Interview with #WorldMom Yolanda Gordon!

yolandaWhere in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I live in Fort Mill, SC.  I am from South Carolina.  I was born and raised here, and I attended public schools here.

What language(s) do you speak?
I speak English.  I can understand Spanish, however, I can speak very little of it.  I also know American Sign Language.

When did you first become a mother (year/age)?
I first became a mother at the age of 19 in 1999.
Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work from home or away from home?

I work full time as a Licensed Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.  It’s a wonderful job.

Why do you blog/write?

I originally started a blog because I had all sort of ideas in my head that I wanted to share.  Then it became more than that.  I was able to share the day in and day out of being a mom of three children with different disabilities. It also turned into a place where I could share about social good and being a single mother.

What makes you unique as a mother?

What makes me unique is that I am the mom of two children on the Autism Spectrum. In addition, my oldest child was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at the age of 13.  In spite of these challenges, I advocate for those who have less than I, for children, and for a variety of other causes.

What do you view as the challenges of raising a child in today’s world?

One of the biggest challenges of raising children today is not knowing my neighbors.  People are not concerned with creating lasting relationships with their neighbors these days like they did when I was a child.  Everyone knew each other back then even if we didn’t live in the same neighborhood.

How did you find World Moms Network?

I found World Moms Network through Jen Burden and Shot@Life.

This is an original post to World Moms Network by World Mom, Yolanda Gordon in the USA. Welcome, Yolanda! 
UAE: Interview with World Mom, KC in Abu-Dhabi

UAE: Interview with World Mom, KC in Abu-Dhabi


Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

Home for the moment is Abu Dhabi, UAE. Our family (husband, 2.5 year-old and yours truly) just moved here six months ago for my husband’s job. Originally from the tiny city-state of Singapore, we have been living a transitory life and have resided in four countries since 2007.IMG_4548

What language(s) do you speak?

English and Mandarin, and such basic French that I wouldn’t even call it speaking! While the official language of Singapore is Malay, today it is mainly used by some of the older generation, the Malays and a minority of other Singaporeans. The business language in Singapore is English and all schools instruct in English so this was what I grew up reading and speaking. In schools, you also have to learn a second language and although I managed to scrape by in my exams, I still always feel a little nervous and panicky when someone speaks to me in Mandarin. I also understand some Hokkien (another Chinese dialect) from listening to my maternal grandmother when I was a child. I never practised it very much and needless to say, I had numerous moments when things were lost in translation with my grandmother!

 

When did you first become a mother (year/age)?

In 2013, three days before I turned 32, my daughter made an early entrance into our lives. Since then, we’ve never had a dull or quiet day.

 

Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you do other work in or outside the home?

By choice, I am a stay-at-home mom. Initially, I left my job to focus on conceiving. When my daughter was born, I didn’t have any help with her and was her main care-giver. And now, she is with us on her first overseas posting, and I’m happy to be at home with her to maintain some sort of consistency. I remember being a teenager and telling my teacher that I wanted to be a physical education teacher (I ended up teaching English Lit, but close enough) until I had a family and then I would stay home with my children. Somehow, things turned out the way I had dreamed, and I am so very thankful that I can make the choice to stay home with my daughter.

Why do you blog/write?

I’ve only started writing fairly recently, mostly as a means to keep my brain working especially when my days revolve around nursery rhymes and Disney songs on repeat. I’ve found it rather cathartic and calming, and it gives me a chance to stop and gather my thoughts. Blogging and reading other blogs also provides a platform for an exchange of ideas, different perspectives and very importantly, support between friends and fellow mums. 

IMG_4585

What makes you unique as a mother?

As a mother in the parenting game, I am like any other mother who wants the best for her child. My uniqueness lies in one fact, that I am my daughter’s mummy, that I know her better than anyone else, and that I love her differently from anyone else.

 

What do you view as the challenges of raising a child in today’s world?

Because we move from country to country ever 3-4 years, and we are away from our family a lot, I worry that my child will lack permanence, a connection with others and a sense of rootedness. “Where is home?”  and “Where do I belong?” will be questions that she will need to find answers to. And hopefully, as parents, we will be able to provide safety and security at home, so that she can face other challenges as we move around.

 

How did you find World Moms Blog?

When I first started writing, we had just moved away from Singapore, and I was searching for other blogs for expat parents; I wanted to find some support from mums who were living abroad with their young kids. When I came across World Moms Blog, I was immediately drawn to it. Not only did it feature mothers from across the globe, it highlighted many inspirational issues and causes, and gave others a rare glimpse of mums living, working and parenting in different parts of the world. With each post I read, I learn something new and am spurred to want to do more than I am doing. There’s no better place to be inspired and uplifted by other mums!

This is an original post to World Moms Blog by KC in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 

Photo credits to the author.

