What Is Parenting? A Mom’s Perspective You Shouldn’t Miss

Note: The first few times I visited Lynn’s blog, I knew she had a gift for sharing simple, practical and effective parenting wisdom.

But please, don’t just take my word for it! Read her interview below to see this mom’s witty yet truthful perspective on motherhood.

How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have two little sunshines, a 9-year-old girl who is sensitive, introspective and incredibly bright and a 6-year-old boy who is energetic, charming and absolutely hilarious.

Do you stay home or work?
I work as a high school counselor in a public high school for grades 9-12.

Where do you blog?
Perspective Parenting

My most embarrassing moment with my children was when…
Hmm…that would probably be the time my son wandered off while I was talking (I have the gift of gab) at a soccer practice and wound up in a strangers car. Never feels good to be the mom who doesn’t notice these things….

A parenting topic I consider controversial is…
Time management. When you hear parents critique each other, it’s often over how they judge the use of time.

“He doesn’t spend enough time helping him with his homework,” “She spends too much time doing things for her child.” “If he worked less, and spent more time with his kids, they wouldn’t be so wild and needy.” “If she worked more, she wouldn’t spend all her time focusing on her kids and they wouldn’t act so entitled.”

We all have the same amount of time in the day and we all use it the way we deem fit. But it seems that parents continuously judge each other on how they choose to spend their time with their kids…especially if we feel uncomfortable about the way we are or are not spending the time with our own.

To keep my sanity, I…
Am a total gym rat. Exercise keeps my mental balance and physical energy strong.

The top 3 traits and / or values I want my kids to have are…

1. Open mindedness – allows you to see people and ideas for who/what they really are, not what their surface may portray.
2. Kindness – it feels just as good to spread as it does to receive.
3. Sense of Humor – they will never make it in our house without it.

When my children have tantrums in public I…
Start to scream and stomp my feet right next to them. Eye for an eye when it comes to embarrassment I say.

(Ok, fine, that’s not true- I don’t remember what I last did during a tantrum. Knowing myself, I’m sure I was calm, cool and collected- or not…)

My kids make me smile when…
Oh my gosh- all day long. They are both so funny. I love their sense of humor and ability to make our family laugh.

When parenting becomes overwhelming, I…
First I whine to my husband and when he is done listening to me, I connect with my amazing group of supportive friends.

Truly, no one is more blessed than me with such an incredible circle of friends. They are each different and equally valuable in the diverse ways they add to my life.

My favorite parenting book is…
I actually don’t read parenting books. My experience working with kids and their families shapes the decisions I make when parenting my children and after that, it’s all trial and error.

We spend Sundays…
Depends on the season! We are either watching my daughter play soccer, obsessing over our fantasy football teams, cooking, doing laundry, napping, grocery shopping or playing in the yard. Some form of play and regroup for the upcoming week.

My favorite parenting blog is… (apart from GE&M? Haha!)
Apart from GE&M, which IS a favorite is Parenting Owl, Moms Who Drink and Swear and Just Another Tired Mommy. But there are so many fabulous blogs out there I love to read!

One tip I would give to a stressed mom is to…
Regroup, Reframe, Relax…which is why it is my motto!

Truly, the key to managing stressful situations is all in how you look at it. I spend my days reframing the most frustrating situations for myself and others. It’s not always easy, but it’s always effective. There is a silver lining and positive side to almost everything. And if you are stuck finding it, email me, I’ll find it for you!

Parenting is….
A reflection of how we see the world. We raise our kids with our viewpoints, our goals, our vision of right and wrong. When we are parenting them, we are teaching them how we want them to live, from our perspective. Which is why when they don’t follow our instructions, it’s incredibly annoying!

The hard part is not always the teaching, but the acceptance of what they take in.

Creative Common Flickr via chrisparkeruk

The hardest part about being a mom is…
Being vulnerable. The amount of love and protectiveness I have for my children is so strong and so deep, it affects every decision I make. The idea of my children being in pain throws off my normal rational thinking.

The best advice I’ve been given as a mom is…
“This too shall pass.” Every discomfort is temporary.

The most memorable Mom moment so far…
Each of the births of my children. It’s hard to know how much your heart can stretch until someone pushes you open more than you ever dreamed possible. And the fact that each day they can stretch it that much further…amazing.

Thank you, Lynn for taking the time to provide powerful and insightful posts to give us moms a better pathway to parenting. And for those of you who missed her posts – which were shared more than usual, here they are:

1. Why Being an Investigator Works When Dealing With Kids’ Bad Behavior
2. How Newton’s Law of Action-Reaction Can Encourage Positive Behavior
3. Why It’s Good to Ignore Children (And No, I’m Not Kidding)
4. Do You Have An Anxious Child? Here’s How To Turn Worries Into Smiles

What’s next? Hop on over to Lynn’s blog and stay there a while. Read, comment, follow and subscribe!

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