I am new to the world of "natural parenting", so I was honored to be invited to be a part of this blog party by the lovely Dulce de Leche. I'm learning, and in some cases re-learning, how to follow my instincts so I'm really looking forward to reading these blogs.
I'm glad that to have been given a list of questions to get me started.
How many children do you have, and how old are they?
I have 4 beautiful children: Chris - 16 (next week), Kurt - 14, Tyler - 6, & Sydney - 3.
Do you have a partner, or are you a single parent?
I have an amazing husband who I've been married to for 8 years. I was, however, a single parent to Kurt for 6 years prior to being married so I have a perspective from both sides.
What are your “hot button” parenting issues?
I hate to hear people cuss *at* their children. It drives me crazy! I also hate when parents speak badly about the other parent in front of the children (especially in situations where the parents aren't together.) I feel this puts unnecessary guilt onto children and makes them feel the need to pick a side.
Have you made any parenting choices that you didn’t think you would make before you were a parent, i.e. cloth diapering a child when you had previously thought it was disgusting?
When I was pregnant with Kurt I thought breastfeeding was *icky* (I was 16) but am so glad to have been able to experience that with each of my biological children <3. I never thought about homeschooling either but I'm super excited to be starting this fall with Tyler. I've also been making a lot of dietary changes that my kids are none to happy about but I know it's in their best interest.
Is there one book or person in particular that’s heavily influenced your parenting choices?
Dulce de Leche - I was blessed to have met her a few years back and had never heard of "gentle parenting" before. I just kept reading her posts on facebook and discovered that *this* was the parenting of my heart and the way God wanted me to raise my children. Thanks to her, I also found GCM which has helped to fill in the blanks.
If you had to describe each of your children using only one word, what word would you use?
Chris-dramatic
Kurt-unique
Tyler-loving & wild (sorry, he really needs 2 words)
Sydney-precious
Is there one parenting decision that you regret more than others and wish you could change?
I regret not finding GBD soon enough and parenting punitively in the past. My 2 biggest regrets (I know it said one, I'm not good at directions) are 1)not breastfeeding longer & 2)circumcising my boys because I didn't know there was another option.
Is there an area of your parenting you wish you were better at?
I wish I didn't get frustrated so easily. Yelling, or loud talking, is something I struggle with and wish I *didn't* struggle with.
Now for the fun questions – is there one particular food or type of food that you could eat every day?
Asian, yummy! I hated it as a kid, but now I cook it at least once a week. My family likes anything spicy. I also love chocolate and would eat it all day everyday if it were free & wouldn't make me fat, *sigh*.
Vanilla ice cream or chocolate?
Vanilla. Not sure why, since I love chocolate so much, but I don't really care for chocolate ice cream. I don't mind it mixed with other stuff, but don't like it by itself. My fave is Ben & Jerry's Phish Food it's a mix of all kinds of goodies.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Pepsi. I know how bad pop is and HFCS, but I love my Pepsi. And brownies from QT (a local convenient store.) May have to send my hubby to get one of each. :giggle.
If you could be part of any television show, which show would it be?
ALIAS. I know it's not on anymore, but it's an all time fave (guess where my daughter got her name.) I also love BONES. I could never be in front of a camera though, waaaay too shy.
Well that's me, in a nutshell. Looking forward to reading and learning more from all the other fabulous blogs.
I'm glad that to have been given a list of questions to get me started.
How many children do you have, and how old are they?
I have 4 beautiful children: Chris - 16 (next week), Kurt - 14, Tyler - 6, & Sydney - 3.
Do you have a partner, or are you a single parent?
I have an amazing husband who I've been married to for 8 years. I was, however, a single parent to Kurt for 6 years prior to being married so I have a perspective from both sides.
What are your “hot button” parenting issues?
I hate to hear people cuss *at* their children. It drives me crazy! I also hate when parents speak badly about the other parent in front of the children (especially in situations where the parents aren't together.) I feel this puts unnecessary guilt onto children and makes them feel the need to pick a side.
Have you made any parenting choices that you didn’t think you would make before you were a parent, i.e. cloth diapering a child when you had previously thought it was disgusting?
When I was pregnant with Kurt I thought breastfeeding was *icky* (I was 16) but am so glad to have been able to experience that with each of my biological children <3. I never thought about homeschooling either but I'm super excited to be starting this fall with Tyler. I've also been making a lot of dietary changes that my kids are none to happy about but I know it's in their best interest.
Is there one book or person in particular that’s heavily influenced your parenting choices?
Dulce de Leche - I was blessed to have met her a few years back and had never heard of "gentle parenting" before. I just kept reading her posts on facebook and discovered that *this* was the parenting of my heart and the way God wanted me to raise my children. Thanks to her, I also found GCM which has helped to fill in the blanks.
If you had to describe each of your children using only one word, what word would you use?
Chris-dramatic
Kurt-unique
Tyler-loving & wild (sorry, he really needs 2 words)
Sydney-precious
Is there one parenting decision that you regret more than others and wish you could change?
I regret not finding GBD soon enough and parenting punitively in the past. My 2 biggest regrets (I know it said one, I'm not good at directions) are 1)not breastfeeding longer & 2)circumcising my boys because I didn't know there was another option.
Is there an area of your parenting you wish you were better at?
I wish I didn't get frustrated so easily. Yelling, or loud talking, is something I struggle with and wish I *didn't* struggle with.
Now for the fun questions – is there one particular food or type of food that you could eat every day?
Asian, yummy! I hated it as a kid, but now I cook it at least once a week. My family likes anything spicy. I also love chocolate and would eat it all day everyday if it were free & wouldn't make me fat, *sigh*.
Vanilla ice cream or chocolate?
Vanilla. Not sure why, since I love chocolate so much, but I don't really care for chocolate ice cream. I don't mind it mixed with other stuff, but don't like it by itself. My fave is Ben & Jerry's Phish Food it's a mix of all kinds of goodies.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Pepsi. I know how bad pop is and HFCS, but I love my Pepsi. And brownies from QT (a local convenient store.) May have to send my hubby to get one of each. :giggle.
If you could be part of any television show, which show would it be?
ALIAS. I know it's not on anymore, but it's an all time fave (guess where my daughter got her name.) I also love BONES. I could never be in front of a camera though, waaaay too shy.
Well that's me, in a nutshell. Looking forward to reading and learning more from all the other fabulous blogs.
:sniffing happy tears: ((((Staci)))) Thank you so much! You are an amazing mom, and I am so honored to know you and have you in my life.
ReplyDeleteAnd I *loved* ALIAS, too. I need to pull out my DVDs. The Spanish language track is really well done, too. :)
Found you through the blog party. So nice to see yet another mom of a teen. : )
ReplyDeleteI have told people many times that had my older two children been boys they would have been circumcised I just never even thought it was a choice back then. {{hug}}
Mmmmmm. