Archive
6 Practical Parenting Tips For Single Moms
All too often a lot of single moms feel that they have to be “super mom” and not expect or ask for any help. If you are among the super moms, you run a great risk of parenting burn out. We are all human and we all fall short of “doing it all” at some point. Hey, it’s tough enough raising kids as a 2-parent family. That goes double for single parents, especially single moms raising 2 or more children.
So is it OK to ask for help or support when you’re trying to raise 2 or more kids? It’s not only OK, it is suggested. Remember as a single mom, you have to work hard to bring home the bacon without depending on any child support, whether you are receiving it or not. You never know when that money will run out.
You also have to raise your kids to be compassionate and responsible adults. That’s not an easy task in today’s world. For single moms it is quite the challenge. You are responsible for your child’s schooling, the clothes they wear, the food they eat, and also the air they breathe. Let’s face it, anyway you look at it, that’s a tall order for any single mom raising 2 or more kids.
For the moms out there that don’t think they are “super mom” and are not reluctant at seeking advice, there are a lot of practical things you can do for support in general, financially or otherwise.
Let’s take a look at 6 of those things
* Take good care of yourself – There is so much more to this than one might think. Pay attention to your body and mind. You have to first take care of yourself in order to take care of your kids. Exercise daily. Eat right and drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. Get plenty of sleep. Watch your stress levels and try to avoid it at all costs. Smile, try it! It helps relieve stress.
* Join parenting network support groups – These can be in the form of online message boards, support websites, online chat groups, offline support group centers, and your church community.
* Start a parenting journal – This will strictly be for you as a parent and should be kept private. Writing in a journal can be quite therapeutic for some people. You can write about specific goals about parenting, anger management, and even special goals for yourself.
* Consider a roommate – Save a considerable amount of money on living expenses and have companionship at the same time. You will also have someone to swap babysit dates with. Your roommate will watch all the kids for one day, and then you take your turn at it. Beautiful concept if you are all for having a roommate. Some people like living alone and is a preference.
* Always show your love – Of course it’s crucial to your child that they know you love them. But there are special ways of showing your love. Give plenty of hugs, kids love them! Write a special message on a piece of paper and hide it in their school bag or lunch box. Show positive praise. Positive comments and encouragement goes a long way with your child’s self esteem and confidence.
* Discipline – Most often discipline is the most sought after advice for single moms. One important thing I have learned personally is controlling anger. If your child sees you angry while trying to discipline them, this gives them leverage to push your buttons even further. If you don’t get a handle on controlling your anger, you are sunk before you even begin.
“Stick to your guns” is also a famous motto you should always practice. If you tell your child one thing and then back out on it, what good is discipline in the first place?
Use your gut instincts with parenting and stay true to what you believe is the right thing for your children.
6 Practical Tips for Long-distance God Parents
Every Godparent who lives in one country while their Godchild resides in another country must feel a little bit concerned about how they will do justice to their role. I felt the same way recently, when one of my dearest friends and colleague entrusted her precious firstborn daughter to me as one of her two Godparents.
The family resides in the Caribbean and I am in Central America. True, not too far away. Nevertheless, I am not in the same country and it is still going to be long-distance affair. As in any relationship, distance can make a negative impact.
Since being asked, I have been thinking about my role a lot. Moreover, I am accustomed to wearing the other shoe – giving parents advice on this issue. Therefore, I decided to revisit and listen to my own counsel. I believe it wise to take my own advice before all my older, and my newest, Godchildren decide to get rid of me.
Being a Godmother, or Godfather is far more serious than many people realize. I might be stating the obvious for some of you. However, the fact is too many persons (including some parents) tend to see this responsibility as a position of status and prestige, without realizing that an awesome responsibility has been placed in their hands. So I made up a list for myself and I’m sharing it with you.
6 Helpful Long- Distance God Parenting Tips
Attend First Ceremony – It doesn’t matter how far away you live. You should be present at this first ceremony of Baptism or Dedication. Some churches make this mandatory. My sister & colleague is Moravian and my presence is mandatory. I guess I won’t be missing this ceremony!
Make a Chart of your one or several God children- I have 6! I heard of this excellent idea and thought it was just so practical. Keep your chart in a prominent place. It can be a mini-one in your diary or a large one hanging from a wall in your bedroom or office. Use this chart to also boost your prayers for your Godchild.
List their names, birthday, date of Baptism or Dedication, other rites of passage like first day at school and so on. In this regard, you will need the help of the parents to send you informative updates and pictures.
Pray Regularly – Keep your Godchild(ren) on your prayer list and pray for them. Your role as Godparent is to offer spiritual nurture. It is not for buying expensive presents unlike what popular culture would have you think.
Maintain Contact and Communication – Even before the child is able to speak, ask the parents to put him or her on the phone so they get accustomed to hearing your voice. Trust me, your Godchild will recognize you by your voice the first time they physically meet you. Keep in contact by sending cards and letters on occasions such as the anniversary of their Baptism/Dedication, birthdays, illness, or to say ‘you are in my thoughts’.
