Reading...Part 2

 My last entry was on Reading and how to make reading more fun for you and your child at home. I had such great feedback; I’ve decided to write another entry on reading. This time taking a deeper look at the thinking behind reading as it relates to our children. There are so many reading strategies and theories on reading. But the one thing we can all agree on is that reading is an important and complicated skill to learn as well as teach.

As a teacher, I know how important it is for the learning process to start at home. The more you support learning at home, the more success your child will have in school and in life. Much of what is taught in the classroom can be done in the home. Basically, when teaching a new skill, a teacher breaks down the skill and models the skill showing to a child how to think through the process. Then the child practices the skill and builds on it. (I know, sounds a lot easier said than done…especially when your child isn’t haven’t a fit!)  At home, our children learn skills everyday, from brushing teeth to opening and closing doors. We (parents) model the skill and the child practice. Sometimes the skills become less concrete and more abstract… like problem solving and how to think/form ideas. As parents we also have the responsibility to teach our children these thinking skills. Yes its true! Thinking is a skill. We’re all born with the ability to think, but like a muscle, if we don’t train it and use it we can’t become stronger thinkers and grow to become thinking adults.

So how does reading connect with thinking? Well…reading IS thinking. Not just reading for the sake of reading but actively reading. When we read our head begins to swirl with thoughts. We begin to make connections, predictions, and inferences as well as ask questions. This is thinking. However, just having these thoughts float around our heads isn’t enough to make us stronger, it’s the conversation we have in our minds that helps us makes sense of everything. Through these conversations and thoughts readers begin to better understand the text. This process is called “Active Reading”.

What exactly is “Active Reading”? When someone reads, they basically take a word(s) and build meaning based on their thoughts, knowledge, and experiences. In a nutshell, readers put themselves into the text. The novelist E.L. Doctorow says, “Any book you pick up, if it’s good, is a printed circuit for your own life to flow through- so when you read a book, you are engaged in the events of the mind of the writer. You are bringing your own creative faculties into sync. You’re imagining the words, the sounds of the words, and you are thinking of the various characters in terms of people you’ve known- not in terms of the writer’s experience, but your won.” 

A simple yet great example of  “Active Reading”, happened a few months ago, when reading with my daughter. We were reading one of her favorite books and she pointed to the duck in the picture. The duck she related to b/c she has a duck pacifier, which she loves. She made a connection from the book into her own world.  She was “actively reading” for her stage (11 months).  The more we read the more connections she makes to objects/pictures in books. As she develops and starts speaking we can build dialog on those connections and have conversations. I may share with her what I think about the story/solution, etc (modeling) and then ask her what she thinks (practicing). Slowly building to my child having her own conversations in her head about what she just read.

With infants and toddlers “active reading” looks a lot different than say a kindergarten or 1st grade student, which looks drastically different from a 3^rd or 4^th grade student. With infants/toddlers it starts with sitting on a lap and listening to a story. It may be asking your child, “where is the teddy bear?” or helping your child turn the page. Because these simple and basic tasks seem so automatic for us, for them they have to actually THINK about what they are doing, thus helping them practice thinking while reading. When children can verbally express themselves, it may be questions like: “Did you like the book? Why?”, “What was your favorite part?”, etc. With older children its asking them higher order thinking questions and showing evidence in the text to support thinking. All these skills are built upon each other starting from that very first time we show a child how to open a book.

Sometimes its easy to overlook the importance of those sweet moments when we read a book to our child. Yes it’s a wonderful bonding experience. Yes, its fun. Yes…it can be extremely repetitive. But its also the start of the reading process. By us reading to our children we are modeling what they will do: how to sit and hold a book, how to treat a book, how not to eat the book. Yes, all kids love to put books in their mouth, but if we teach them not to they will stop! We also teach them how to turn a page gently as to not tear the page. We teach them how to enjoy a book and we do so by doing it ourselves.

