Sunday, July 22, 2007

Laughing Children

There is nothing more precious to me than the sound of my children laughing together. Each time I hear it, it brings a wide smile to my lips. They truly enjoy playing with each other. The two girls (6 & 8) are finally at a point to where they don't need to depend on me or their father to keep them busy. It is very rare for me to hear my eight year old say, "I'm bored" anymore. She has her sister and her two year old little brother to occupy her time...but freely and at her own will.

I am not the kind of parent who forces their children to "not run in the house", or "stop playing in the tub"...I like to hear them have fun and as long as they are in no danger of hurting themselves or anyone else I let them carry on. I hope that one day when they are older they remember that and will think fondly of the mother who allowed them so much freedom.

Don't get me wrong, they fight and argue just like other children do...but they always make up on their own and they never stay mad for more than fifteen or twenty minutes with each other. Do they forget about what they were mad about or do they actually forgive the other person and shrug it off ? I'm not sure which...but I sure am glad they do. They don't hold grudges like grown ups do...and that is one thing that we can all take a lesson from them on.

Yes, I like to hear my children laughing, playing, and having a good time. These are the best years of their life and I want them to remember these years fondly.

Taking The Plunge in Freelance Writing

Let me warn you, this article is not about my children. I know, I know, your only reason for visiting this blog is to find out what mischief my kids have gotten into lately. But just this once, I am going to tell you all about a decision I have made. A very important decision that I want to share with you. I have decided to fully pursue my freelance writing career. I don't just mean writing in a blog or turning in a few articles throughout the year. I am really and truly going to give this whole freelance writing thing 100% of a chance. Now, I am still enrolled in college in pursuit of my Psychology degree, however until I graduate (which at the rate I'm going and because I am already 40 will take forever) I am going to devote the bulk of my time to writing for dollars.

Going to church and reading my Bible helped me to arrive at this decision. So did my crying for over an hour on Friday because I was embarassed and called out on a team call in front of my manager...I decided that you can't depend on Corporate America. Sure, it pays the bills, but does it really make you happy? Writing makes me happy. Helping people makes me happy. And hopefully, at the end of the year when I am making (hopefully) $2,000 per month at this, that will REALLY make me happy! In ten years when I am not only writing, but I also have my own Psychology practice, turn the key to the office that says, "Dr. Antoinette Braswell", and enter my plush office with a window--I will truly, truly, be happy!

Monday, July 16, 2007

Travelling With Children

With summer here, most of us are busy entertaining our children and planning family trips. My husband and I take our three children on a family trip, even if it is just a day trip, almost every weekend in the summer. Because we live in Virginia, we have the beaches, the mountains, and D.C. at our beck and call. Travelling with three little ones does have its challenges though. I came across this article and found it to be quite helpful....so I am sharing it with you..


Traveling With Children
Submitted by lgoldstein

I recently came back from spending nine days on vacation with my children. I often think of myself as an involved mother, who spends plenty of time with my girls, talking, driving and keeping up with their events. During our vacation together I came to the sad realization that most of the time that I spend with my children is just that … driving, scheduling, prompting, directing, giving orders and organizing. We have breakfast and dinners on most days as a family, try to do things together on the weekends and I attend all their special events. Sounds good but it is not enough. I just spent the best nine days with my girls having fun; talking, playing, discovering, chilling and relaxing. There were no expectations or school pressures; no schedules to complete or deadlines. I reconnected to them on a different level; like the song says “talk about life for a while.”

Spring break is over and the summer is just ahead. For most families, vacations can either be a wonderful, relaxing experience or the most stressful time of the year. In order to make traveling with children as enjoyable as possible, there are things that you need to consider ahead of time. Never underestimate the power of preparation.

The one thing most parents take for granted is being in the “right frame of mind”. If you travel with children, most likely this will be a family oriented activity, not a time for grown-ups. If you leave with the expectation that you will relax, wake up late, be able to do grown-up stuff, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Go with the frame of mind of having children centered activities combined with a little of grown up down time. If you are in a need of your vacation time, you need to go on your own and arrange babysitting.

Another important thing to consider is the ages of the children; plan according to their age group and their interest. Find out what they like, what is available in the area, flexibility of schedules and activities. When child activities are limited, inviting a friend over for the vacation can be a treat. A child with a friend is able to entertain himself more and be less demanding of parents’ attention therefore leaving time for the parents to relax. I hope you have a great summer.

About the Author

Mind Spectrum Institute located in North Miami Beach, Florida specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and ADD/ADHD in children and adults. It is a multidisciplinary treatment center that uses therapeutic interventions, included but not limited to psychotherapy, family and couples therapy, individual and play therapy, neurofeedback, biofeedback, psychiatric evaluation, and psychological and educational testing for accurate diagnosis. For more information about Mind Spectrum Institute, please call 305-936-8960 or visit Mind Spectrum Institute

Source: ArticleTrader.com

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Stop Scratching Me!

My two year old little boy has a very bad habit of scratching me whenever he gets upset. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't know how to dig his nails deep down into your skin, but he does and it hurts! He also does this to his older sisters, but never to anyone else...just me and his sisters. I am ashamed to say that my legs and arms look like a battlefield due to his scratches. I know he doesn't mean to hurt me, but tell that to my poor arms and the back of my legs! If anybody out there has or has had a similar problem, please tell me how you resolved it! Please!

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