by Tara Bergman (USA) | Nov 9, 2011 | Family, Motherhood, Religion, Tara B.
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 issues over the years, I realized that the Catholic Church wasn’t the best fit for me.
To be honest, I lean more toward agnosticism. I believe we are part of something much bigger than ourselves to which we can positively contribute by our words and actions, but I am not sure how I define that “something.” I am a spiritual and moral person, but I don’t feel drawn to formal religion. And I do not want to go through the motions with something if it does not truly resonate with me.
While all of this felt fine for me and my similarly minded husband for years, I started to panic when I became pregnant. Despite my misgivings about certain teachings of (more…)
Tara is a native Pennsylvanian who moved to the Seattle area in 1998 (sight unseen) with her husband to start their grand life adventure together. Despite the difficult fact that their family is a plane ride away, the couple fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and have put down roots. They have 2 super charged little boys and recently moved out of the Seattle suburbs further east into the country, trading in a Starbucks on every corner for coyotes in the backyard. Tara loves the outdoors (hiking, biking, camping). And, when her family isn't out in nature, they are hunkered down at home with friends, sharing a meal, playing games, and generally having fun. She loves being a stay-at-home mom and sharing her experiences on World Moms Network!
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by World Moms Blog | Nov 5, 2011 | Babies, Blogiversary, Breastfeeding, Eva Fannon, Family, Friday Question, India, Kids, Motherhood, Norway, Parenting, Saturday Sidebar, Tara B., The Alchemist, World Moms Blog
Since we celebrated World Moms Blog’s 1st Blogiversary this week, Jen Burden, our founder, asked,
“What has been your favorite moment so far on World Moms Blog?”
The Alchemist of India writes:
“I got my first paid writers’ job after my employer read my first post at World Moms Blog. It was India: In the eyeglasses of the beholder.
I have come a long way from there. I got two editing offers after someone checked out my posts at WMB and another site (Awesome Cuisine). These have been some “Awww, is it me?” moments. The power of affirmations, like Jen mentioned in the Blogiversary post.
I have especially liked Dr. Jeanelle’s post on taking time out for oneself as a mom, and about the emotions when the child leaves the nest. That is one great post and mothers have to always be cautious about their individual identity. I always had that in mind and her post reinstated the same.” (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 Salma (Canada) | Oct 27, 2011 | Babies, Canada, Family, Kids, Motherhood, Parent Care, Parenting, Pregnancy, Salma, Social Good, Working Mother, World Moms Blog, World Voice
In 2001, the federal Parental Benefits Program in Canada increased the length of sharable paid parental leave benefits from 10 to 35 weeks, combined with 15 weeks of maternity leave.
My children were born in 1997 and 1999; I did not plan to have anymore children. I figured words like “parental leave” and “maternity benefits” were not a part of my future, or so, I thought.
In the September edition of Canadian Business magazine Jasmine Budak wrote an interesting article about the ”dark side” of maternity leave, here, in Canada. In it, Budak highlights some of the difficulties that (more…)
An Imperfect Stepford Wife is what Salma describes herself as because she simply cannot get it right. She loves decorating, travelling, parenting,learning, writing, reading and cooking, She also delights in all things mischievous, simply because it drives her hubby crazy.
Salma has 2 daughters and a baby boy. The death of her first son in 2009 was very difficult, however, after the birth of her Rainbow baby in 2010 (one day after her birthday) she has made a commitment to laugh more and channel the innocence of youth through her children. She has blogged about her loss, her pregnancy with Rainbow, and Islamic life.
After relocating to Alberta with her husband in 2011 she has found new challenges and rewards- like buying their first house, and finding a rewarding career.
Her roots are tied to Jamaica, while her hubby is from Yemen. Their routes, however, have led them to Egypt and Canada, which is most interesting because their lives are filled with cultural and language barriers. Even though she earned a degree in Criminology, Salma's true passion is Social Work. She truly appreciates the beauty of the human race. She writes critical essays on topics such as feminism and the law, cultural relativity and the role of women in Islam and "the veil".
Salma works full-time, however, she believes that unless the imagination of a child is nourished, it will go to waste. She follows the philosophy of un-schooling and always finds time to teach and explore with her children. From this stance, she pushes her children to be passionate about every aspect of life, and to strive to be life-long learners and teachers. You can read about her at Chasing Rainbow.
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by Multitaskingmumma (Canada) | Oct 24, 2011 | Babies, Being Thankful, Canada, Family, Motherhood, Parenting
Her tiny legs wavered under her, unsure, unsteady.
Still chubby with baby rolls, she crouched frozen and uncertain, not ready to trust her balance and our encouraging claps.
I felt my heart flutter as I remember the newborn baby she once was. Her smell, her sweet snuggles, her soft cheeks.
It seemed like only yesterday. (more…)
by World Moms Blog | Oct 22, 2011 | Family, India, Motherhood, Saturday Sidebar, Susie Newday, Tara B.
This week’s Saturday Sidebar Question comes from Eva Fannon, the World Moms Blog Saturday Sidebar Editor. She’s been enjoying some lovely autumn weather in the Pacific Northwestern U.S. and asked our writers,
“What hemisphere do you live in and what is your favorite autumn or spring memory (respective to your hemisphere) as a kid?”
Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…
Susie Newday of Israel writes:
“I live in the northern hemisphere. I loved the fall foliage and the changing colors.”
Jenna Farelyn of North Carolina, USA writes:
“I live in the Northern hemisphere and my favorite childhood memory from autumn is trick or treating with my family on Halloween. We didn’t do anything special, but it was one of the few traditions we had around holidays.”
MultitaskingMumma of Ontario, Canada writes:
“I live in the Northern Hemisphere and my favourite childhood memory about fall was bundling up and going to cut wood with my dad. It meant breakfast out and quality time.” (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 Maman Aya (USA) | Oct 17, 2011 | Breastfeeding, Family, Motherhood, Parenting, Pregnancy
My baby’s turned 1… I should say my last baby’s turned one.
I only have 2, but will not attempt to have any more after this. Making the decision of having the first 2 was very difficult for me, since there are some genetic issues at play in my family.
I told my then fiancée, while we were discussing future family plans, to be prepared to adopt, that I will probably not have my own children.
I had prepared for that my entire life and was sure that I would never carry and give birth to my own child. After running tests and having discussions with geneticists, we decided to tempt fate and ‘go for it’ — attempt to have our own, and hope for the best. I had an amnio, monthly and then weekly ultrasounds. (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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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 issues over the years, I realized that the Catholic Church wasn’t the best fit for me.