With T.V., video games and iPads kids have tons of distractions and parents have an easy out to “keep the kid occupied” (and trust me…sometimes you just need to keep them occupied for your sanity). But as fun and in some ways beneficial those activities are, it doesn’t give a child time to be relaxed and be a thinker. (Yes there are educational TV shows and video games…but TV is passive learning, not interactive learning and the video games don’t challenge higher-level thinking). When a child actively reads a book they are interacting with the text and thinking. Their wheels of imagination and creativity are churning and their world starts to open up. The words on the page create pictures in their mind. Those pictures and thoughts vary from child to child and person to person. That’s the beauty and magic in reading.

Today I hope you encourage your child/children and yourself to pick up a book, magazine, article and read. Show your children the tranquility and maybe even coziness in reading….even if its only 20 minutes.

In love, laughter and life

MOM

Reading...those precious moments.

So just to give a heads up, in this entry I’m changing gears a bit. I’m still writing as mom, but the teacher in me is making an appearance. Recently, a girlfriend of mine was telling me how she and her husband are really bad at reading to their child. She felt like the way she read was “boring” and her little boy was bored. She pretty much wrote off the idea of reading to her child. She did mention how great her babysitter reads and so she just lets her read. But that’s kinda sad…missing out on those precious moments. This got me to thinking about parents and reading and how important it is for parents to read to their children, right from the start.

Reading to your child has so many wonderful benefits. Reading helps children to learn the concept of reading from left to right, how to turn a page, and how to hold a book. Reading also is a great way to bond with your child (children). It’s that 10 or so minutes (sometimes less) a day where your little one curls up on your lap and is your captive audience. As your child gets older, reading becomes a great way to experience new things. Talking with your child about the books they read leads to conversations, which lead to asking questions, which leads to motivation to gain more knowledge. Just by reading with your child you are exposing them to new vocabulary, which they need in order to learn to read. Most 2 year olds have vocabularies of 300 to 500 words and most children enter school knowing between 3,000 and 5,000 words. Reading to children is especially important in building a larger vocabulary because children hear more new words that they perhaps may not be used in everyday conversations. For example, how often do you say “slumbering, snoozing or dozing” in everyday conversation? Not very often. But read The Napping House, by Audrey Wood and those words pop out of every page.

As a teacher I read every day, many times a day to my kids and loved every minute of it. (I’m thinking that was the performer in me coming out). As a mom, I read every day many many times a day to my daughter (many times it’s the same book over and over). But for those who aren’t comfortable “performing” or who deem themselves “not creative” or are “boring readers” when it comes to reading stories aloud, may have insecurities about reading aloud, especially as their child develops and becomes more interactive. So I thought, why not share some “tips” on reading aloud to your child and things that have helped me become a stronger reader to children.

First and foremost, reading should be fun. And when reading to your baby/toddler, “fun” should be the key emphasis. If you’re having fun your child will be having fun. You not only want your child to develop vocabulary but also want them to enjoy books and feel comfortable with them. The worst thing a teacher can experience is to see a 1st grader become anxious and cringe when reading time begins. How can a child learn to read and comprehend when they have so much anxiety and angst about reading? So for a parent who wants a more fulfilled relationship with books and their child, they’re main goal should be to just have fun with books.

That brings me to book basics. There are two main reasons for reading: entertainment or gain information (sometimes they overlap). When trying to establish a healthy relationship with books try focusing on the first, entertainment. Not only will your child learn to associate mommy/daddy with books and fun but your child will grow up to enjoy the reading experience a lot more. They will also associate learning with fun and not two separate things. After all, much learning is done through play, investigating and experimenting, which continue all throughout life (but that’s a whole other topic in itself).

