“The greatest thing a father can do for his daughter, is love her mother.”
WORDS OF WISDOM
Let’s Focus on What Really Matter at Christmas Time
What a challenging, confusing, sometimes frightening, tragic and certainly frustrating year 2020 became. Who would have thought this time last year that the year would have unfolded in such a way? There’s so much going on during the run up to Christmas that’s it’s easy to lose sight of what matters most. The festive season is, above all, a time for us all to rejoice with our loved ones. A time to share the spirit of Christmas and embrace this magical time of year, and gives thanks for each other.
Self-care for Parents
Becoming a parent is perhaps one of the most rewarding life experiences one can have. For many, it can also be one of the most challenging and at times, downright exhausting period of adult life. Being a parent does not necessarily begin from the time your little bundle of joy arrives into this world.
Becoming a Parent … the bits we don’t talk about
The first few months after having a baby is a period of time like no other.
It is life stage that arrives after many months of growing a new life inside of you and constantly adjusting to all the biological and psychological changes that brings. The arrival of your baby is a powerful event, regardless of delivery style. Your infant must slowly unfurl into a world of bright lights, noise, pollution and new experiences and you must recover from a life-changing period of physical change and emotional upheaval.
How to Commit to anger Management in Parenting
“I try so hard to change, but every time I vow never to get angry again, I just end up giving up, falling back into the same habits, and then I give up, feeling like a complete failure”
Take a Moment and Practice Unspoken Love
More often than not, family life feels very complicated. We often wonder if we are doing the right things to make our family members feel loved and supported, and whether or not we are spending our time in the right ways. As parents in particular, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to create a beautiful home-life for our children. But this alone can make us forget the most basic ways of expressing unconditional love.
14 Time- Saving Strategies for Busy Mums
1. Get Organised. It's amazing how many people spin their wheels each day looking for lost keys, phone numbers, the red shirt or a specific pair of shoes. Spend a weekend getting yourself organised.
2. Find Your Time-wasters. Keep track for one week of all the ways you waste time. Do you spend 10 minutes finding your keys? If so, make a key hook by your door, and use it. Do you forget "that one item" when you go to the store? Keep a list on your refrigerator and, each time you empty something, add it to the list.
Are you really seeing your child?
Have you ever stopped to consider the true emotional toll parenting takes on you? Not the obvious stuff like loss of sleep or the ever-present worry for your kids’ general well-being, but the constant, almost subconscious, mental scanning of your little one’s needs?
Being Perfectly Imperfect
Part 1
We are our own worst enemy. How many times have we heard this phrase?
In this modern age where everything seems to be functioning on crack and one error sometimes means the line between job security or dismissal. Or a difference of one grade marking the difference between securing an entry into the university and course of your choice or being relegated to something you will likely suffer through. It is no wonder that we, as a human species, have been nurtured to excel, to perform, to be extraordinarily meticulous to detail from a very young age for fear of falling short. In short, some of us have, over time, developed a rather interesting, and sometimes debilitating need, to be perfect.
To Honour Mothers Everywhere
BECOMING A MOTHER …. nothing compares
Time is running out for my friend. We are sitting at lunch when she casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of “starting a family.” What she means is that her biological clock has begun its countdown and she is being forced to consider the prospect of motherhood.
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle
Becoming a mother for the first time changes you. You are no longer responsible for only you, but have at least one other person completely reliant on you. This is often the time where it is easy to forget you are not only a mum or dad, but you also remain an individual with needs and aspirations of self.
20 Ways Motherhood Changed Me
Before I was a Mum
#1 I never looked into tiny teary eyes and cried.
#2 I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
#3 I never recognised the feeling of triumph in getting a baby to sleep.
#4 I had never been puked on, pooped on, chewed on or peed on.
#5 I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
Raising Extraordinary Kids
After almost 35 years ( to the day), I have had the absolute privilege of walking side by side with thousands of families – families experiencing family violence, suffering from addictions, life-changing mental health diagnosis, families with complex medical needs, children without families, and families who have suffered devastating losses of children.
An Opportunity to Re-discover that Silver Lining to the Corona Lockdown for New Parents
After months of preparing for dreamy newborn days with partner by your side, friends and family visiting with hearty congratulations, admiration, gifts, love and hugs. Having the opportunity to proudly present your warm and soft, rather cute, newborn to the world, fresh with that unique newborn smell.
It’s Ok To Be Frightened Right Now
It’s Okay to be frightened right now … you are bringing a baby into a brave new world
Nobody said it was going to be easy. Nor will this changed time be over quickly. The world is changed forever. There is a great unknown and so many unanswerable questions, at the moment. The thought of being pregnant and having a baby at this historic time, with so much up in the air, may feel somewhat overwhelming, even frightening, but it WILL be OK.
When it takes a village
The proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” expresses an underlying truth regardless of where you are situated in the world, your culture and your social economic status. This African proverb brings to light the community’s role in raising children. Families, particularly mothers, and their children are part of a larger group within the community, extended kinship and social structure. Every parent who loves his/ her child(ren) know that raising children who resonate one’s values and who go on to become well-adjusted adults who contribute to society is not easy.
Bring on all the good advice … said no mum ever!
Being pregnant for the first time is one of the most incredible experiences of a woman’s life. There is the sense of wonder at the way your body unfolds, making room for this unknown being who is about to become the centre of your universe. There is also the terror, punctuated by exhaustion and uncertainty.
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