The Unique Struggles of a Special Sibling

“He gets mad at the smallest things and always causes a scene. I’m embarrassed to be seen with him.” ” I feel ignored and resent how much time he demands from my parents.” Click To Tweet “Why can’t I just have a NORMAL family like everyone else?!” “As much as I am embarrassed to be around my brother, I worry about if he is OK without me.” “It hurts when people are rude to him… but I feel guilty and ashamed because I am the rudest to him of all.” “Who will take care of her if something happens to …

Share

Motherhood Is Hard Work

Without a doubt being a mom is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had in my life. Never would I have imagined the sheer number of emotions and the intensity each one brings with it. It’s true, motherhood is hard work, and it’s time for moms to stick together. It’s my heart that by coming to you as a “seasoned” (that’s a nicer way of saying “older”) mom and sharing a little bit of what I’ve learned on the journey of being a mom. Here’s what I can tell you…it doesn’t get easier. Yeah, not the answer you expected, …

Share

Finding Quiet in Our “Everything is Awesome*” World

    In our dazzling million dollar budget animated everything is awesome sensory overloaded world… it is hard to think…to pause…to find quiet. Daily life now resembles the rapid fire visuals seen on huge 3D movie screens which dash at us so fast… we don’t pause… to calculate… to consider…   The overwhelming roller-coaster of clamorous non-stop information penetrates our minds and splits our thinking…while silently shaping who we are… from the inside out.  Our souls starve for quiet reflection amid the pounding chaos.  For uninterrupted thoughts.  For deep truth. When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the …

Share

Can I Play with Your I-Pad?

“Mimi, can I play with your I-Pad?” asked my precious 5 yr old grandson, Logan.  I paused. I hesitated.  I had heard his footsteps and risen from my early morning prayer time to  greet him.   “Well, do you know what I like to do when I first wake up, Logan?” Gazing into his big eyes, I continued. “I like to read my Bible and pray to God. Would you like to do KIDZ TIME? “YES!” he happily responded.”   Soon, the KIDZ TIME 2: PRAISING GOD A-Z DEVOTIONAL was open and scissors, crayons, and tape covered the kitchen table. We chose …

Share

Child of Sacrifice

Tumultuous turmoils! We have all been through them with our children. And if you haven’t yet, Mom or Dad, I’m sorry to tell you that you will! As parents, we go through numerous internal turmoils as our children grow up. Fussing over their behavior as they grow into preschool years. Their eating and sleeping habits. Their health, safety, and manners. Their learning about God and saying prayers. And then, we wring our hands, and sometimes beat our heads against the wall, as they grow and encounter peer pressure and the related problems of teen life. Problems occasionally continue on into …

Share

the bittersweetness of graduation

  May was a whirlwind, her days busy with graduation parties, end of the year programs, and final exams. For seniors, it was the month of goodbyes to school, teachers, and friends.   It’s hard to believe the last day of school has already come and gone, that this year has hugged its’ last hug and given its’ final gifts. Moms of kindergartners all the way to moms of seniors still can’t wrap their minds around how fast time goes or wrap arms around their children tight enough to make everything slow down. For moms, graduation was a bittersweet victory. In her book Bittersweet, Shauna Niequist …

Share

What is a Mom Worth?

If you’re a stay-at-home mom, what would you be paid, in today’s market, if you could actually be compensated for your services? Salary.com surveyed 6,000 moms for their 2013 (latest results) questionnaire. They wanted to find out the top ten most time-consuming jobs a mother performs. Applying their salary data to each household chore, they factored in the number of hours spent on each chore, and then estimated the possible annual salary. After calculating, they came up with the figures in these two infographics (used with permission): If you’d like to see how they calculate it, you can check it …

Share

Who Else Wants Clear Direction?

    I blew it.  Days of swimming through murky teenage “stuff” paired with this new stage of parenting resulted in my not-so-pretty meltdown. Late the same evening I found myself on the edge of my teen’s bed.   His now huge 6 foot, 15 year-old frame had his back turned towards me as my quivering words spilled out, “I’m so sorry. I blew it. My words were awful. Will you forgive me?” Parenting is hard.  We stumble through one developmental stage, look back on that point in time with confidence as we emerge, then find ourselves knee-deep in doubt …

Share

TMI asks our readers 5 Questions about Being a Mom of Young Children

As a mom of three kids under the age of four (we have twins and a newborn) I will be the first to admit that I don’t have all the answers when it comes to parenting little ones. I love getting advice from friends with kids just a few years older than mine or even reading stories from my fellow M.O.M’s here at The Mom Initiative. Today, I’d like to ask YOU, our readers some of the questions I hear most often from younger moms: 1. How do you get your child to eat something besides chicken nuggets or a …

Share

a letter to the second time mom

Hey there, you second time mom. Here you are, with a baby on your bust and another by your side. Yep, your hands are full yet so is your heart. As you gaze at your new addition, you wonder how you could have ever lived without him. For nine months, you wondered the complete opposite: how am I going to manage having more than one child?   You tried to prepare your first child to become the big kid around the house but you were always unsure exactly how she would react when the baby came along. You’ve probably gotten …

Share