Now that we have developed some background knowledge, lets move on to the next step: how do I read to my child and not sound “silly” or “boring”?  Here are some ways to help you overcome your own insecurities about reading aloud or help you become a more creative reader for your child/children:

1. The only critic is you, NOT YOUR CHILD! First know that your child is not going to sit there listening to you and criticize your reading. All he/she will be doing is sitting with you enjoying a book and hopefully having fun seeing you have fun with a book. So any hang-ups you have about how you read needs to be pushed aside. Remember, you’re not reading to a room full of strangers and critics… your reading to your child.
2. Choose a book you’re comfortable with. When you’re first trying to read with emotion, inflection, etc. choose a book you’ve read before and enjoy. Something short and familiar. Something that you know you will have success with. Once you’ve conquered that book, move on to other books. Soon you will have many books you can read aloud and “perform” in your repertoire.
3. Mood. The easiest way to “perform” when reading aloud is to find the mood of the book. Is it a book with surprises (Karen Katz flap books), quiet and soft (Good Night Moon), or silly (Sandra Boynton books)? Once you know the mood of the book just adjust your voice to that mood. For example, when reading Good Night Moon, I use a quiet voice. I may slow down my pace as the book is “winding” down. If I’m reading Where’s Baby’s Mommy, by Karen Katz, each time I open the flap at the end when the baby finds mommy, I may use a surprise voice or just raise my voice a bit when opening the flap. In the middle when the baby is trying to find mommy, I may use a more “teasing” tone and take pauses, “no….that’s my teddy bear”, etc.  You can even show the emotion on your face…for example, if I’m opening the flap where the baby finds mommy I may show excitement/awe etc. on my face. None the less… smile.
4. Rhythm. Many children’s books have a rhythm to them, especially nursery rhymes. Some rhymes/rhythms may be familiar to you and you can easily fall into the sing-songy rhythm when reading. Sometimes when reading a children’s book, you find your own rhythm and feel for the book. Any rhythm you create is absolutely fine and helps bring the book to life. It also helps teach your child that there isn’t one way to read a story.
5. Play around. If all else, just play around with books and stories. Read parts fast, slow. Maybe act out parts of the story. Like jump when the character jumps. If the book has animals, maybe grab stuffed/toy animals that are the same in the book and use them as props.  Always keep in mind tip #1- The only critic is you, NOT YOUR CHILD!

Now remember, the first few times you try something, it may not work. You may be super excited to read a book to your toddler and all of a sudden they slam the book shut. (oh yeah…that happens quite a lot in our house!) Just pick up another book and try your book again later. Most of the time a child closes a book b/c they don’t want that one. But if you offer another choice it often works. Also, if your child has a favorite book, try practicing different ways to read that book. The more you play around with the text the more your child will learn to do the same.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of my mom reading to me…the Berenstain Bears books. (I think she probably had those memorized we loved them so much.) My mom wasn’t the reader that used funny voices or played around with the stories. She read the books as their mood indicated, sometimes sang them and we always talked about them. Maybe it was her soothing tone but her reading always captivated my brother and me. (And considering we were either always fighting or goofing around that is saying something!)

So after reading this, I hope you take a way the idea that every time you read to your child you’re building a memory. You’re creating that special place in your child’s heart that will always stay with them. Maybe you don’t consider yourself a good reader. But I will bet you anything; you are the best reader in the world to your child. And if you are having fun with reading and bringing that story to life, that read aloud moment could beat out any cartoon, movie, kid show any day. You are your child’s favorite character. The more you have fun with that and yourself the more your child will.

In love, laughter and life

MOM

The First Birthday

Last week was my little girl’s first birthday- a very bittersweet moment for a new mom (any mom) …especially for this new mom. Months leading up to the big day, sadness would take over of the thought that my baby is growing up and then, like a light switch, my feelings would switch to excitement and anticipation about planning her birthday party…a roller coaster of emotions. It’s actually pretty surreal when you think about it. In one year, my life has changed so much…I have changed. A year ago, this little being came into this world. A helpless stranger who’s main comfort is mom. Yet this thing doesn’t even know mom, just a familiar voice and probably a subconscious sense of connection. For me it was instant responsibility. Her life depended on me caring for her- food, warmth and security…everything. Boy did reality really hit hard. Not that I didn’t know what I was getting myself into… but I didn’t realize how quickly and fast everything would happen.

