent most of her life. She was raised following Jewish traditions and married an Irish Catholic American who doesn’t speak any other language (which did not go over too well with her mother), but who is learning French through his children. Aya enjoys her job but feels “mommy guilt” while at work. She is lucky to have the flexibility to work from home on Thursdays and recently decided to change her schedule to have “mommy Fridays”, but still feels torn about her time away from her babies. Maman Aya is not a writer by any stretch of the imagination, but has been drawn in by the mothers who write for World Moms Blog. She looks forward to joining the team and trying her hand at writing!
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