Karen Williams

Karen is a Singaporean with an 8 year-old daughter who’s a little fire-cracker version of herself. She’s spent the last 15 years in her various roles of supportive trailing spouse, mother, home-maker and educator. Having experienced six international moves alternating between overseas postings and her home country of Singapore, Karen considers herself a lover of diverse foods and culture, and reckons she qualifies as a semi-professional packer. She is deeply interested in intercultural and third-culture issues, and has grown immensely from her interactions with other World Mums. Karen is currently living in Brunei with her family.

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INDIA: Interview with Piya Mukherjee of #WorldMoms

INDIA: Interview with Piya Mukherjee of #WorldMoms

piya mukherjee - pic 2

Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I live in Mumbai, India and have lived here since birth. However, work and leisure have taken me to many different pockets of India and of the world. It’s a tad ironical that someone with “wanderlust” should also be a happy citizen of a single city for a long time!

 

What language(s) do you speak?

I speak English, Hindi (the national language), Bengali / Bangla (my mother tongue), some Marathi (the language of the state where I live) and a sprinkling of words in French remembered from my school and college days! 🙂

 

When did you first become a mother (year/age)?

I had just turned 26 when Abhishek was born.

 

Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work inside or outside the home?

Surprisingly, the answer to this question is – both! When my son arrived, I moved into full-time parenting and slowly progressed to weaving my work around his schedules. Later, this took the form of freelance and flexi-time work. Over the years, my son grew – as did my work. However what remains constant is my “being there” when needed – exam study times, “I need to discuss with you” times, ill times, sad and happy times.  So yes, I work, but if there is a toss-up between parenting and work, parenting would win hands-down! Hence I like to think of myself as a professional who also works with the mind-set of a stay at home mom.

 

Why do you blog/write?

Because the thoughts in my heart and mind wear the words of their choice and seek expression in my diaries, journals and laptop! Because they will not be denied. Because they echo my deepest, most sacred beliefs. And because I believe in the power of such words in forging and linking like-minded souls across the planet.

piya mukherjee - india - pic 1

What makes you unique as a mother?

Every chuckle and laugh that motherhood has brought me, every tear I’ve shed, every epiphany that seemingly simple moments have brought me, every dream my heart has nurtured, every fear that has kept me awake and every hope that I’ve cherished – these have all contributed to the tapestry of this special, challenging, wondrous and joyous journey of motherhood. That makes me a unique mother – like the other mothers on this planet (no, that’s not a paradox!). Aren’t we then all unique mothers? 🙂

And oh, I must mention that over the past 18 years or so, I’ve been very active in the education domain. Being a teacher-trainer, allows me to bring some much-needed understanding into the classroom and some objectivity in terms of dealing with growing-up milestones, in my home! The cross-pollination of experiences and learnings helps!

 

What do you view as the challenges of raising a child in today’s world?

The world today probably offers more choices and faster time-buckets for changes and decision-making than ever before. The flipside is this: emotional resilience and intellectual maturity don’t quite grow at the same rate as techo-skills and expressions of individuality. Which leads to a world that teeters between the “I” and the “We” paradigms of identity. Raising a child to navigate this course is what makes parenting a challenging task today.

 

How did you find World Moms Blog?

I was searching for some “soul-food” for mothers on the Internet. Some random clicks brought me to this website, and I was interested…then intrigued…and then hooked. But then again, Vedanta (a school of philosophical thought of India) teaches us that nothing is truly random! So this was meant to be. 🙂

Piya On Writing At WMB

Do you you have any questions for Piya? 

This is an original post to World Moms Blog by new contributors, Piya Mukherjee of India.

Photo credits to the author. 

KENYA: Interview with Maryanne W. Waweru of Mummy Tales

KENYA: Interview with Maryanne W. Waweru of Mummy Tales

Mummy Tales Kenya

Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I am in Kenya, East Africa. I live in the capital city of Nairobi. This is my home country, and I have lived here all my life.

What language(s) do you speak?

I communicate in fluent English and Swahili, which is our national language.

When did you first become a mother?

I first became a mother in April 2011 when I had my first son. I became a mother for the second time in April 2013 with the birth of my second son.

Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you do other work inside or outside the home?

I work as a freelance journalist, so most of the time I work from home.

Why do you blog/write?

I blog because I have a passion for informing and educating people (hence my journalism work). I specifically blog about motherhood because there is so much information that we moms could do with. Especially, because there is no manual to motherhood, you just learn things along the way. So why not learn together and from each other?

How would you say that you are different from other mothers?

I really can’t say I am different from other mothers, as I see that we all go through the same challenges and have the same desire to give the best to our children. I can only say that I am extremely passionate about ensuring that our experiences and our learning moments as mothers are captured somewhere. I try to capture these moments on my blog.

What do you view as the challenges of raising a child in today’s world?