Throughout the year, my little girl and I figured things out. I learned how she communicated and she learned about life and her world. I learned how to be a mom and she learned how to be a baby. (Although I think there was way more learning on my end then hers in that area!) Through that time, the one thing I didn’t need to learn was how to fall in love with her and what true love really is. To be honest, it didn’t happen the minute she was born, but started developing the more we spent time together. Now, one year later, I can’t even begin to explain how much that little girl means to me. Growing up, my dad used the term “priceless” about how he felt about me. What a perfect term…something so special, so amazing, you can’t put a price on it. That’s how I feel about my little girl…she’s priceless.

This year has brought many growing pains and many good times, and the two just seem to ebb and flow with the ticking of time. But the one thing that never seemed to cede is my worrying. Right from the start it was, “is she breathing”, “why is she crying…hurt, sick, hungry?”…then it was baby proofing the house, starting solids with the fear of choking, “is she developing at the right rate?”, now she’s walking, loves strangers… “what school will she attend…private or public?”…omg…HIGHSCHOOL!!!! (at the thought of high school I cringe and shiver and just pray we both will get through that experience!)

But through all that worrying and anxiety here we are. Made it one whole year… without any sickness, injuries, accidents or kidnapping (and trust me, I worry about kidnapping every single day…even when the house alarm is on!) But here we were celebrating one year…my little girl’s First birthday. For that small moment in time, I was able to take a deep breath and enjoy this precious gift… one year of life with my daughter. In that moment, I watched her smash her first birthday cake, eat cake for the first time, laugh, play, and watch all our friends and family enjoy each other. In that small moment, I thanked god that she was healthy and happy. It’s these small brief moments that make life so much worth living. It’s amazing how through the chaos in life we cling on to those small moments and cherish them, for these moments are priceless too. 

Now that the celebrating is over life continues to move on. My worrying starts again. I still have some of the same worries, but after talking with some parents, I now have new worries! My mom and dad always say, “you never stop worrying”. After having my own child, I now believe them and know what they meant. Its true, you never stop. Even when she’s tucked into bed those horrible thoughts cross my mind… and if you’re like me, one year later, you’re still rushing to her room in the middle of the night to check if she’s breathing! But I also know I’m not alone. It goes with the prestigious title of “mom” or “dad”. Some moms and dads have much more to worry about and some never get the chance to worry (the thought of that makes my stomach ill). So as I continue my worrying I have to take comfort in that fact I have my little one to worry. It may sound kind of funny, but the biggest gift a mom or dad could receive is the gift of always having the opportunity to worry about your child.

So here we begin our new adventure as a One Year Old…like all parents, what it has in store for us, I have no idea. All I can do is love her, worry about here, do my best with her, learn from my mistakes and remind myself of those special moments with her.

With love comes much responsibility as well as many rewards.

I hope, today, you have love in your heart and many special moments to hold on to.

In Love, Laughter and Life

MOM

Schedules

Ask a stay at home mom what her work hours are and you may receive a very odd look. Work hours? There is no time clock here. Its 24/7… all day every day. There are no pay raises, bonuses, or vacation time. Conferences usually occur during a play date or child class. Phone calls happen on your breaks (when its nap time or the child is occupied with something else). It’s a pretty lonely job (especially when your child can’t talk yet). Some moms do extremely well, at staying at home. They balance their life and find help when they need it. Others have difficulty with the transition and feel a sense of being trapped. Then there are all the moms that fall in-between and throughout the spectrum.

I have friends (including myself) that once that baby got home, the day became a free for all. The only schedule was when the baby eats and sleeps (and for some that takes months to develop). It makes for long days and nights and a sense of feeling out of control. At least that is how I felt at first. If it wasn’t for my mom making me get of the house 2 weeks after the baby was born, I probably wouldn’t even had a concept of night and day. Although I felt like things were upside down, I was fortunate when Aislin was born. During my pregnancy, I had started a group of mom’s who were pregnant and we made it a point to get together after the babies were born. I also took classes right away to get me out of the house and have at least some sort of thing planned for the week. I even began to plan my Starbuck’s outing. Everyday I “scheduled” what time I was going to be ready to get out of the house just to take a walk to Starbucks or grab lunch (even if by myself). That outing was so sacred and important to me.

