Is it worthy to be a complainer?

I know life is not always easy and/or fair especially for mothers. We actually express it by whining about everything; if it’s not the laundry, are the dishes, the clutter, our husbands, the kids, the school, etc. We may always find something to complain about… but why?

Well, complaining must be the easiest way to express what might be wrong in a situation rather than to find what is right and talk about the good points. We may spend hours conversing about something negative, how something bad may get worse or how my bad situation compares to your bad situation; and we will always find fellowship in common complaints.

Are we so focused into our problems that all we do is complain? We may not know everybody’s circumstances but there are women out there in far worse situation than ours and they are able to make in tough times without complaining. Don’t you feel good and realize your problems are nothing when someone comes and tell you about how good they’re doing and feel despite what they’re going through? Sometimes when we complain all the time, we’re making our life and those around us miserable.

So we need to ask ourselves what is my perspective and attitude in the process? I think the answer is “Contentment”: To be mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are, assenting to or willing to accept circumstances, a proposed course of action; to make (oneself or another person) content or satisfied, peace of mind.

Are we happy with ourselves? Do we have peace of mind? It all depends on how we look and act when different situations arise during our life. We should stop, think and look at the good side of things. There are always positives in every situation, although they may be hard to see. Don’t focus on how bad things are instead on how well you can go through anything that comes your way.

Here are a few quotes that inspire me and help me decide: complaining or contentment?

If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it.                                          Anthony J. D'Angelo

Contentment consists not in adding more fuel, but in taking away some fire.

                                                     Thomas Fuller

The world is full of people looking for spectacular happiness while they snub contentment.

                                                     Doug Larson

Positive Discipline is Always Easy

There are times when our parenting skills are really put to the test. And this specially happens when we have to discipline our kids. And you know sometimes they can really try our patience making us feel irritated, sad, and angry, annoyed, confused and hurt. It’s actually never easy but we need to be firm and strong and follow thru with disciplinary consequences.

Let’s face it; we never want to hurt our children with physical or verbal abuse. We can’t resolve anything that way and we can end up feeling bad and remorseful afterwards. On the other hand talking about the issue, discussing the discipline openly and honestly with your child following thru with the same punishment for the same misdeed might be the best option. Children should learn from us in advance the disciplinary action for any given misbehavior. That will make them pause and hopefully choose an appropriate route to avoid been discipline.

For example, in my case, my kids know and we have made it clear that if they’re not doing well in school, we take away what they enjoy most (playing, toys, games, TV). Because it’s showing they are not paying attention to their learning responsibilities, which is the main thing they have to worry about.  

We should keep an open mind and be willing to learn with and from our children. It’s also important to remember that kids are just as unique as adults, and because not every form of discipline works with every child, we may need to find another disciplinary action depending on the individual needs of both us and our children.

Sometimes we need to give ourselves a brief time out or a short cooling off period before dealing with our kids’ behavior or responding with the appropriate discipline just to avoid a misdeed of our own. Remember yelling and hitting should never be an option.

We just want to teach our kids to be responsible, cooperative, kind and respectful. And with love, patience and understanding, we will have a positive outcome for all involved.

 "To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while"    ~Josh Billings

I have my tissues ready!

Prepare to let your kids go to college and have your tissues ready!

6th Grade Egypt Projects

   

At my kids’ school, the 6^th graders have been studying all about Egypt. Each one of them had to do a project and present it in class. They made a representation of mummies, the Sphinx, the Canisters, the pharaoh boat, river, etc.

My son together with a friend built the tomb with sarcophagus, mummy inside of course and the canisters where the organs were saved.

With the help of us the parents, naturally, they were able to display what you see in the pictures plus used a Power Point presentation in class.

It was a fun and easy project. Teacher and classmates loved it. I took pictures of some other projects as well so you can see how well the kids did and how proud they make us feel. Enjoy…

 More info and pics @ The Academy Mom

Do you expect Only the Best from Your Child?

