Let’s face it, some days life as a mom is harder than others. It doesn’t matter if you are a stay at home mom or a working mom. Life’s demands and the sacrifices it takes to love and raise our children can take a toll on us emotionally and physically. We get stressed.
I know for me there are certain things that trigger stress. My short list is: a baby that doesn’t nap well, running late for preschool (or anything for that matter), when children don’t follow directions– especially when they don’t want to get dressed and THAT is making us run late, when dinner needs to be made and the baby needs to nurse at the same time which then makes bedtimes for the older boys later than they should be, listening to the boys fight over toys, a crying baby, the long gray winter here in Pittsburgh. And that is just the short list! Hopefully it didn’t stress you out to read it.
I have learned that if everything goes the way I want it to then I won’t get stressed but that isn’t reality! I do sometimes wish the world revolved around me but I am sure it is in the best interest of the rest of the world that it doesn’t.
Since adding a third child to our family I have experienced the stress of how it has changed our family. Family dynamics and roles change with every child added and we are finally adjusting to life with a third child.
Sometimes I find myself thinking about the Serenity Prayer. It goes like this; God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (the gray weather day after day, when boys decide to be selfish and not share, when the baby won’t go to sleep on his own), the courage to change the things I can (getting up a little earlier to get everyone ready to get out the door, being consistent in using discipline or sleep strategies, thinking about dinner earlier in the day instead of 4pm), and the wisdom to know the difference.
There are no easy answers to eliminating stress or reducing it but I did want to share some things that work for me.
(more…)
Of course we all believe that our kids are a blessing, but what message are we sending our children? If they are a gift to you, do they know it? When they just spilled milk all over the couch they may not feel like a blessing at that moment, but we do have times when we can express our love for them.
What are the words that you say to them? Even caring and loving parents may not send the right message if their words don’t back up their intentions. Telling your kids that they were an accident, even in a joking manner, may communicate the message that they weren’t wanted.
My parenting class asks, “Are they an interruption or a part of your dreams and goals?” A child may even feel their parent’s resentment, because a parent had to give up their dreams when they learned that they were pregnant. I really hope that my baby is a part of what we do. I had the option of staying home with her for two weeks or bring my baby and go with my husband and friends to the Philippines from Texas. My husband and I thought and prayed about it. We reminded ourselves of our goal to include our children in our trips. So she became a part of our dreams and goals and we all went on the trip.
Have you told them? Kids like to hear it straight. Saying the words “I am so glad I get to be your mom (or dad).” to them sends a message that they are significant and that they matter.
My daughter is only ten months old, but I believe she can already tell how much we love her. One way that I show my baby how much I love her is by jumping up and down and clapping when I go get her from her nap. I say, ”I am so glad to see you!” when I first walk in, even though she only napped for 45 minutes and I am certainly not done returning emails and switching loads. My baby would definitely get a different message if I growled at her when I walked in and unhappily changed her diaper.
Spending time with your children and telling them how much you love them will help them see themselves as a blessing to you.
How do you show your kids that they are a blessing to you?
The blogosphere starting club hopping on Friday with 5minutesformom.com’s Ultimate Blog Party. Moms all around the web are introducing themselves and trying not to spill their drinks on each other’s blogs.
We have opened our doors here at The Mom Crowd to welcome you! Please come in, grab a drink from the open bar, and stay a while.
Here is a fabulous video introducing ourselves.
Pull up a comfy booth and enjoy some of our favorite treats:
Please leave a comment and let us know that you have been by!
Thanks for coming!
In an attempt to motivate myself to get back in shape, I signed up for a 5K race which is equal to 3.1 miles. I had no idea how fun this accomplishment was going to be and strongly encourage you to try it. I decided about two months ago to run this race and I committed to run three times a week. I started off only running a mile at a time, and worked myself up to the full 3.1 miles. I charted how many miles I ran so I could look back and see how well I was doing and how much I was improving. I also got some great music for my Mp3 player to keep me from getting bored during the runs. Boredom is my greatest obstacle with running, however, frequently changing my music kept me from getting too bored.