Talking with other mom’s I learned I wasn’t alone. Many felt the same way. In fact, many moms would still be in their pajamas when their husbands got home! This got me to thinking about schedules and how important they are in our own lives. The fact you write something down in a planner or calendar, all of a sudden makes it “official” and the feeling that it has to be met.

As Aislin gets older (about to turn one!) our days are quickly filled up with many tasks, classes, etc. But I find myself starting to schedule other thing that I never imagined. I wrote before about finding time for the little things (AKA our kids) and how the mundane life things often interfere with us enjoying our children. Maybe it’s the teacher in me, but I found that if I set a routine/schedule of playtime with my child I not only have quality one on one time with her, but I also feel I get more done. For example: I know first thing in the morning, she likes to have her bottle with mommy and wants me to play with her. Then we eat breakfast. After breakfast she often likes to play by herself before her nap. So during the mommy and baby play time I plan an activity. Like reading, practicing walking, chasing games, etc… During the time when she is occupied playing on her own, I clean up, do laundry, or whatever else that needs to be done.  I do the same in the afternoon, when I know, routinely, that she will want mommy play time and just plan an activity that we will do together. I schedule one "task" to accomplish during a nap time, like... start organizing photos, clean the bathrooms, start my blog, or even sit down and write a list of all the things I want to do. Anything else that gets done on top of my scheduled tasks is icing on the cake! I do keep in mind though, that children are often unpredictable and even though I have a routine/schedule it could quickly get redrafted or just go out the window!

For the most part, this “schedule” not only helps me get through the day, but also helps me not get stuck in a rut. It allows me to try a new activity with her or inspires me to find new activities for us to do. But mostly, it gives me a sense of control in my day. As all mom’s know, staying at home with a child is a surprise party in itself… you never know what you will find when you open their door in the morning. It can either be a great fun party or the complete opposite. And since we can’t call in sick, we just have to figure out a way to work with it.

Staying at home with a baby or babies is a full time job and like any other job, there are goals and tasks that must be met. Whether your goal is to just make it out of the house or to schedule 20 minutes of reading with your child, writing it down and making a schedule will help. Just remember to write in pencil, because that plan may and can quickly change!

I hope today you find time to enjoy your child/children and find time for yourself. Maybe schedule in a coffee break right before picking up your kid(s) from school, or if you’re like me… go through the drive-thru

In love, laughter and life,

Mom

Body Image

A few weeks ago I was thumbing through a local magazine enjoying my few minutes of peace. I’m not exaggerating when I say, that every other page was plastic surgery advertisements. I’m pretty used to seeing it out here… plastic surgery advertisements everywhere plus all you have to do is walk around Scottsdale and you run into fake boobs, taught faces, big lips… and those are the bad jobs! But what struck a nerve with me was when I turned the page to find an advertisement for a “mommy make over”. This advertisement stated, pamper yourself you deserve it… tummy tuck, liposuction, breast augmentation, breast lifts, thigh tucks, etc… My jaw dropped. This is what a “mommy make over” is now? What happened to the day at the spa, haircut and facial?

Now having gone through pregnancy, childbirth, and being a new mom I know the body changes. Things grow big, they may shrink, move around, shift, skin gets stretched and doesn’t bounce back right away, but that’s part of the package, right? I also now that time heals most…so yeah, my stomach skin is a bit loose still (after 10 months) and I still have that lovely brown stripe down my stomach, but given time it will return to a somewhat normal state. My boobs,…well, I started with nothing and am left with nothing…what’s new?! I’m okay with the changes…I’m okay with they way my body responded to having a baby. I’m okay with the wrinkles that are appearing. In my mind, each wrinkle is a piece of my history…a remnant of a laugh, smile, cry… its who I am. So with that said, why do I still feel like I should care and feel pressure to have a perfect “you can’t tell I had a baby” appearance?

To be honest I hate it! I hate the pressure to look perfect. I embrace the pressure to be healthy, but not perfect. The odd thing is, we do it to ourselves…every time we thumb through a magazine, watch a TV program, go shopping…most of us are always comparing, evaluating, criticizing ourselves. I’ve been in dressing rooms trying on shirts thinking, “if I only had bigger boobs I could wear this shirt”. The rational side of me kicks in and says, “Why am I telling myself I need to change for a stupid shirt?!”

