It's no easy ride. A site for parenting teens.
In an attempt to return to a more helpful headspace, I was recently encouraged to think about what my core values are. I have engaged with this question before and found it a beneficial exercise; seeing how my life choices reflect what I truely value and then how these choices impact my day to day…
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I have always been conscious, that in a family of more than one child, there is always the challenge of splitting your time and attention between them all equally. It is true that some kids are easier to connect with, and some kids demand more of you, and it’s possible there will be one child…
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I like the image of a long hiking adventure, to describe how I see life’s journey. The view of a mountain range can take your breath away and to walk its course a privilege. However when you actually begin to travel the path, you quickly find there are a lot of variables that can make…
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Let me introduce Ruth. She is the mother of four adult children, grandmother to 16 children and great-grandmother to 24 children. She became a mother in the 1950’s (what I like to call the ‘golden era’ of stay-at-home mothers) and raised teenagers through the 1960’s and 70’s – in a period when for most mothers their…
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Have you ever experienced a time when your health and well being has failed you? When your body has ceased to function at its best, telling you very clearly, “I’ve had enough! Stop now, I need to rest.” It’s impossible to argue with an overtired, pained body. No amount of will power can change things;…
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There is a saying in my family, “Those who are flexible are not easily broken”. Whenever life has dished out circumstances I didn’t anticipate, my natural instinct has been to react negatively; getting upset at the change of plan, or frustrated with the person who didn’t behave in a way I expected them to. So…
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This week, I had the most embarrassing and challenging experience I’ve had for a while; one which reminded me a little of my parenting experience. It’s been a number of years since I went regularly to an exercise class, but with my recent flare up of back pain I thought it time to be more…
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I had a day recently where my youngest came home from school very upset and adamant he never wanted to go back; never wanting to see a particular person again. A previous painful memory of being reprimanded at school bought back strong emotions, and when he was accused once more of doing something wrong (this…
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Let me introduce Jan. She is a mother of two adult children and six grandchildren. She began her motherhood journey in the Deep South of America where her husband was a pastor; moving back to Australia when their eldest boy was to begin school. During the years of her children’s schooling she juggled the roles…
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To my observing children, I was my usual self; physically a little weary but fairly happy and chatty. What was unobserved to them, was the business inside my head. The conversation cogs that turned slowly, mulling over a particular issue I had with one of them. There was a talk I knew I needed to…
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