Running has been great for my mental health and my physical health. I have more energy, patience, and room in my jeans since I’ve started running again. As parents, it’s very important for us to set good examples of physical activity and exercise for our children. It made me happy that my children were at an event that was focused on physical activity and hope that I will model the importance of exercise to them as they grow older. Running a 5K race is a goal that is very attainable for most people. 3.1 miles may sound like a long distance to a person who hasn’t laced up their running shoes in a while (or ever), but it is not as hard to work your way up to it as you may think. I was surprised to see the wide variety of people running the 5K race. I was expecting everyone (except myself) to be in perfect shape. There obviously were a lot of seasoned runners, but there was also many people of all shapes and sizes. There were children running the race with their parents, moms AND dads pushing their younger children in joggers, one man who was pushed in his wheelchair by some friends, and another man who ran with an artificial leg. I was overwhelmed by knowing the sense of accomplishment so many of us had by running that race and proud of every single person on the course!
If you want to try a 5K race (or 10K, half-marathon, or marathon!), you can google running events in your area. If you are having a hard time finding an event, head over to your local running store or gym and ask if they have a list of running events in your area. I found my event through this site.
As you consider running your first (or subsequent) 5K race, here’s some advice I can share with you based on my experience:
- Recruit some friends to run it with you. This will keep you motivated and any experience is more fun with someone to share it with you!
- Sign up early for the race! Most races do not offer refunds if you end up not showing up. By paying early, you will be less likely to flake out.
- Practice off the treadmill before the race. It is a little more difficult to set your pace when your running off the treadmill. Next time, I will make sure to practice pacing myself before race day!
- Bring an extra ponytail holder. During my practice runs, my ponytail holders had a habit of breaking and I would have to stop to try to tie a knot in the ponytail holder so I could tie my hair back. For the race, I stuck an extra ponytail holder around my wrist just in case I had my ponytail holder snap during my run.
- It’s ok to walk. I stopped to drink my water, and I think just that five seconds of drinking my water revived me for the remainder of the race!
- Find a good (free) training schedule online. I love Hal Higdon’s 5-K Training Program.
- Check out the course in person before the day of the race. Our course was advertised as flat, but it was actually hilly in some areas.
- Set a goal. I set a goal to finish the race in under 30 minutes. When I was able to see the finish line, I knew I had to book it to make my time and I did! I finished my 5K in 29 minutes, 40 seconds and am happy to have met my goal!
- Reward yourself! After the race, my friends and I headed to Starbucks for some socializing and coffee. Give yourself a major pat on the back, and don’t be afraid to do a little bragging. Not everyone can say they’ve run a 5K, and you deserve to be proud of yourself!
Here’s some more sites:
The Couch to 5K Training Plan
Hal Hidgon’s 5K Training Program
Training Tips for Your First 5K
In the past ten months my husband and I have both quit our regular day jobs. We know that it wouldn’t have been possible to pursue our dreams if our finances were out of control. About three years ago we were both were working full-time jobs making more than the national family average and we had nothing to show for it. Our net worth was negative. We decided to take charge of our finances and learn about money. Since then we have paid off more than $50,000 of debt. The biggest tool that got us under control was a budget. This post is not about how to make a budget, but simply the act of getting together and trying to set a budget for your family.
Around the first of each month my husband and I get together and have a family budget meeting. We discuss how we want to spend the money that we are going to earn that month. Famous financial guru Dave Ramsey, says that when you budget, you’re spending on paper, on purpose, before the month begins. We use a zero budget and give every dollar a name. We never have to wonder where all our money went, because we knew where it was going before the month even started.
Getting together monthly helps us to plan out our calendar and our finances accordingly. We look to see if there are any birthdays or holidays that we want buy gifts for. We always know when Christmas is coming, so we know we need to save for it. Looking at the calendar also helps us be on the same page with how we are going to spend our time.
(more…)
