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Our Lives Are About To Change
These last few months have brought with them so many questions, frustrations and considerations for the future of our family. We’ve decided to take our children’s education into our own hands. It wasn’t an easy choice, it didn’t happen overnight, but sitting here writing this, I know in my heart that we are making the right decision (for now, and for our family). We’ve chosen to homeschool our children. I am still trying to find the right words to express our reasons for making this decision. I know that homeschooling doesn’t have the best “reputation”, and that there will be people that think we are absolutely insane. But let me…
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6 Reasons Why Imaginative Play is So Important
Our children need us to remind them that their own unique and imaginative play is something to be treasured and I think it is important to start with the why. Why is imaginative (fantasy) play so important in the lives of our children? Imaginative play builds developmental skills such as social and emotional skills that are needed for everyday life. When our children are actively engaged in imaginative play, they are unconsciously experimenting with the social and emotional roles that they will one day experience in everyday life. What are the benefits of imaginative play? Imaginative play helps children identify more clearly between what is real and what is pretend.…
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Which Parenting Style Do You Fit Into?
Being raised by baby boomers, parenting took on an entirely different format, it was just that, parenting. There were no definitions, no influx of information. You were raised. Point blank. Nowadays we have so much information at our fingertips that it may seem a little overwhelming. Tiresome to be honest. Being a parent now comes with definitions, titles, explanations, and “how-to” lists. What exactly are the parenting trends of today? And how do we know if we fit into any of the categories? Let’s explore… 1. Helicopter parenting We’ve all heard this term before. Picture yourself hovering over your children, constantly at their sides, taking care of every little detail,…
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The Everlasting Impact Of A Father
Growing up without a father meant that, among other things, I always found it difficult to understand and appreciate the dynamics and beauty of a relationship between a father and his child(ren)… That is, until I got married. It was a strange sight to see. The love and adoration my kids feel for this man that holds my heart! To be honest, I still struggle to fully understand it. I never knew it as a child, so it still surprises me a little when I see the unbridled love and affection my kids have for their father. My lack of understanding notwithstanding, it’s a beautiful sight to behold! Relationship I…
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Cesarean vs Vaginal Birth
I saw a post on Facebook about having a cesarean that really struck a nerve with me. And I’ve been thinking about how I can discuss the issue it dealt with in a way that honours all the varied opinions on it… but I guess there is no better way than to just be HONEST! (So here goes.) In the post, it was proclaimed that c-section birth is inferior in every way to vaginal birth and that we do our children a disservice by not choosing a vaginal birth over a c-section… I am fed up (to put it mildly) with all the noise regarding which birthing choice is better!…
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I strongly disagree with the guilt-inducing practice of placing unnecessary pressure on moms to breastfeed.
According to the department of health: “Breastfeeding week aims to influence attitudes and behaviours of the public to recognise (and encourage others) that exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life is the norm and the optimal way of feeding an infant for optimal growth and development.” Here’s my beef with things like “Breastfeeding Week”… Although I do believe that breastmilk is the best food for babies, I strongly disagree with the guilt-inducing practice of placing unnecessary pressure on moms to breastfeed “exclusively” as the health department would like us to. It leans too easily in the direction of shaming moms who do not breastfeed exclusively (many of whom…
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Why I Detest Playing Board Games With My Children
Being a mother of 5 children comes with challenges of it’s own (Like trying to get them to all smile in a photo). Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have fewer children… would I have more time, more patience, more enthusiam to get engaged? Obviously I could never know. Let me say right at the outset: from an emotional and mental point of view, I don’t believe there is any difference between having one child or having ten children. Our children receive all of the love and energy we can muster. The challenge with larger families is mainly a logistical one. My brain is constantly focused on…
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Why Won’t My Brain Listen Mommy?
I won’t lie, it has been one hell of a journey, and my patience and understanding have not always been what it should have. But the moment my son walked up to me, crying, and said “Mommy, my brain makes me do things that I don’t want to do”, I knew it was his way of telling me that he needed help. There are so many statistical articles about ADHD, outlining the causes and possible remedies. As a former teacher with qualifications in Psychology, I know the facts and I’m sure that I could fill this post with fancy words and descriptions that would probably be skimmed over, but as…
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Barbie-inspired Ice cream dreams
Who doesn’t love Barbie and all that she stands for in this generation. The new 1.8L Ola Barbie ice cream tub, which is currently available in-store, is South Africa’s first licensed ice cream tub aimed at the kids market. Inspired by Barbie’s favourite colour, it consists of three dreamy streams of ice-cream, strawberry, raspberry and vanilla, all swirled together to create the ultimate pink taste sensation. But it is the packaging that makes this product truly stand out from the crowd. In-line with Barbie’s global marketing campaign to remind little girls that “You can be Anything”, the ice cream is packaged in four unique, career-themed tubs, decorated with artwork that…
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ItsOK Linky #29
A new week, a new link up!!! I wrote quite an emotional peice this week… Not really a mom fail on my part, but more of a dad fail on my father part. And when I see other men do the same… It makes my blood boil! I do hope you enjoy reading it, I will be hosting this week and I look forward to reading all your posts, over a hot cuppa tea! What’s this linky about? In a sentence, it’s about cutting ourselves some slack as parents. We’ve all been there – that place where we feel we’re not doing our best as mums or dads, that we…
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Week 25 #itsok Linky
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Dear Herschelle Gibbs, from a child that could have been more, if my dad had paid maintenance.
I get that you might not want to be a dad right now, or ever. I understand that it might seem overwhelming. And that you might not love your son’s mother. That this is not the season for you to be a dad. I get it all, and I don’t judge you for it. However. Even though you don’t want to be a part of your son’s life, or that of his mother, I feel it imperative that I speak out. You see, being raised by a single mom, I believe that had my father paid a monthly contribution to my upbringing, I maybe could have been more, achieved more,…
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Why Mother’s Day Means More To Me Now Than It Did Before
I wanted to write this post for last years mothers day, but as we all know, life just gets so busy and I put it aside. Now, that I get to experience yet another Mothers Day, I thought it high time I put pen to paper. Yesterday (the 11th of May, 2019), as we celebrated my son’s 2nd birthday, I sat watching my children run around and explore… busy, adventurous and with a zest for life that, I must admit, I wish I had. I sat there thinking about what their lives would have turned out to be; if I had died (I know this sounds depressing, but stay with…