Today’s children seem to be born knowing how to use a computer. They are more advanced that we the are. If you are reading this online, then perhaps you are not too ancient then. Keep in touch via the Internet by using email and Instant Messengers. This can turn out to be a helpful means of contact and your Godchild knows he or she has someone they can talk to besides their parents.
Spend Time With Your Godchild – Whenever possible spend time with the family of your Godchild and also invite them, or the child alone, to spend time with you. This might include Summer vacations or other school breaks and use of your vacation time.
Give Spiritually Nurturing Care and Gifts – Too often parents look for Godparents not for the spiritual care they can give, but for their capacity to buy their children expensive gifts. Those parents have missed the point of this religious role. When properly understood, God parents should appreciate their role primarily as support in spiritual education and nurture of children.
Even though you are far away, you can still give meaningful gifts that will help to affirm the spiritual care and education of your Godchild. It makes sense then that your gifts be mostly of a religious nature. This is not an easy choice when competing with violent video games, dolls that scream out commercialized versions of beauty, and other useless and psychologically damaging toys.
So, I hear the question every godparent must now be asking. Where on earth do I get these ‘spiritual nurturing gifts’ that are not boring? Listen, that is a whole new story. I’m still searching so look out for my suggestions.
Happy Godparenting with renewed committment!
Marvia Lawes blogs from Panama, sharing exciting mission adventure stories, Baptist news, commentary on global social issues at her Blog Marvia’s Panama Journal.
Practical Homeschooling Tips – Home Schooling Grants For Parents And Guardians
Home schooling families do have access to grants. If you would be interested in knowing more about what kinds of grants are there for you, you would have to undertake a well-searched inquiry. As per general law one cannot approach the United States government for home school grants; the funds are not too large.
Then what is the way to find such grants? Online surfing is the best way to find out. These grants for home schooling do exist though they are not out in the open and therefore are tough to locate. But as said, these grants do exist and we look at ways at finding them.
At places where large corporations give grant is termed, as corporate grants. Large corporations have frequently given grants to charter & traditional schools. A few of these corporate grants also find their way to home schools but to receive a pie of it you need to know which grants you can send applications for.
Multinational behemoth IBM actively supports initiatives in the field of education; but none of these allowances are for home schools. Wal-Mart does give grants for homeschoolers though. All you need to do is get in touch with the company’s education section and put forward your application for grants. These departments are not authoritative so you could end up talking to various people on the same matter to get the desired results.
In the US home schooling grants from the government home schooling do not exist. Those people who are graduates via home schooling and are going to college can be given scholarships & grants, but federal governments have nothing as such for families of home schools. Canadian situation is completely opposite however. For instance in British Columbia $175 worth of grant is allowed for every kid that joins a home school prior to 1st November.
Grants are available to home schools but only from other home schools. Grants for every student in the state of Alaska is there for the textbooks in the shape of an annual grant. An association with some kind of a home school support group is very important. You can easily approach your home school group to inquire if they issue grants.
Quite of few do, but that may be as like study material and writing material, only a few select issue grants in monetary terms. Just incase your group of home school has a 501 (c) 3 standing as per US Tax code then it brightens your possibility of receiving a grant.
Last but certainly not the least, check with your ministry or even the church. These organizations, if incase they do not run a home school of their own would be more than happy to be of some help. They could donate books that have religious learning and material required by the home school. But remember receiving grants is not easy and you may be required to knock on a few more doors than you set out to but if you need them then do keeping looking for all kinds of grants possible.
Find out the best how homeschooling programs for your children and uncover the truth of how custody laws on home schooling may affect you when you visit Internet’s premier homeschooling resource portal at http://www.homeschoolingfordummy.com
6 Practical Tips for Long-distance God Parents
Every Godparent who lives in one country while their Godchild resides in another country must feel a little bit concerned about how they will do justice to their role. I felt the same way recently, when one of my dearest friends and colleague entrusted her precious firstborn daughter to me as one of her two Godparents.
The family resides in the Caribbean and I am in Central America. True, not too far away. Nevertheless, I am not in the same country and it is still going to be long-distance affair. As in any relationship, distance can make a negative impact.
Since being asked, I have been thinking about my role a lot. Moreover, I am accustomed to wearing the other shoe – giving parents advice on this issue. Therefore, I decided to revisit and listen to my own counsel. I believe it wise to take my own advice before all my older, and my newest, Godchildren decide to get rid of me.
Being a Godmother, or Godfather is far more serious than many people realize. I might be stating the obvious for some of you. However, the fact is too many persons (including some parents) tend to see this responsibility as a position of status and prestige, without realizing that an awesome responsibility has been placed in their hands. So I made up a list for myself and I’m sharing it with you.