But what makes me the most angry and heartbroken is when I think about my daughter. The pressures she will face because she is a girl, a woman. How can I raise my daughter to love herself, be good to herself, and be proud of what she was born with if I feel the pressure? I want my daughter to be able to love her curves, or maybe lack of curves, to love her wrinkles, maybe her crooked tooth, or birthmark. I want her to love the art of aging gracefully and embrace the beauty of looking unique. I want her to feel the need to be healthy in her mind, her body, and soul.

What is even more heartbreaking is that there are parents who will purchase boob jobs for Sweet Sixteen gifts, tummy tucks for girls who want to feel “normal”. In 2009 there was a New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/fashion/15skin.html) called, “Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery”. It was about teenagers and plastic surgery.  In the article it stated that:

“The latest figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that the number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed on youths 18 or younger more than tripled over a 10-year period, to 205,119 in 2007 from 59,890 in 1997. This includes even more controversial procedures: liposuctions rose to 9,295 from 2,504, and breast augmentations increased nearly sixfold, to 7,882 from 1,326. (The latter two procedures have been associated with the deaths of two 18-year-olds: Amy Fledderman of Pennsylvania, who died in 2001 of fat embolism syndrome after undergoing liposuction, and Stephanie Kuleba of Florida, who died last spring from complications because of anesthesia used during a breast augmentation and inverted nipple surgery.) “

Now most of these girls will one day be mothers, who some will have daughters. What will they say to their little girl who hates her body?

The truth is, to each his own. Its their child, they have that right. So does anyone else who wants to change their body. That's not the issue here. The issue is how on earth do I keep my daughter from feeling the pressure to do so? How do I keep her loving her imperfections when other’s around her are “fixing” their imperfections? I do I help her stay happy with herself. Now I do know that if we, as a family, stay strong to our values and communicate, she will be okay. I also know that the majority of teenagers who undergo cosmetic elective plastic surgery have a long life of feeling inadequate and low self esteem and the answer isn’t in the operating room. What I don’t know, is what pressures my daughter will feel and what obstacles she will meet while growing up.

Now I was feeling pretty worked up when I saw the “mommy make over” ad, but I was absolutely furious and felt so very defeated when the news bit on Abercrombie’s push-up padded bikini for 7 year olds came out. I mean come on!!!! What sane person would even think this is a good idea? To be honest, the more I think about it, I want to go to Abrecrombie head quarters and strangle the executives that okayed this design. I also want to murder the PERVERT who designed this bikini for children. Not only does this bikini turn LITTLE GIRLS into sex objects, but what message does it say to them…. Too bad you haven’t reached puberty yet, here put this on so you can pretend you have boobs?! Or… hey, your 7 years old now, so say good bye to being a child and start being a woman… you should probably start taking the pill and get botox to go along with that bikini?!?!? In my mind, it is absolutely inappropriate. Why can't children just be children?

Sadly I don’t have an answer and it is a free country. So I guess people have the right to create inappropriate products or conduct elective plastic surgery on teens if they want to. I just wished our society was a lot stronger than that. After all, if there weren’t people out there buying it, it wouldn’t exist. The ironic thing is that historically woman have been steadfast, strong willed, and have created a lot of change for mankind….women have the power. Yet we are so weak in the one area we have the most power in, beauty.

Perfection and ideals are defined by society. What may be beautiful today, most likely, will not be beautiful tomorrow. So embrace who you are…being human and being yourself will always be beautiful.

In Love, Laughter, and Life

Taking care of mom…

This weekend we had some friends in town. They brought their precious new baby and we were so thrilled to see them. Its hard living in a new state, you really miss the familiar. As new moms do, we talked about our pregnancy, weight gain, delivery, etc…. My friend shared about the changes she had to make during pregnancy, mostly her eating habits and having to give up that yummy glorious wine. All for the better, she admits. This discussion got me to thinking, how we, as mothers care for ourselves. When we’re pregnant, most of us take good care of ourselves. We make sure we get enough nutrition, enough sleep, etc. so our baby will be healthy. After we have the baby we work day and night to ensure our baby still gets the nutrition it needs. But what happens to mom?