For me it has got to be the fact that we are living in a very individualistic world, especially we who live in urban areas. Long ago, it was the entire village that would raise a child, but nowadays children are raised by their parents alone (and some are raised solely by the nannies as parents are too busy with work). When I was growing up, I knew all the homesteads within a 10 km radius, and could name all members of each household.

But that is not the same nowadays, where even knowing your next door neighbour is too much work! Society is so busy, with technology (computers, cell phones, video games) lessening the interaction of both parents and children. I fear my sons may never enjoy what ‘communal parenting’ is like.

How did you find World Moms Blog?

On twitter!

This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Maryanne W. Waweru of Mummy Tales.

Photo credit to the author.

Maryanne W. Waweru

Maryanne W. Waweru, a mother of two boys, writes for a living. She lives in Nairobi, Kenya with her family. Maryanne, a Christian who is passionate about telling stories, hopes blogging will be a good way for her to engage in her foremost passion as she spreads the message of hope and faith through her own experiences and those of other women, children, mums and dads. She can be found at Mummy Tales.

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THE PHILIPPINES: No, Mommy, I Don’t Want Any Siblings

THE PHILIPPINES: No, Mommy, I Don’t Want Any Siblings

Cousins

My son and his cousins!

Yes, it’s true. My 8-year old son and I recently had a conversation about his being an only child and the prospect of him having siblings in the near future. And, well, this was the response that I received from him:

No, Mommy, I don’t want any siblings.

To be honest, I have been asked several times why I still only have one child. It’s been asked so often that I already have a set of predetermined answers that I use, depending on who I am speaking with.

“Maybe eventually, when we get our own place, we can have another kid.”

“We live in one room. The only space I have left to put a crib in is the bathroom.”

“Oh, it’s so expensive raising a child! And I’m already going nuts with just one.”

“Someday.”

“Maybe I haven’t gotten pregnant because I have yet to lose the baby weight from my last pregnancy. Oh, and yes, I know it’s been eight years.”

And the list goes on and on. There are days, though, when I ask myself if it’s time. My husband and I talked about it, too, on more than one occasion. We both agree that if it’s meant to be, it will happen. We also are on the same page in thinking that we should focus on raising our son, instead of dwelling on what may come into our lives in the future.

He’s the only one, but he sure isn’t lonely.

One of the things I am often told is that I should give my son someone to play with. And yes, it’s put in exactly those words, as if having one more kid was as simple as buying a toy from the store. I know for a fact that the age gap between my son and any baby that we might eventually have is too big for them to truly become playmates. I would know because my sister and I were born six years apart, and it was already difficult to relate to each other growing up. With the at least nine-year gap we are looking at, at this point, getting pregnant in order for my son to have a playmate isn’t exactly a compelling reason.

Fortunately, fate has made up for his lack of siblings with a surplus of cousins, who are also about his age. Between my cousins and I, we have five small boys, and they get see each other quite often. One is even in the same school and grade level as my son. We also recently made friends with some of our neighbors who have young boys at home, and so playdates are fun for us both. The mommies get to chitchat while the kids run around and be kids together.

And just recently, our family was blessed with a vacation getaway together with fellow World Moms Blog contributor, Tina and her family!

Her son and mine became friends in an instant, and that trip was definitely one of the most memorable yet. Yes, he may be the only one, but he sure isn’t alone.

World Mom Contributors Tina Santiago-Rodriguez and Mrs. C. on vacation together in the Philippines!

World Mom Contributors Tina Santiago-Rodriguez and Mrs. C. on vacation together in the Philippines!

Don’t worry baby, I’m happy with just you.

I am very content being mom to just one child.

There are definite perks to having a small family. I get to focus on my child 100% each and every time. And because my attention is all on him, I can see so clearly what an awesome kid he has turned out to be. He has become very close to both his dad and I. He is growing up to be independent, secure and confident. He knows how to keep himself occupied and entertained, and without gadgets at that. He is excited about making new friends and spending time with them. He loves hanging out with his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncle.

I know that being able to care for him myself, with the help of family, of course, has played such a big role in his development. I, honestly, can’t say if it would have been the same with more kids at home, but there’s really no reason to dwell on what might have been. For now, I am happy with just the opportunity to be a mom and to raise a child. And in the future, if it’s meant to be, I know that I will be the most excited over having more.

How about you, how many kids do you have? Parents with only one child, does your kid look forward to having siblings? And to the moms with several children, how has having siblings helped your child in his growth and development?

This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Mrs. C of “Mrs. C’s Sugarcoated Life” in the Philippines. 

Photo credit to the author.

Patricia Cuyugan (Philippines)

Patricia Cuyugan is a wife, mom, cat momma, and a hands-on homemaker from Manila, whose greatest achievement is her pork adobo. She has been writing about parenting for about as long as she’s been a parent, which is just a little over a decade. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her reading a book, binge-watching a K-drama series, or folding laundry. She really should be writing, though! Follow her homemaking adventures on Instagram at @patriciacuyugs. 

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