Home
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Jen (Dual-career mom of Jacob 6, Caleb 3, and Abigail 12 weeks): I remember when I first became a mother and I felt every other mom had some secret manual the hospital forgot to give me. In reality, it was that so many of them had already Been There and Done That!
Kelli (Stay-at-home mom of Logan 9, and Whitney 8): I know exactly how you feel. With
Jen: Exactly! With babies 2 and 3, it’s hard for me to remember the struggles I had with number 1. But that's what sharing advice is all about.
Kelli: It’s tapping into that wonderful resource of other mothers and the sorority of motherhood. In fact, last week’s “Advice for the Road” column was such a hit, we are doing an encore with “More Advice for the Road.” Hope you find a nugget of wisdom and experience that can make your journey easier:
Moms on Making Family Time a Priority
Cathleen, (DCM of Jen, 34, Michelle, 33, Ryan, 27, and Chris, 24) Eating dinner together is a great way to bring the family together and to have a moment of peace in an otherwise over-scheduled day. I found that if I made dinner time a priority, even if we ate at 8:00 one night and 5:00 another, it helped to anchor my kids and give us much-needed family time.
Moms on Giving Your Kids Space
Deanne, (SAHM to Kiera, 16, Micaela, 12, Gianna, 6, and Dante, 3): Let them fail. Although this is really hard to do, you have to allow them to fail at some things and let them learn from their experiences. Even if it may be hard to do this, do you really want the first time they fail to be at something that truly matters? Or, is it better for them to learn when they are young and to grow from that experience.
Augusta, (SAHM to Liam, 11, Lauren, 9, Ronan, 6, and Bryn, 4): Allow your children room to develop into their own person. It may be different from what you envision for them, but they will be more fulfilled following their own dreams, not the dreams you have for them. Our job as parents is to help guide them on their chosen path - not to choose the path for them.
Traci (DCM to Elizabeth, 6, Ben, 4): Don't be too quick to judge a parent by the bad behavior of their child. All children have their moments.
Moms on Mothering
Jill, (SAHM of Ashley, 3): Make time for the little things. Somedays it is ok to just stay home and jump in the rain puddles even though you had an afternoon of activities already planned. Errands can wait, making memories for your kids can't.
Shirley (Veteran Mom of Suzanne, 41, and Trey, 39): You can’t go wrong with taking the time to listen, unconditional love and being an example of kindness to others.
Jan (Veteran Mom of Ron, 40, and Kelli, 38): Like everybody else at the time we got the Dr. Spock books and at first tried to follow it to the letter. Throw out your books, follow your mother instincts and just hold them, love them and give them all the affection kids need. You can’t spoil a child with love.
Get your kids into good, healthy, activities and social experiences to keep them on the straight and narrow. Have them do something that builds up their natural abilities and they will flourish.
You have to invest time up front to get kids on the right track and establish and instill values and good life habits.
Melissa, (DCM of Anna, 8, Jameson, 6): My secret to getting kids to try something new to eat is to give each child a day where they are “in charge" of the meals. They have to find a recipe (I have a simple kids’ cookbook) and help write out the ingredients on a shopping list. I take them individually to buy the food and to help select the fresh fruits and vegetables and other ingredients. We read the labels and talk about why it is important to make healthy choices. Then, they set the table and prepare the meal (with supervision). I found it really encourages them to try new foods, especially the vegetables. And, it gives them more appreciation for what my husband and I do when we cook.
Moms on Surviving
Christy, (SAHM of Connor, 7, Ian and Braden, 5): Here’ one I've learned to live by - Pick your battles!
Kerry, (DCM of Mia 2, and Matthew, 2): Structure is key in raising kids. They need to know what to expect and when to expect it. It's ok to fly by the seat of your pants sometime, but for the most part it is a lot easier to function when they know what time their nap is and what they are going to do after nap. The only way I can stay sane is by keeping my kids on the same schedule as their preschool. Makes life easier for me, the kids, and my husband!
Meagan, (DCM to Andrew, 2, and Veronica, 9 months): My favorite piece of advice that was passed along to me was to nap while my newborn baby napped. Moms are always sleep deprived, so that is a great way to grab sleep and not feel too guilty about doing it. It is much easier said than done because when the baby was sleeping, I felt that was a good time to catch up on other things. It was the best way to stay rested though and thus be a better mom since I wasn't as cranky!
Amanda, (DCM of Ava, 5, and Carmen, 2): Remember to ask for help. Ask for it from friends, neighbors, co-workers - whatever. Deluding yourself into thinking you can go it alone will only make you crazy. Keep in mind that you have probably NEVER not helped out a mom in need when you've been asked, so show yourself the same level of respect and give others the opportunity to help you.
Jan (Veteran Mom of Ron, 40, and Kelli, 38): I like to think I can take credit for how my kids turned out, but I know there are so many other influences - aunts, grandparents, neighbors, teachers, friends - but they were good influences. I appreciate that people loved my kids enough to give them those gifts. It truly does take a village.
Kelli Wheeler is a
Jen Hall is a