“Think positive!” you will tell to someone you see that is worry or complaining. But some people doesn’t believe is useful and effective. Actually who doesn’t accept it will consider it as nonsense or will not pay attention to what you are suggesting nor will ask themselves what the power of positive thinking really means.

Using this with our kids, do we always think positively about them? Or are we always mentioning and repeating what they’re not capable off? Like “my kids are too lazy”, “my kids never behave good”, well if that’s what you are expecting from them they will be lazy and they will behave bad, just to confirm your expectations. But what if we expect the best behavior and performance from our children? Isn’t this what we often get? It’s the power of positive thinking in action. If you expect and believe the best you’ll receive the best!

I know parents that will constantly say their kids always get sick and that they catch every cold, well of course they will always be sick, you are affirming it to yourself and you know for sure it will happen. In my case, my kids never get sick and I’ve been saying that since the day they were born, I can count with the fingers of one hand the times they have had to go to the Dr. and that’s in a course of over 12 years.

Yes, I have sometimes been the victim of negative thoughts, too, not expecting the best from them and that’s how the cycle towards failure has started to confirm my expectations. But if on the other hand we expect, think, believe and speak about how successful, productive, creative and responsible our kids are, then they can’t help but rise to the occasion and confirm our best opinions of them with their positive actions. Remember children also pick up on our beliefs about them, form a self-concept that matches that belief, and perform accordingly.

So instead, we should fill ourselves and our kids with thoughts of self-importance, confidence and positive attitude so that there will be no room for negative thinking. Think all the time about how good they are and when negative thoughts come to mind, just switch them, thinking about all the times your child has made you happy and proud.

Show them how important positive habits are and teach them to live the same way you do, living life to its fullest in a positive way.

So no matter what, expect only the best from your children and watch them fulfill your expectations.  

The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results.           

~ Norman Vincent Peale

 

If you’d like to know more about positive thinking or inner awareness - Click Here.

“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today”

“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today”

Celebrate Friendship!

I remember last year my nephew decided to accompany me to pick up my kids from school. While we were slowly driving to the dismissal area he noticed that a lot of the moms will either say hi from their cars or approach mine and he asked how it was possible I knew or had such a good relationship with my kids’ friends’ moms.  That never happened to him while he was at school, and it was only a year before that he graduated high school. I explained to him that there are a lot of parents involved in this school and I’ve had the chance to meet wonderful people who I have become friends with since his cousins started in Pre-K.

And been February the international recognized Friendship month made me think of all the great moms I have met over the last 7 years at this Academy. One of them came only two years ago and even though during that time we never had the chance to meet, this year she has become not just an acquaintance but my best friend.  She is so thoughtful and caring that on Valentine’s Day she had a dozen roses to give away to teachers and friends and there was a pink one kind of withered already that she didn’t want to give to anyone but I said “Oh, don’t worry, I don’t mind keeping it so you can give the other ones away”. Well, the next day she brought me a whole dozen for myself, which got me by surprise, how nice! Now I have a garden of roses at home… too bad I don’t have a big vase so I have to use the small ones I have.

  

                               

And that’s not all, ‘the most recognized mother at school’, who is very nice and detailed-oriented made a lunch reservation at P.F. Chang’s yesterday for a few of us. What a great time we had, it was all laughing and gossiping, I even got the chance to spilled my glass of water all over the table, not that I meant to, but hey if we are not sharing this lunch with the kids at least someone have to act like one, don’t you think? She also gave each of us a beautiful bracelet as a token of her friendship.

I can’t forget to mention ‘Kardashian’, how we like to call her (if you meet her you’ll know what I mean) always ready to help and take action… And the rest that will always be there when you need them… (Sorry my eyes are just watering). It will take me a few pages to describe all of them and their great qualities. It is really nice to spend time with your friends, making jokes, laughing and having a blast! Thank you for been part of my life!

"Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

~ G. Randolf