by Ambre French (Norway) | Apr 12, 2011 | Family, International, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Norway, Parenting
I am a mother of one little girl of 15 months. I am in the early stages of motherhood, and among the trillion questions my new life brings, there is one that is starting to be present on a daily basis. Here it is:
Whether I “like” it or not, I am one day (please not today) going to be a role model. How does one define a role model, and how does one accept that who you are is good enough?
During this first year I concentrated on how the baby is, how my marriage was doing, and I did my best to survive the transition from two to three in the house. I wasn’t really concerned about what I did and how I did it, as long as I managed one day after the next.
But suddenly, this little ball of love is starting to walk, to express herself, to see and interpret what I am doing. Does this mean I already have to be aware of what I am doing in front of her? I sort of knew this day would come, but I DON’T KNOW IF I AM READY!
I have very basic and obvious determinations regarding bringing up my child. I want her to be polite, well-behaved, healthy, respectful of others, be a good citizen, be a good friend… All in all, be a good person.
Now, I am wondering if I have to be this person first… (more…)
by Jennifer Burden | Apr 11, 2011 | Family, Food, Gardening, Hobby, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
Several years ago we moved into our house, and we wound up having the previous residents’ vegetable garden filled in. My husband had never held a spade or planted anything in his life, and I was too busy with a toddler to even think about taking care of a garden by myself.
Then, a year later, we both read Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food”, and it motivated us to change how we ate. We are eating more fresh foods (and cutting out foods from a box), and we think about where our food is coming from.
Growing our own vegetables in our backyard cuts the time it takes for the food to be harvested and get to our table, which means that the vegetables will retain more of their nutrients when eaten.
So, we found ourselves creating a new vegetable garden (yes, close to the one we had filled in a couple of years prior. Eek.). Our goal was simple: to grow our own vegetables, and here we were doing it in our nation’s “Garden State”… (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 Kyla P'an (Portugal) | Apr 6, 2011 | Education, Family, Family Travel, Husband, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Multicultural, Parenting, Travel, USA
Shortly before I met my husband, I spent three years living abroad. Two of them in one place and the final in transit back from Kumamoto, Japan to the east coast of the United States, the slowest way possible.
Three months after I met my husband, he invited me to join him for a destination wedding in Brazil. Four months later, he lost his job and decided he wanted to see more of the world too. He spent the next six months traveling around China and SE Asia and for five, blissful weeks during the holidays I joined him in Thailand and Laos.
In our four years together pre-kids, we traveled to nine different countries. Our attraction to one-another had a lot to do with our mutual desire to live abroad someday and raise our future kids that way too .
So it comes as somewhat of a surprise to me that here I sit, ten years later, just 11 miles from where we first met.
(more…)
Kyla was born in suburban Philadelphia but spent most of her time growing up in New England. She took her first big, solo-trip at age 14, when she traveled to visit a friend on a small Greek island. Since then, travels have included: three months on the European rails, three years studying and working in Japan, and nine months taking the slow route back from Japan to the US when she was done. In addition to her work as Managing Editor of World Moms Network, Kyla is a freelance writer, copy editor, recovering triathlete and occasional blogger. Until recently, she and her husband resided outside of Boston, Massachusetts, where they were raising two spunky kids, two frisky cats, a snail, a fish and a snake. They now live outside of Lisbon, Portugal with two spunky teens and three frisky cats. You can read more about Kyla’s outlook on the world and parenting on her personal blogs, Growing Muses And Muses Where We Go
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by DC Blogmama (USA) | Apr 5, 2011 | Birthing, Family, Health, Humor, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
Where else would I start? I’m talking about the beginning of motherhood – the day my daughter was born is the date I’m going to use for myself. Certainly, many people would say a woman becomes a mother from the moment she conceives for the very first time, and I’m not going to refute or debate that.
I definitely bonded with my baby while she was in my belly, but in the interest of keeping things simple, I began this thing called motherhood on June 7, 2009, just about 22-months ago.
Our daughter arrived on her due date – right on time. I was working from home that week on account of it being hot and humid and not being able to rely on the good graces or [un]common courtesy of Metro riders in Washington, DC to give up their seat to a VERY pregnant lady. In addition to the hazards of commuting, the hazards of sitting at my desk had just gotten to be too much and so it made sense to really take it easy at Week 40. (more…)
by Fiona Biedermann (Australia) | Apr 4, 2011 | Family, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Oceania
Do you remember how you felt on your first day of school or when you started a new job? When you didn’t know anyone, when there were new things to learn, and you were still finding your way around a new place?
You were probably uncomfortable because you weren’t totally sure of people’s expectations, and maybe you were hoping like crazy that people would like you and make you feel welcome.
As mothers we’ve all experienced one of these scary moments, both through our own experiences, as well as, those of us who have watched our children go through the first day jitters as well.
Combined with all of that was the hope that you (or they) wouldn’t mess up, and also that they would be able to take on the new challenges and combat the fear that accompanies them.
That’s pretty much how I feel today, my first post for World Moms Blog. My first challenge was discovering that I would have to post in WordPress, where the blog is hosted, as I’m a Blogger girl at heart. So, this raised the ol’ stress levels slightly. Learning new things is always an uncomfortable feeling, especially when you’re set in the way you do things. (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 Jennifer Burden | Apr 2, 2011 | Being Thankful, Family, International, Motherhood
Want to feel good about yourself this week? Want to feel like you’ve made a difference in the world? Want to do this by helping others?
You can make a difference!!!
Donate blood. This week. Locally.
In memory of Captain Snuggles.
(Please.)
This week Amy Hillis of Ohio, USA and Kirsten Jessiman of Toronto, Canada are hosting an online blood drive for Captain Snuggles, Amy’s son who has recently passed away.
We think what they are doing is great. And, we want to support them and their selfless cause, so we are passing on the information to our readers to join in, if you can!
Check out the Captain Snuggles Blood Drive Facebook Page for more details. You can donate locally! Also, check out Amy’s post, “It’s Almost Here!” on her personal blog for even more details.
— World Moms Blog
Photo credit to http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcobellucci/3534516458/. This photo has a creative commons attribution license.
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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I am a mother of one little girl of 15 months. I am in the early stages of motherhood, and among the trillion questions my new life brings, there is one that is starting to be present on a daily basis. Here it is:
