A Child's Letter To Santa- Snowflakes softly falling
Upon your window they play
Your blankets snug around you,
Into sleep you drift away.
I bend to gently kiss you, when I see that on the floor
there's a letter, neatly written
I wonder who its for.
A Moment of Clarity- I remember the first day I realized it, that first moment of
perfect clarity in which I came to the conclusion that my
mother had been, and always would be, right about everything.
Not just about the little things, but about every single thing.
A Mother's Night Before Christmas- It was the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode
Only one creature was stirring, and she was cleaning the commode.
The Children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,
While visions of Nintendo 64 and Barbie, flipped through their heads.
A Priceless Gift- The best inexpensive Christmas gift I ever received was from my
son when he was in Kindergarten. The class took empty boxes
(hair color, toothpaste, whatever) and wrapped them in wrapping
paper and tied them with a ribbon. Attached to the box was this note...
A Romantic Evening at Home for Mom and Dad- We become parents, and take on the responsibility of raising
and caring for our children. This is a special task with hardships,
and yet wonderful rewards. But, what happened to those two
people who met and fell in love? Did you turn into Mama and Daddy
with no hope of another romantic evening alone?
A Story of Love- You were six months old and full of fun,
With a blink of my eye you were suddenly one.
There were so many things we were going to do
But I turned my head and you turned two.
Are You Addicted to Your Children?- If your children are your whole life - if you don't have a strong spiritual connection with a personal source of love and guidance, as well as other relationships and interests that you are passionate about, you might be using your children to fill an empty place within you.
Being a Happy Parent: Part of Good Parenting- When you were growing up, did you ever wish that your parents were happy? Did you feel safe when they were happy and peaceful?
My mother was rarely a happy person. Most of the time she was anxious, angry and felt overburdened, even though I was her only child. She rarely laughed and was often upset with me, or my father. Clearly, she made both of us responsible for her happiness and we consistently fell short.
Captain Planet and the Planeteer- Working in the yard is a hobby for me, a relaxing way to be
outside and productive. I try to include my child in the process,
encouraging him to plant, grow and nurture plants with the pay
off being fresh vegetables for the summer. I liken myself to
"Captain Planet" and Brett, my six-year-old son, is my little "Planeteer".
Children Lost But Not Forgotten- The next morning something willed me out of bed. I was bleeding
so heavily that I didn't make it the short trip to the bathroom. When
I got there I remember passing a golf ball sized object, without any
pain or discomfort. I was in shock. I knew in my heart what had
happened at that moment, but my mind was blocking it. Perhaps protecting me.
Do I Love My Child As Much As You Love Yours?- Occasionally, the question is asked directly, or sometimes it's unasked, buthinted at. Do I love my daughter as much as if she were really mine?
You see, my daughter was adopted.
Do You Have the Baby Blues?- remember when I was lying in my hospital bed after the birth of my fourth child, Coleton. I had endured a full day of labor and a difficult delivery (who says the fourth one comes easily?), and I was tired beyond explanation. After the relief of seeing my precious new child came an uncontrollable feeling to close my eyes and sleep. As my husband cradled newborn Coleton, I drifted off; my parting thoughts were, "I can't do this. I don't have the energy. How will I ever take care of a baby?" Luckily for me, a few hours of sleep, a supportive family, and lucky genes were all it took to feel normal again. But as many as 80% of new mothers experience a case of the baby blues that lasts for weeks after the birth of their baby. This isn't something new mothers can control there's no place for blame. The most wonderful and committed mothers, even experienced mothers of more than one child, can get the baby blues.
Find Your Best Friends in a Playgroup- Quicker than I expected, isolation and loneliness
set in as I spent my days at home with a toddler
and a preschooler. Realizing that I had to find other
children and at-home parents nearby, my solution
was to start a playgroup.
Homefires- I gaze upon an unmade bed, and see a tousled curly head, with sparkling eyes and tiny hands, that hold a mountain of demands...
How to Be a Positive Parent: 5 Ways to Improve Your Parenting Today- Do you remember when your child was an infant and parenting was overwhelming? Maybe you looked forward to the day that your child just got a little older, it would be less stressful on you, right? I used to feel that way, and then my oldest child turned into a teenager. As much as I truly enjoy her now, I'd love to go back to crayon colored walls and peanut butter and jelly kisses.
