by Kristen | Aug 7, 2012 | Life Lesson, Motherhood, Switzerland, Travel, World Moms Blog, World Motherhood
After five moves in five and a half years, I have been accustomed to gear up for change. The excitement of something new; the sadness of leaving what we have grown accustomed to; the packing and the unpacking; the curiosity of a new place; missing the last place.
But what I wasn’t prepared for when we started this journey was my role as a mother and wife, which leaves me not only to anticipate my own transition but that of each family member.
Our family recently made the move from Switzerland back to the U.S. It was a move we were very much looking forward to, but it didn’t occur without the ever-flowing mix of emotions that comes with moving.
We hated leaving behind our dear friends, whom we had made so many wonderful memories with, not to mention the cheese and chocolates! But, we also eagerly waited for the time when we would return to a more familiar life in the United States, where we would be near family and friends.
Over the past few months, we have ridden the roller coaster of transition. Although we are not out of the woods yet, I thought I would pass on a few things that helped my kids, in particular, with this transition. (more…)
Kristen is a stay-at-home to two little boys, Jackson (4 yrs) and Owen (nearly 2 yrs). She was born in New York, but eventually made her way down to Texas. She and her husband, Seth, met in Dallas and were married in December 2005. Nine months into their marriage Seth received a call that he had landed his dream job, one catch, it involved world wide assignment. The adventure took them from Texas to Washington, D.C., on to Bogotá, Colombia and then back to Washington, D.C before bringing them to Bern, Switzerland! Kristen and her family have currently lived in Bern for more than 1 year, where her husband works for the US Department of State. Four moves and 2 children in nearly 6 years of marriage have made for quite the adventure in motherhood! Kristen finds motherhood to be one of the most humbling and character building things she has ever experienced. The responsibility of raising boys with integrity and respect at times feels daunting, but she couldn’t imagine doing anything else!
Kristen is a Speech Language Pathologist but has taken time away from working to focus on her family. Although she enjoys the travel and adventure involved in her husband’s career, she often finds herself feeling far from home and working to make the most of time abroad!
On her blog, Seasons Worth Savoring, Kristen writes about daily life with two little boys, including her experiences as she navigates a foreign culture and walks by faith. In her free time, or rather in her busy time with two boys attached to her legs, Kristen enjoys cooking, photography, antique and thrift store shopping, working on crafts, and blogging.
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by World Moms Blog | Aug 4, 2012 | Motherhood, Saturday Sidebar, World Motherhood
This week’s Saturday Sidebar Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Maggie Ellison. She asked our writers,
“What is something that surprised you about motherhood that you never expected?”
Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…
Alison Lee of Malaysia writes:
“I had no idea I could function so well with so little sleep. I had no idea I could take such quick showers. I had no idea I could do so many things with one hand and not wake the baby who’s in the other arm. I had no idea my gross meter would alter so much (poop, puke, pee? No problem). I had no idea how much it hurts when my children hurt. I had no idea I could love this much”
Ana Gaby of Indonesia writes:
I never thought I could love a little person so much. I always heard about how moms would give their lives for their children and how they mean the world to them and I never understood it until now.
Jennifer Burden of New Jersey, USA writes:
“I thought going in that I knew my limits. But what I didn’t expect was that motherhood defined new limits for me when it came to sleep and pushing myself that extra mile. And, in turn, helped me learn the importance of taking time to rejuvenate. I have a newfound sense of strength, both physical and mental (mind over matter). I can talk matter of factly about how it has affected me, when it becomes more personal about being the mother to my daughters – they’ve shown me a new level of love that I can’t explain!”
Jennifer Clark Johns of USA writes:
I too found strength I never knew I had from the sleepless nights to the colic and the all-consuming thoughts of being responsible for another human being, etc. I agree that the love I have for my boys is unlike any other love I’ve ever felt. I mean, I LOVE my husband, but when it comes to my children: I defend them, support them, love them, protect them, fight for them and although they sometimes test this with their choice of actions, it truly is an UNCONDITIONAL love. I am always telling my sons that “although I may not love, or even like the decisions you have made, I will ALWAYS love YOU. No matter what.”
Karyn Van Der Zwet of New Zealand writes:
“It was, and still is, that I rarely get to start and finish an activity in one sitting. My life is completely syncopated and it drives me insane”
Maman Aya of New York, USA writes:
“I never though I’d be able to carry and give birth to my own children (although I hoped). I never knew how little sleep I actually need to function properly. How deeply I can sleep once I am able to get to bed. How to really appreciate quiet. How to really appreciate all the chaos in my life. And most of all how to love another with every fiber of my being twice! :-)”
Mannahattamamma of United Arab Emirates writes:
“I never expected that I would laugh so much with my babies (well, with and at, actually). So much fun. Of course, I never expected I would be so bored, either. How many rounds of “peek-a-boo” can a person play before she goes absolutely stark raving mad? Those endless hours between waking up from afternoon nap, through the dinner hour, until bedtime. That was like an entire 24 hours all by itself.”
Purnima (The Alchemist) of India writes:
I never thought I would be able to drop it all for the sake of the ‘baby.’ I never expected me to be happy, contented and blissful being a stay-at-home mom. If someone would have told me this before baby-days, I would have talked feminism, modern-woman, career goals and so much of mumbo-jumbo. And I agree to the rest of the things these wonderful ladies say, like taking a quick shower, laughing so much, sustaining on so less sleep for endless hours and unconditional love above all.
