Mother's Day has become one of those celebrations that can be loaded with expectations. Expectations such as, what a mother "should be" or "should do", and can lead us to feelings of doubt, inadequacy and even a devastating sense of failure!
What we hope for ourselves as "Mom" also has the possibility to lead us to wonderful feelings of fulfillment. It happens in those joyous moments when you know you've made a difference in your childrens' lives, and when their hearts shine back at you, full of love!
We'd like to share with you the following 3 inspirations on this special day - Mother's Day!
May your day be filled with the beauty of who you are, and the realization of the many ways that your children are fortunate to have you as their very own mom!
Warmest wishes, from your Parenting Network Team
"MOTHERS"
Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
They don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
Are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
Filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried play dough
Doesn't come out of carpets.
Real Mothers don't want to know what
The vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
And get their answer when a little
Voice says, 'Because I love you best.'
Real Mothers know that a child's growth
Is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...
"The Images of Mother"
4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit a bout it!
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.
"An Ode to the Beauty of A Woman"
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,
Because that is the doorway to her heart,
The place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,
But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she
Shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
Thanks to Gillian Williams MacClean at sayingsofsuccess.com for this! Joy, Professional Coach and Parenting Group Facilitator at Parenting Network
For more information on how Parenting Network helps mothers and fathers to have the harmony at home they desire, go to http://parentingnetwork.ca/
Parenting Network guides you towards more harmony in your home and healthier relationships. We provide you with the life skills necessary to raise caring, cooperative and responsible children. Our parenting courses are invigorating and fun, making learning a whole lot easier. Parents love the results – improved family life, increased confidence in their parenting, and the chance to bring out the best in their children.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF GRANDPARENTING
The car in front of me had a bumper sticker saying,
If I Knew How Wonderful Grandparenting Was, I Would Have Done It First!
As a grandmother of 6 children from ages 6 to 13 years, I pondered this statement.
How is grandparenting different from parenting?
I loved the time I spent with my own kids. It certainly brought a lot of joys and rewards, but one can’t deny that it also had some challenging times. After all, as parents, my husband and I felt totally responsible for them in every way, just like our children feel now about their own children. Parents often run themselves ragged meeting all the schedules they set up for their children.
It is different with Grandparenting. We have the opportunity to widen their horizons, to expose them to various activities that perhaps their parents are not involved in. In our case, we can share our love of classical music, opera and sailing.
Not only can different activities be shared, but also a more relaxed attitude can be shown around the mistakes and difficult behaviours children often dish out. That combination of age and experience gives us the comfort to say, “This too will pass!”
Each grandparent can develop a certain special relationship with their grandchildren, which sometimes may be different from the one they have with their parents. The kids are smart enough to handle this. This doesn’t have to cause conflict, unless we feel the need to convince our grown children that our way is best! The parents’ position has to be respected, knowing that they also want the best for their children.
If our ideas of raising the grandkids are different from their own parents’, our major rule is: MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!
It can be difficult but keeping a strong, cordial relationship with our children and their spouses is paramount.
So we can see our grandchildren more often because:
If I Knew How Wonderful Grandparenting Was, I Would Have Done It First!
As a grandmother of 6 children from ages 6 to 13 years, I pondered this statement.
How is grandparenting different from parenting?
I loved the time I spent with my own kids. It certainly brought a lot of joys and rewards, but one can’t deny that it also had some challenging times. After all, as parents, my husband and I felt totally responsible for them in every way, just like our children feel now about their own children. Parents often run themselves ragged meeting all the schedules they set up for their children.
It is different with Grandparenting. We have the opportunity to widen their horizons, to expose them to various activities that perhaps their parents are not involved in. In our case, we can share our love of classical music, opera and sailing.
Not only can different activities be shared, but also a more relaxed attitude can be shown around the mistakes and difficult behaviours children often dish out. That combination of age and experience gives us the comfort to say, “This too will pass!”
Each grandparent can develop a certain special relationship with their grandchildren, which sometimes may be different from the one they have with their parents. The kids are smart enough to handle this. This doesn’t have to cause conflict, unless we feel the need to convince our grown children that our way is best! The parents’ position has to be respected, knowing that they also want the best for their children.
If our ideas of raising the grandkids are different from their own parents’, our major rule is: MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!
It can be difficult but keeping a strong, cordial relationship with our children and their spouses is paramount.
So we can see our grandchildren more often because:
Grandparenting is great!
› Email Georgine@parentingnetwork.ca
Georgine Nash, Co-founder of Parenting Network.
Find out more about us at parentingnetwork.ca or browse our catalogue for available parenting courses in your area.
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