Mothers
Funny Parenting: Eye Opening If You Look Deep!
Submitted by Nicholeen on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 13:40
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This video is hilarious, but also extremely educational for parents.
Way To Be: Optimism
Submitted by Nicholeen on Wed, 04/20/2011 - 11:14
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“How do you maintain optimism in a depressing world? How do you teach your children to do the same?”
A Not-So-Pretend Story
[Another day of oatmeal for breakfast. I know it's healthy, but some variety in our diet would be nice. When will the bills stop coming in? Medical bills, living expenses, debts we can't pay. Don't think about the money.
“Mom, can we go to the children's museum? Mom, will you buy me a treat?”
Calm In A Hurry? ~Parenting Help
Submitted by Nicholeen on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 01:28
The opposite of calm is hurry. If you feel like you have to hurry all the time, then you will never be calm. Also, if you feel like you have to hurry through your teaching interactions with your children then you will also have a harder time staying calm. Don't let your desire for being efficient ruin your ability to be calm. The great philosopher William Jordan said:
The first sermon in the world was preached at the Creation. It was a
Divine protest against Hurry. It was a Divine object lesson of perfect
law, perfect plan, perfect order, perfect method. Six days of work
carefully planned, scheduled and completed were followed by,--rest.
“Mom is on the phone” ~Discipline Problem
Submitted by Nicholeen on Sat, 05/15/2010 - 01:26
“I do struggle and maybe you could give me some advice. I spend quite a bit of time with my kids in the morning going over little activities like school workbooks and story time and exercising together. Yet the minute I get on the phone or sit down to nurse the baby, the three boys are arguing or fighting or taking toys from each other or something of the sort. I have tried to get them to color or do a certain activity together, but that only lasts so long. It's hard to discipline when you are nursing the baby.
I know I have a bit of post-pardom and always feel like I am always nursing the baby or disciplining my children. I have felt discouraged with my 3 boys behavior and realize some of their actions comes from mom spending so much time with the new little one. Do you have any tips or suggestions for me on how to best help teach my boys and solve the problems.”
J You hit a common discipline problem right on the head. I would like to meet a mother who can have a 30 minute phone conversation and not have things fall apart a little bit. My one hopeful thought to you is that as they grow, they learn to live without you for 30 minutes, or more. ;)
Nursing a baby is also a hard one. I have been there too.
Mother's Day Miracle: My Story
Submitted by Nicholeen on Sat, 05/08/2010 - 12:36
When I was about thirteen years old I was perfectly molded in the opinions of the current society. I had my life all planned out, and was sure that my plans were socially pleasing to all of my friends. I was also sure that my plans would ensure that I wouldn't turn out like my mother, who at the time was a person I didn't really care about pleasing that much. You got it, I was a run of the mill, know it all and going to do it better than my parents, teenager. The only problem was, I didn't really know what better meant because I was only seeing the popular social perspective.
This was the plan. I was going to go to college and get a degree in psychology, go on a mission for my church, get married to a really cute guy, and be a career woman. The picture alloted for a couple of children too, but those weren't the important thing, the career was. I was pretty sure I knew that being a mom meant being a victim. Moms were weak. They didn't do anything worth while. No one seemed to care much about mothers. They didn't get
Changing Perspective...You Can Do It.
Submitted by Nicholeen on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 18:04
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Nicholeen,
I’ve got “bubblegum pink” paint all over the carpet (and some furniture) right now that should NOT be there, and I have yelled and got angry at 3 of the 9 kids one who is under 24 hr priviledge loss but didn’t have anything to do with it, and I came in to my computer to take a breather and look what I found in my inbox! I was already feeling bad, and your article is the big dose of truth I need, but how do you turn it around when you’ve really blown it? Do I just bounce in with my new perspective, apologize and ask for forgiveness? Did this happen to you in the beginning? Thanks and God bless with your health issues.
OH....................That is frustrating for sure. I feel your pain, and your frustration. I have to say, I have never had that one happen before. But, I have had my share of paint spills, gum on the carpet, bubble spills, and marker on the walls. Some children are just naturally more curious than others aren't they? My children have never been too curious, but they have had friends over the years who have been and have started creative play in motion.
To answer you question,
Parenting Discipline ~Another Perspective
Submitted by Nicholeen on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 19:49
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One of Those Days
Have you ever had one of those days where you go, go, go? On these days there are lots of places to get to, you are always running late and your children seem to be grumpy, whiny, and aggressive. You don't know if you'll ever master getting out the door with a smile on your face and everyone in a good mood.
At the ends of days like these we plop on the couch grateful that there is finally quiet in the house and still some chocolate ice cream in the freezer. We hope the children will give us at least two hours of good sleep and that we might be able to actually check something off or our to-do list before we get to 'turn in.' These are the days we can't wait to finish.
I have felt those days too.
Hitting Toddlers - Parenting Advice
Submitted by Nicholeen on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 23:49
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This is a copy of an email from Amiee Kieffer, author of http://momzoo.blogspot.com/
I thought it would be helpful to many others.
Nicholeen
Your parenting methods have really changed things around here. I could go on and on about it!
I am still at a loss on how to do this all with my 2 year old. He does well with pre-teaching most of the time, and sometimes I can get his attention long enough to talk to him (he has such a funny “serious” face that I have a hard time not laughing!). His biggest problem is with hitting, he hits one of his sisters a least once a day, usually out of frustration. Usually I take him aside and hold his offending arm firmly and say “No Hit” then I pat his face soft and say “Soft, soft” I then have him pet my face soft, then we go to the person whom he hit and we pat her and say “touch soft”. What are your thoughts on this?
BBC's Hannah Teaches Parents a Great Lesson
Submitted by Nicholeen on Thu, 12/03/2009 - 23:30
My sister, Janelle, who was featured on the BBC World's Strictest Parents spoke with me recently about her one regret about the show. If you have seen the show, you will remember we took our British guests to a homeschool youth event. Janelle was in charge of creating an event which would push the youth, physically, and emotionally. It was a team race with many different challenges. During the event, the youth were required to get their whole team over a 6 foot high wire loaded with bells, have each person eat a jar of baby food beans, fill a tube with water that was loaded with holes, feed each other blind folded, and get their whole team completely off the ground for 30 seconds using a rope and three poles.
The youth were inspiring to watch. James had a hard time with the course because the challenges were very emotionally strenuous. The program showed some of this. Hannah was very different to watch though.
Advice From the World's Strictest Parent
Submitted by Nicholeen on Sat, 11/14/2009 - 18:57
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"Hi Nicholeen, I hope you don't mind me messaging you/adding you as a friend....I saw you recently on tv here in England, and as a mother of two I was so impressed and humbled by your patience and love. Nothing seemed to get you down. The love and respect your family have for each other was so apparent, and it did bring tears to my eyes. I would love to have that same patience, tolerance and sheer joy in my life that you do. I'd love to hear back from you, if you have the time, and if possible try and send me some of your calm and patience through the web!!"
Thank you so much for your kind words. What age are your children? It is so good that you are trying to be the best mother you can be. There really is nothing more important for our world right now than parents raising good children who will fight for goodness in this confusing world. This is what I am doing at my house.
