by Fiona Biedermann (Australia) | May 26, 2011 | Family, International, Motherhood, Oceania
My road to motherhood has been a bumpy one with lots of twists and turns and obstacles to throw me off-balance. My entry into motherhood was not without its problems with my eldest son being born two weeks after my 17th birthday.
It’s only now, as the mother of teenagers, that I can truly appreciate the stress that I caused my parents, and that it’s true that things come back to bite you on the butt.
My mum was horrified, but quietly excited about becoming a grandmother. My father was absolutely devastated and disappointed beyond belief. His response was to ground me for the first four months of my pregnancy and prevent me from leaving the house. A bit like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.
Despite all the drama, I loved becoming a mother and my little guy was my world. Was it difficult being a young mother? Definitely, in terms of other people’s reactions and opinions, but I don’t think age or circumstances determine a good or a bad mother. (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 Kyla P'an (Portugal) | May 25, 2011 | Culture, Health, International, Motherhood, Multicultural, Parenting, USA
Here in the USA, circumcision’s a big deal. It’s a big financial deal for the hospitals performing the procedure, it’s a big deliberated deal for the parents of a newborn male and, I can only assume, a big traumatizing deal for the baby going under the knife.
When I was pregnant with our second and final child two-and-a-half years ago, I hadn’t intended to find out the baby’s gender but when a pronoun slipped at an ultrasound appointment and I learned I was having a boy, I was thrilled. At the time, my close friend, RO, also was pregnant and already knew she was having a boy. Our daughters were four days apart, we lived within a mile of each other and now the due dates for our sons also would be just a few days apart.
We openly talked about the new challenges we might face raising sons and our stances on circumcision, which we both felt apprehensive about. Neither of us needed to conduct it for religious reasons (both the Jewish and Islamic cultures practice circumcision as acts of commandments) yet both of us had grown up in a generation where the practice was wide-spread. (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 Tara Bergman (USA) | May 24, 2011 | Family, Family Travel, International, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, Tara B., Transportation, Travel, USA
Recently, I set out on an adventure. I didn’t kayak down the Amazon or climb Mount Everest. I traveled from Washington to Pennsylvania (and back again) with my two boys, ages 5 ½ and 13 months, on my own to visit my family.
That’s a 2700 mile trek each way with flight layovers involved.
For the flights, I had my older boy seated next to me and my toddler sitting on my lap. Well, on paper he was sitting on my lap, but anyone who has flown while holding a 13 month old knows that the toddler is not sitting on your lap.
He may be jumping on your lap, wailing on your lap, or barfing on your lap, but he most certainly isn’t sitting on your lap. (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 DC Blogmama (USA) | May 23, 2011 | Family, International, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
I am obsessed with my daughter’s sleep schedule. It’s her own fault – she’s been a pretty good sleeper since Day 1. And so, anything less than an 11-hour stretch at night, I’m ready to take notes and start a sleep log and talk to the doctor at her next appointment.
Seriously.
I’ve started a sleep log for my 23-month old.
Her dad was away for 2 weeks in March-April, and then we went on vacation for a week in April (*sigh* Brasil), and it seems like things just haven’t been right with her nighttime sleep.
And, it’s been about a month. And, she’s not even teething. I can’t handle it.
Yes, we’ve been spoiled rotten when it comes to her sleep, and I like it that way. When her sleep gets out of whack, I feel like it’s no different from actual bad behavior like biting or hitting — it’s just unacceptable. (more…)
by World Moms Blog | May 20, 2011 | Being Thankful, Birthing, Breastfeeding, Communication, Education, Eva Fannon, Exercise, Family, Friday Question, Motherhood, Parent Care, Parenting, Polish Mom Photographer, Pregnancy, Preschool, Salma, Sleep and Children, Third Eye Mom
This week’s Friday Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Karyn Van Der Zwet of New Zealand. She asked our writers,
“What are three bits of parenting advice you’d give a friend who was pregnant for the first time?”
Here is the advice some of our World Moms would give their friends…
Kally Mocho of New Jersey, USA writes:
“1. Read “Twelve Hours Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old: A Step-by-Step Plan for Baby Sleep Success” by Suzy Giordano. The title says it all.
2. Baby wipes can be used for so much more than just wiping your baby’s bottom. I use them to clean my children’s shoes. (It’s one item some moms can’t live without!)
3. Take all advice with a grain of salt (including mine). Everyone and their mother will tell you how you should handle your newborn. Only you will know what’s best for your child. Know that the advice given to you comes from a place of love, not judgment.” (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 Jennifer Burden | May 19, 2011 | Family, International, Italy, Motherhood, Pregnancy
When did you first become a mother?
I will become a mother at the end of June. At the moment, I am carrying a huge egg-shaped belly!
Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?
I live in Rome, Italy, and I was born here. I used to live in New York (two years) and Paris (two years), which makes me kind of a gipsy.
My family and life are now in Rome ,and it’s definitely a pleasant place to live in for both, children and adults.
What language(s) do you speak?
I speak Italian (of course), English, French and a little bit of Spanish.
I really like to learn languages and, for some reason, it comes really easy to me.
However, the writing part gets a little more difficult sometimes. (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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My road to motherhood has been a bumpy one with lots of twists and turns and obstacles to throw me off-balance. My entry into motherhood was not without its problems with my eldest son being born two weeks after my 17th birthday.