In Search of a Halloween Song- Somewhere in our overfilled attic, perhaps in a box beneath the
Christmas wreath or ice cream machine, is a rusting Halloween
noisemaker I had as a child in the ‘70s.
Karen & Kids- When Karen Mortimer was raising her children she had no idea that,
years later, she would be raising the little voices of other kids. Now,
this former stay at home mom is a music teacher and is fast becoming
a local star.
Loving Your Kids- Loving your kids should come naturally right? Well, for some people, love flows out seemingly on automatic and with no stops. With others, who may not have gotten "enough" when they were little, it's not so easy to turn on that faucet flow of love and let it gush out.
Mother's Song- I've lost my baby daughter,
Though not misplaced.
I feel she's somewhere
Bound by neither time nor space.
Perhaps she sits before the Throne
With radiant face.
My Hero- Trevor stepped up to the plate, bat in hand and a determined gleam in his eye. Digging in and signaling ready, he waited for the pitch. Strike one.
"That's okay, buddy, that's just one. See the ball and hit it. You can do it." I clapped like a mad woman, partly for him to hear and partly to keep my hands from shaking.
Reinventing Mom- In the not-so-distant past, a mother’s place was well defined and not
often questioned. She stayed home, kept the house and took care of
children. Enter Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug and a handful of others,
telling the country that for a mom to be truly happy and fulfilled she
had to be working, earning a wage, contributing to society and taxing
her brain.
Safety On School Buses- It has come to my attention that there is a question whether or not safety belts belong on school buses. Anyone who knows me, knows I am definitely in favor of them.
Surviving a C-Section- After 42 weeks of pregnancy, two days of undergoing inducement and physical stress on the baby, my daughter was delivered via an emergency C-section. Oh, it was music to my ears when my gynecologist arrived in my hospital room at 4:30 a.m. and told me they were going to do an emergency C-section. I must have been in shock or delirious!
To Santa, From Mom- I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned, and cuddled all my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter's girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.
When Mom Has a Temper Tantrum- Each month, my five-year-old son's kindergarten class compiles a "book of days," in which the children share their daily home experiences with one another. The next month, the book gets circulated to all the parents. Imagine my chagrin when James brought last month's book home, and there-between "Mollie and her mom made brownies" and "Jeremy helped his dad take out the trash"-was "James's mom was angry with him this morning." My temper, in writing, laminated and distributed for all the world to see.
When Parents Disagree on Discipline- My wife and I discipline our children in very different ways. Oftentimes it leads to us arguing in front of them. What can we do to prevent this?
Mother's Day!
Mother's Day is right around the corner. Celebrate mom this year with plenty of crafts, recipes and plenty of other ideas. Here are a few examples to get you started...
If your children are your whole life - if you don't have a strong spiritual connection with a personal source of love and guidance, as well as other relationships and interests that you are passionate about, you might be using your children to fill an empty place within you.
When you were growing up, did you ever wish that your parents were happy? Did you feel safe when they were happy and peaceful?
My mother was rarely a happy person. Most of the time she was anxious, angry and felt overburdened, even though I was her only child. She rarely laughed and was often upset with me, or my father. Clearly, she made both of us responsible for her happiness and we consistently fell short.
Do you remember when your child was an infant and parenting was overwhelming? Maybe you looked forward to the day that your child just got a little older, it would be less stressful on you, right? I used to feel that way, and then my oldest child turned into a teenager. As much as I truly enjoy her now, I'd love to go back to crayon colored walls and peanut butter and jelly kisses.
Loving your kids should come naturally right? Well, for some people, love flows out seemingly on automatic and with no stops. With others, who may not have gotten "enough" when they were little, it's not so easy to turn on that faucet flow of love and let it gush out.
Each month, my five-year-old son's kindergarten class compiles a "book of days," in which the children share their daily home experiences with one another. The next month, the book gets circulated to all the parents. Imagine my chagrin when James brought last month's book home, and there-between "Mollie and her mom made brownies" and "Jeremy helped his dad take out the trash"-was "James's mom was angry with him this morning." My temper, in writing, laminated and distributed for all the world to see.
My wife and I discipline our children in very different ways. Oftentimes it leads to us arguing in front of them. What can we do to prevent this?
Win Fun Stuff!
Missed the last couple of newsletters? Haven't visited for a while? This section highlights articles and crafts that have recently been added to FC...
