4 Things You Cannot Forget As A Parent

Being a parent is hard, and it can be very difficult to make sure you stay on top of everything. That’s something that only becomes more difficult when you have more than one child. At the end of the day, we’re only human, and it’s okay to forget things sometimes, but that doesn’t apply to everything. There are simply some things that even as a parent, you cannot forget. As difficult as it may be, even if it means writing it down to help you remember; it’s your responsibility to make sure that at least one of the parents is able to remember important parts of parenthood.

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Promises that you’ve made

While it might sound silly, you should never make your child promises that you cannot keep. Even if it comes across as childish, making promises is a big deal for them, and it’s your chance to teach them the importance of trust. If you make them a promise but forget about it down the line, it can have some serious effects when it comes to your next promise. And of course, if you can’t keep to your promises, why should they? Like mentioned before, we’re only humans, but children won’t often understand the stresses of life that caused you to forget your promise. 

Appointments

Healthcare appointments are very important, and forgetting or missing them can cause serious problems. When you’re booked in for a doctor or dental service like Walnut Ridge Dental Care, you might not get a lot of second chances. Many practices will want you to call in to cancel if you can’t make it to your appointment - so missing it isn’t much of an option. It’s also important to get routine checkups as it’s not always easy to tell whether or not your children are experiencing health problems of their own. Children don’t understand what’s going on with their bodies, so any pains or issues might go ignored or chalked up to something that everyone experiences.

Bonding time

Just like making promises, you should never forget to make time for bonding with your kids. It’s especially important at a young age because as they grow up, they’ll become less interested in spending time with you. Making time to spend with your kids will be a key part of their development, and it will teach them valuable social skills, like how to act around a company that they keep later on.

Birthdays

Birthdays are days that might sound hard to forget, as it’s just one day of the year, right? Well, when you’re living a busy lifestyle, it’s not always easy to keep track of the date. While you might not forget the date, it can sneak up on you when you’ve been stressing over other events in your life. Nonetheless, your kids won’t understand that, and it might come across as hurtful to them if you forget their birthday. It’s a small problem for adults, but a birthday is a big event for children.

Empower Your Kids With These Supportive Tips

As parents, we want our kids to grow up with confidence and resilience, with that 'I can' attitude that will lead them towards success. 

And as parents, we should do what we can to support our kids. If we can empower them to be the best people that they can be, we will have done our jobs, and given them the very best start in life. 

Here are some tips we should all adhere to. 

Affirm your kids every day

We all need affirmation, and our children, with the negative words they sometimes receive from their peers, also need this affirmation in their lives. So, on a daily basis, make sure you offer encouragement to your kids. Praise them for things they do well, remind them how beautiful they are, and let them know their worth. Check out these self-affirmations for kids too, and perhaps pin them up in their bedroom, as they are useful reminders of how great they really are. 

Support your child at school

For most kids, school sucks! This is something we can all relate to, but if you can motivate your children to learn, you will do much to encourage them to succeed in the classroom. So, do what you can to help them. Make sure they do their homework and give them guidance when they get stuck. Download printable activities from the internet, and encourage your kids to have a go at them. Student Treasures have some great examples, and you can find them here. And encourage your kids by going to their award ceremonies, school sports days, and other such events. When you show your kids that you care about their learning, you will empower them to do better. 

Encourage your child's interests

Your child might not have the same interests that you do, but that's okay! The last thing you should do is belittle their interests or turn your kids away from them. If your little girl wants to play soccer instead of dancing, then so be it. And if your boy wants to be the next Billy Elliot and not the next Pele, then fine! Support them in their interests, as this will empower them to follow their dreams. And make sure they have what they need to follow them, as they will have a better chance at succeeding in whatever it is they are doing.

Let your child take risks

You don't want to let your child hurt themselves, of course, but you don't want to wrap them in cotton wool either! So, trust your child to take the occasional risk, be that climbing a tree, swimming a lap alone, or trying a sport they have never attempted before, as examples. Sure, they might fail, and you might need to offer a little bit of TLC, but if they don't try, they will never get to experience success either. So, don't be a helicopter parent and keep your kids on training wheels all their life. Let them go, give them the opportunity to push past their own limits, and let them experience things they have never tried before. You will empower them if you do, as they will develop in self-confidence.

So, think about your kids and what you might do to empower them. Use our suggestions, and do other things to encourage them to be live up to their wonderful potential. 

Thanks for reading. 

Motherhood Uncensored: It's Okay to Cry

“Motherhood is difficult...and rewarding.”

— Gloria E.

Whoever said motherhood would be glamorous lied! They didn't tell you that some days you'll spend more nights crying than you do laughing. They didn't explain that when your child messes up it doesn't make YOU a failure.

Maddy Grace and I

Parenting is hard work - a job that can't be taken lightly. I believe it takes a village to raise a child. Children need supportive people pouring into their lives. They need to see what role models look like in real life - not what they see on television. 

Lately, motherhood has been hard and I mean REALLY HARD. I can't remember the last time I've cried this much over my children. In case you're not hip to me, I have two girls currently 9 and 5. My 9-year-old is a cake walk compared to the 5-year-old. The 5-year-old, Maddy, is a complex creature; one minute she is affectionate and courteous and the next it's like the Bride of Chucky. My mom says she is just like me; I was a handful growing up. I know I was challenging but my goodness, I did not know it was this bad. I was very strong-willed and you 'no' was never a word. (It still isn't, I don't like to hear it, lol)  I have apologized a dozen times because if I was anything like this, OMG!  

Sometimes, I get so frustrated because it feels like I don't get a break. I'm constantly working to better myself so that in return they can have a better life. Some days,  I wish I had my tag partner so I could tap out for just a few but I don't...unfortunately. I'm not complaining...just venting. I remember being told that when a woman gets pregnant she has to know that she may have to do it ALONE. I didn't understand that at first but Lord knows I do now. 

I'm not saying every part of motherhood is bad because that would be a lie, but it can be difficult. I'm going to wipe my tears and keep trucking but I want other moms to know that we will be okay. One day we're going to turn around and wonder how did we raise such wonder humans. I'm certain this won't be the last time I cry over the rough patches but in the end they will be worth it. 

"Everybody wants happiness, nobody wants pain, but you can't have a rainbow without a little rain." -Unknown 

Mom, you deserve it!

Often times we feel guilty about doing things for ourselves. As a single parent, I constantly deny myself to make sure that my children have what they need and want. One thing I believe we fail to realize is that we need to be taken care of too. 

To my fellow single moms out there, do something for yourself. Every now and then...do something. I picked up a cute pair of shoes. I saw them online and KNEW I had to have them. It's the small things.