I have had friends that, after the baby was born, have starved themselves to lose the baby weight, exercised excessively, gotten back into smoking, lost the desire to work out… the list goes on. Why do we fall back into these habits (or start new ones) after working so hard to be healthy for the last 9-10 months of pregnancy…some even earlier, trying to conceive?

Why is it that we don’t all continue to ensure our own health? I'm sure there are some mom's that do, but I am definitely at fault. I find myself making bad snack choices at times. Starbucks is a daily habit…and sometimes a twice a day habit. I also find myself skipping out on my yoga b/c I’m tired or just have way too much to do (most of the time, both) However, my daughter makes it to swim, music, and her play dates. I make sure my daughter sees her pediatrician regularly and that all is okay. Me…well I finally made a Dr. appointment that was well overdue. And made it because my husband and in-laws talked me into it. Why is it that mom’s (most mom’s ) put themselves last? I’m not talking about finding time for the girl’s or date night, etc.. but finding time to care for our bodies and working to ensure that we are healthy? Lets face it, being a mother is a lifetime sentence, a true gift, but its forever. So shouldn’t we want to make sure that we are able to be here for as long as we can?

Now I know first hand that motherhood is hard. Sleepless nights, ongoing days. Geez, when the kid finally takes a nap, I’m running around trying to clean, cook, get my things done, and get some work done, catch up on emails, write a blog all in an hour or so! Then I have to run errands and make sure my daughter has her playtime…eat...that doesn’t leave much time for me. At times it seems that the more I have to do, the shorter the nap! I can’t even begin to imagine being a single mom and trying to get all this done. At least I have a helpful husband and great in-laws.  But whether its carving out time to plan healthy meals for the week, making that doctor appointment or taking a break and going for a walk with your baby…we have to think about our own health and well being.

Being a mother is tough and the most important job in the world. But if you truly put in the effort the paybacks are infinite, just not always immediate nor obvious! But being a mother also means we need to be there for our children, physically, emotionally, and mentally. But to do that, we must take care of our bodies, mind, and soul. We all need to work on ourselves at one point or another. Whether its eating better, getting rest, more exercise, finding someone to talk to, reconnecting with our husband, reconnecting with our spiritual side etc…its important. It’s important to you, to your family, and to your children’s future.

I have to thank my friend for sharing her experience with me. She seems to be doing an excellent job balancing being a fantastic new mommy and taking care of herself.  I wish her and every mommy out there the strength to keep working on you and your family and being the best you possibly can.

In Love, Laughter and Life.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Ah... St. Patrick's Day! What a festive day for not only adults but children as well. This day truly makes me miss the classroom.  Some years we'd have the Naughty Leprechaun visit...he would leave his mark with sprinkles of green glitter and tossing papers to the floor, turning posters upside down, etc... the kids loved it. Every time we would come back into the classroom they would be eager  to see what the Leprechaun did that time!
One of my favorite St. Patrick's Day activities was when we would write Leprechaun stories. What a chance to really use your imagination! We would take a couple weeks prior to St. Patrick's Day and work on our stories. When they were all finished, the children and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to each story. But those finished products were not easy. I was completely amazed at the lack of imagination the children had. And it wasn't just with one class...it was every class at many different schools. Is it me, or have children lost their creativity and imagination?

I remember as a child writing stories, drawing pictures, playing games all from our imagination. No TV, no video games, no toys that lit up and spoke...just pure raw childhood imagination. As I begin my adventure into motherhood, I can't help but wonder if my little girl will be in touch with her imagination. I will do my part to keep it going, I just hope she has friends that follow in it too!

Today I ask those readers to please comment and post games, projects, etc that your children do that exhibit their imagination! Maybe it will spark some ideas on how to promote more creativity at home or even in the classroom. If anything it will remind me that children still have their imagination and its out there!

I hope today brings celebrations and a bit 'O imagination to your day!

In Love, Laughter and Life~