6 Helpful Long- Distance God Parenting Tips
Attend First Ceremony – It doesn’t matter how far away you live. You should be present at this first ceremony of Baptism or Dedication. Some churches make this mandatory. My sister & colleague is Moravian and my presence is mandatory. I guess I won’t be missing this ceremony!
Make a Chart of your one or several God children- I have 6! I heard of this excellent idea and thought it was just so practical. Keep your chart in a prominent place. It can be a mini-one in your diary or a large one hanging from a wall in your bedroom or office. Use this chart to also boost your prayers for your Godchild.
List their names, birthday, date of Baptism or Dedication, other rites of passage like first day at school and so on. In this regard, you will need the help of the parents to send you informative updates and pictures.
Pray Regularly – Keep your Godchild(ren) on your prayer list and pray for them. Your role as Godparent is to offer spiritual nurture. It is not for buying expensive presents unlike what popular culture would have you think.
Maintain Contact and Communication – Even before the child is able to speak, ask the parents to put him or her on the phone so they get accustomed to hearing your voice. Trust me, your Godchild will recognize you by your voice the first time they physically meet you. Keep in contact by sending cards and letters on occasions such as the anniversary of their Baptism/Dedication, birthdays, illness, or to say ‘you are in my thoughts’.
Today’s children seem to be born knowing how to use a computer. They are more advanced that we the are. If you are reading this online, then perhaps you are not too ancient then. Keep in touch via the Internet by using email and Instant Messengers. This can turn out to be a helpful means of contact and your Godchild knows he or she has someone they can talk to besides their parents.
Spend Time With Your Godchild – Whenever possible spend time with the family of your Godchild and also invite them, or the child alone, to spend time with you. This might include Summer vacations or other school breaks and use of your vacation time.
Give Spiritually Nurturing Care and Gifts – Too often parents look for Godparents not for the spiritual care they can give, but for their capacity to buy their children expensive gifts. Those parents have missed the point of this religious role. When properly understood, God parents should appreciate their role primarily as support in spiritual education and nurture of children.
Even though you are far away, you can still give meaningful gifts that will help to affirm the spiritual care and education of your Godchild. It makes sense then that your gifts be mostly of a religious nature. This is not an easy choice when competing with violent video games, dolls that scream out commercialized versions of beauty, and other useless and psychologically damaging toys.
So, I hear the question every godparent must now be asking. Where on earth do I get these ‘spiritual nurturing gifts’ that are not boring? Listen, that is a whole new story. I’m still searching so look out for my suggestions.
Happy Godparenting with renewed committment!
Marvia Lawes blogs from Panama, sharing exciting mission adventure stories, Baptist news, commentary on global social issues at her Blog Marvia’s Panama Journal.
Practical Homeschooling Tips – Home Schooling Grants For Parents And Guardians
Home schooling families do have access to grants. If you would be interested in knowing more about what kinds of grants are there for you, you would have to undertake a well-searched inquiry. As per general law one cannot approach the United States government for home school grants; the funds are not too large.
Then what is the way to find such grants? Online surfing is the best way to find out. These grants for home schooling do exist though they are not out in the open and therefore are tough to locate. But as said, these grants do exist and we look at ways at finding them.
At places where large corporations give grant is termed, as corporate grants. Large corporations have frequently given grants to charter & traditional schools. A few of these corporate grants also find their way to home schools but to receive a pie of it you need to know which grants you can send applications for.
Multinational behemoth IBM actively supports initiatives in the field of education; but none of these allowances are for home schools. Wal-Mart does give grants for homeschoolers though. All you need to do is get in touch with the company’s education section and put forward your application for grants. These departments are not authoritative so you could end up talking to various people on the same matter to get the desired results.
In the US home schooling grants from the government home schooling do not exist. Those people who are graduates via home schooling and are going to college can be given scholarships & grants, but federal governments have nothing as such for families of home schools. Canadian situation is completely opposite however. For instance in British Columbia $175 worth of grant is allowed for every kid that joins a home school prior to 1st November.
Grants are available to home schools but only from other home schools. Grants for every student in the state of Alaska is there for the textbooks in the shape of an annual grant. An association with some kind of a home school support group is very important. You can easily approach your home school group to inquire if they issue grants.
Quite of few do, but that may be as like study material and writing material, only a few select issue grants in monetary terms. Just incase your group of home school has a 501 (c) 3 standing as per US Tax code then it brightens your possibility of receiving a grant.
Last but certainly not the least, check with your ministry or even the church. These organizations, if incase they do not run a home school of their own would be more than happy to be of some help. They could donate books that have religious learning and material required by the home school. But remember receiving grants is not easy and you may be required to knock on a few more doors than you set out to but if you need them then do keeping looking for all kinds of grants possible.
Find out the best how homeschooling programs for your children and uncover the truth of how custody laws on home schooling may affect you when you visit Internet’s premier homeschooling resource portal at http://www.homeschoolingfordummy.com
Parental advices 