Mom Writes Stuff

As a mom, you know all too well that nothing beats spending time with your kids.  You’d move heaven and earth just to be able to have an extra hour in a day with them.  But with the huge pile of paperwork sitting at your office desk, next to those coffee pods you got as presents last Christmas, that seems almost unlikely.  Your boss just asked you to work overtime again. 

Such is the dilemma for most working parents.  You toil away in the office to provide for your family, but your time with the kids gets compromised.  It’s a nasty trade-off, and sometimes you feel you’re left with no choice but to fall prey to the corporate world. 

They say that time- once passed- is gone forever.  Since we can no longer bring back lost time, we do what we can to make up for it by buying our kids fancy stuff, or taking them places on weekends. 

The good news is, you don’t need to wait for Saturday to make your kids feel loved.  On weeknights, for instance, if you manage to get home just in time for your kid’s bedtime, you can stop and read him a story, or have a quick chat about how his day went.

If you get home early enough for dinner, make it special.   Talk, ask questions about your kid’s day in school.  After dinner, make him a smoothie or some hot chocolate as you plop in front of the TV to catch his favorite cartoon show.

If you can, drive your kid to school.  Even if it’s just a short trip to his school, you can still strike up a conversation with him. 

Try as much as you can to be involved in your child’s personal and emotional affairs.  Even in your absence, he will feel the warmth of your love.  That will give him the confidence he needs to make it through life.

You know you’re a parent if your previous worries about your goals on getting small business equipment financing have shifted towards issues on your toddler’s developmental milestones. While it’s perfectly normal for any parent to worry about problems on raising their kids at one time or another, there are some who feel that whatever issue they’re facing will never be resolved. That then signals the onset of parenting anxiety. When a parent thinks this way, they can be severely stressed out. What can you do if you find yourself going through a case of parenting anxiety?

Talk. Find someone to talk to, whether it’s your partner or other parents. It helps ease the burden, knowing that you aren’t alone in your parenting woes, and that there are possible solutions to whatever it is you’re going through.

Ask. Don’t be afraid to get professional advice from your pediatrician, for instance, if you’re left in limbo about certain health or behavioral issues about your kid.

Take care of yourself. Don’t let yourself be overcome by parenting worries. Remember to eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise. Keep doing the things you enjoy.

If you feel that you can no longer function normally, seek professional help.

You almost did cartwheels on the living room floor and broke your electric sunglasses when you first saw your four-year old son take a keen interest in those box of crayons which were a gift to him a couple of years back. He’s definitely growing up, and you feel it in your bones that he is ready to start kindergarten. But how can you tell for sure if your little one is all set for it?

Here are the signs of readiness to start kindergarten according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics:

• He can communicate about things he needs and wants.

• He knows how to share and take turns.

• He is curious and enthusiastic about trying new activities.

• He has the ability to pay attention and sit still.

• He can use a pencil and paint brushes.

• He can count up to 20.

• He can recognize the letters of the alphabet.

Other common signs that a kid is ready for kindergarten are that he can follow one to three step instructions, behave well in the classroom, and can get along well with other kids.

Do know though, that four- and five-year-olds often develop at different speeds, so it can sometimes be difficult to know which kids are ready for school and which ones aren’t. You may find that while some five-year-olds are already reading, others can’t even count to 10 yet.

Before you make your kid take the kindergarten plunge, be sure that he is ready.

When a child is at play, he’s seriously at work.  And when he’s at work, he doesn’t want to be disturbed- definitely not by his mom forcing him to drink a glass of water. 

We moms, of course, know that water is beneficial to our kids’ bodies, as water helps keep the body hydrated and moves nutrients around the body.  But when kids are busy fiddling with their e books, you can hardly do anything to make them go for a water break.  So, how can we get them to drink more water?

Try putting some lemon slices in a pitcher of water to give it a bit of a taste.  Keep it in the fridge, as kids may prefer drinking it cold. 

Use glasses or drinking bottles in their favorite cartoon character, so they will find the idea of drinking water more appealing.

You can try encouraging them to eat watermelons, or other fruits with high water content.

More importantly, you should set a good example and drink water yourself.  Stay away from soda.