Ruth Wong of Singapore writes:
“I used to think that being a mom will be limiting, especially where career is concerned. But I discovered I was wrong. Being a mom has opened up new doors that would not have been possible if I wasn’t a mom. It has added a whole new dimension to my understanding of womanhood. More importantly, being a mom has enabled me to reach deep within me to discover inner strengths that I never knew was there.”
Tina Rodriguez of Philippines writes:
“I never thought I’d be able to “find my groove” when I became a mother, i.e. I never thought that I’d discover what it is I am really MEANT to do in this world… all because I became a mom! I also didn’t know I’d be able to give birth naturally with both kids; survive with so little sleep; breastfeed for two years plus for both kids (three now, with the youngest); enjoy babywearing and co-sleeping; homeschool; and SO MUCH MORE!”
What about you… what surprised you about motherhood that you did not expect?
And do you have a question you would like to pose to our WMB writers? If so, email us at wmbsidebareditor@gmail.com to see what they have to say.
Don’t forget to visit us tomorrow to check out the travel itinerary for next week!
– World Moms Blog
Photo credit to http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/3372160289/. This photo has a creative commons attribute license.
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 Diana | Aug 2, 2012 | Child Care, Motherhood, Parenting, USA, Working Mother, World Motherhood, Writing
Bella waiting for her sitter.
I have been a stay at home mom for the past 2+ years with my daughter. And the only time we ever had a sitter was when my husband was gone for training with the Army for 4 months and I hired a girl to come once a week so I could grocery shop. So really, Bella has been pretty much my sidekick 24-7.
This past spring, I transitioned into what I’ve always dreamed of and worked towards – working at home as a freelance writer. These past two months I’ve worked 30-40 hours per week from home with several different jobs and my own blog.
This is a huge adjustment for our whole family – especially my daughter. When I realized I simply wasn’t able to get what I needed done without her being left alone or plopped in front of the TV, I decided to look at other options. (more…)
Diana blogs on raising a toddler daughter, the loss of her twin boys, and their families' adoption in progress on the aptly named Hormonal Imbalances, as well as Babble, Oreck, World Moms Blog, and Attachment Parenting International. She's been syndicated on BlogHer and The Huffington Post. Smaller glimpses into her day are on Twitter and Facebook, and on <a href="http://pinterest.com/lifeasasahm"
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by Fiona Biedermann (Australia) | Aug 1, 2012 | Computers, Family, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Oceania, Older Children, Parenting, Social Media, World Motherhood
The Australian media has been awash lately with stories about the new ‘useless generation.’ The new breed of young teenagers and adults who have no idea how to do basic things, and who rely heavily on Google and YouTube to find out how to do simple tasks like boil an egg or change a car tire or wash a load of clothes.
This story stopped me in my tracks because I find this at odds with my own experiences. I’ve never thought much about it until I saw this on the news the other night. My boys are 23, 17 and 15, and their father and I have always raised them to be independent, strong and self sufficient.
Everything my Mr Fix-it husband can do, they can do. We’ve always taught them life skills and how to do the important things in life. Basically, we’ve taught them how to look after things themselves.
I could quite happily leave them alone in our house for any length of time and know that they would manage our household just as my husband and I do. Maybe with a party or two, but that’s another post entirely. The thing is they are perfectly competent with cooking, cleaning, yard maintenance, and everything in between. (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 World Moms Blog | Jul 29, 2012 | 2012, International, Motherhood, World Moms Blog Itinerary, World Motherhood
On Monday we head to China to hear from Taryn @ Mamas Got Wanderlust. She tells us a heartbreaking story of how a woman’s rights were violated in the name of public policy.
On Tuesday, we will hop on over to India, where The Alchemist recently hosted a special kind of tea party. Come read about how it all went, all in aid of the GAVI Alliance, which advocates for access to lifesaving vaccines for all children.
On Wednesday, we will be in Australia, where Fiona @ Inspiration to Dream ponders whether we as a society are neglecting to teach our kids basic life skills like cooking, cleaning and changing a tire. Are we fostering too much reliance on Googled instructions?
On Thursday, we fly to Texas to hear from Diana @ Hormonal Imbalances. This mom thought that working at home would allow her to spend time with her daughter, but she found it difficult to get anything done! Come read about how she solved her problem.
On Friday, we will be in Canada, where a year ago Salma undertook the giant task of relocating. She tells us what it was like and how she and her family are adjusting to their new life.
On Saturday, check out the Saturday Sidebar with Eva Fannon, where the World Moms give their thoughts on an important topic, and chime in with your answers to this week’s question!
And we have BIG NEWS!! Next week our website will have a new look! The actual date of the change is to be announced, so keep checking back!
***If you are subscribed through WordPress.com to our site, and you receive e-mails every time we publish a post, you will have to resubscribe on the updated site.***
Once the new site goes live, our WordPress subscriber list becomes defunct. And, for fun — once you’re signed up on the new site, you will be entered to win a World Moms Blog T-shirt!
We hope you’ll hop on over to the check out the site this coming week to sign up again once it’s up and running, and look out for international giveaway announcements for the month of August to celebrate the change!
— World Moms Blog
Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.
This World Moms Blog Travel Itinerary is written by Kirsten Doyle @ Running For Autism
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 World Moms Blog | Jul 28, 2012 | Kids, Motherhood, Saturday Sidebar, World Motherhood, Younger Children
This week’s Saturday Sidebar Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Maman Aya. She asked our writers,
“At what age did you let your child(ren) bathe/shower themselves?”
Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…
Tina Rodriguez of Philippines writes:
“My kids are still five and three, but we’re trying to get our five-year-old-going-on-six to learn to bathe himself in preparation for the future! :)” (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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