Cherish this time with your children

Don’t give up and lose the chance

I enjoyed baking last Saturday. I made muffins, a sponge-cake, biscuits and cheese-puffs. But there were two things missing: my Kenwood ‘chef’ (the motor burned out – not surprisingly after 40 years hard work) and my kids. When they were small, I used to wait until they were all otherwise occupied, then I would sneak into the kitchen to bake – but as soon as they heard the whirring of the mixer, they scrambled into the kitchen with their chairs to ‘help’ me.

They vied to spoon in the flour, break the eggs and measure the vanilla essence. Mostly they fought over ‘licking the bowl’ that was divided into quarters so there was no fighting – which there invariably was. Back then I longed for the day when I could ‘do my own thing’. Now that the kids have all left the coop (and are probably longing for peace and quiet of their own) I have the liberty (well sort of …) to do my own thing.

Bringing up children is hugely sacrificial. Time, money, ‘space’, sleep and privacy don’t belong to you anymore. You have no choice but to share these with your family. Everything you do, from the time you open your eyes in the morning till you flop exhausted into your bed at night, is for your kids.

But he rewards are out of this world. They make every sacrifice worthwhile.

Here’s a poem I found in my diary, written by my daughter when she was a teenager.

Say something, picture it as a marathon

Keep it to yourself, and once your plan is in action

Share it with the one who shows an interest in your progress.

Love

Devotion

Feelings

Emotion.

Don’t be afraid to be weak

Don’t be too proud to be strong

Just look into yourself and seek

And if the return to yourself is the return of who you are,

That’s OK.

If you want to laugh

Or if you need to cry

Just believe in yourself

Believe and don’t deny

Don’t care what people say

Just follow your heart

Don’t give up and lose the chance.

My advice to all you mom’s out there? Cherish every moment with your children, listen to what they have to say, laugh with them and enjoy discovering the world around them, with them. Hold onto memory jolters – their scribbles, drawings and photographs. These will be as rare and precious as diamonds one day, that I can promise you.

Teaching your children the basics of life-skills

Why I never learned to play tennis

I remember my first tennis lesson in junior primary. There I was two-feet-and-a-tickey high standing on the tennis court with an enormous heavy wooden tennis racket in my hand. When we were told to swing our rackets, mine was so big and cumbersome, it just hit the ground with a thud and I could hardly lift it to hit the ball.

This was the early 60’s when tennis rackets were made of solid wood. The one I was holding belonged to my dad. Looking back, this was probably because:

1. I remembered we had to bring a tennis racket to school just before leaving that morning
2. My parents knew that I had no ball-coordination or interest in sport, and would never make a tennis player
3. Baby number four had just arrived and there was no time or money for extras
4. All of the above.

Sometimes we expect our children to be little adults – to be responsible and to remember things that we think are important. But they have other things on their minds and children are easily distracted. They live for the here and now and don’t anticipate or prepare for tomorrow.

These skills take a lifetime to learn – sometimes even adults don’t get them right.

How can we teach our children the basics?

• Give them a daily age-appropriate responsibility – like taking out the trash, brushing the dog, setting the table or bringing in the post
• Allow them to do things when they ask to – like washing the dishes or feeding the dog. Hover in the background to keep an eye on things
• Give them little projects – the Crazy Store or other craft shops have reasonably priced ‘I-made-it-myself’ kits
• Teach them to follow-through and keep working to the end of every project they start
• Let them help you with cleaning and baking
• Keep their toys in plastic containers that are easy to pack away when they’re finished playing. This can even help with mathematical skills by packing their toys into categories
• Let your children play creative games – have paper and crayons, a dressing-up box, blankets and cardboard boxes available to stimulate their imaginations
• Give them the freedom to climb trees, play in the sand, make-up a puppet-show, start a band or give you a concert
• When they get older, teach your children to mind-map and to write to-do lists
• Encourage them with deserved praise – children love compliments!

    

Top pregnancy tips

18 Top Pregnancy Tips:

Your body has been perfectly designed to cope with pregnancy changes. Just relax and enjoy every phase of the next nine months.

Health:

ü  Choose your health-care provider carefully

ü  Exercise (especially swimming) is relaxing and prepares your body for the birth

ü  For back-ache, sit in a chair the wrong-way-round and get your partner to give you a massage

Looking good:

ü  Don’t cut your hair very short – it can make your face look rounder than it really is

ü  Buy one or two smart outfits that you can mix and match

ü  Pamper yourself. Get your legs waxed and go for pedicures

Sleep:

ü  Enjoy your beauty sleep. Do things with your partner you won’t have the time to do later

ü  Go to bed early

ü  Enjoy sleeping on your tummy while you can!

Food:

ü  Sip lemon water, ginger ale or supplement drinks for morning sickness. Try nibbling on cream crackers or grated apple

ü  Don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to ‘pig-out’ – it will take twice as long to lose the extra weight. Don’t snack on high-energy junk food – eat healthy.

ü  Pack your freezer with ready-made meals

Hospital tips:

ü  Pack your bag and get baby’s things together from 30 weeks

ü  Walk around as much as you can while you are in early labour

ü  Don’t write a birth plan – expect the unexpected

Baby tips:

ü  Look for your local baby clinic and find out about their services

ü  Enjoy feeling your baby kick and move – you’ll miss it when it’s gone

ü  Learn to trust your instincts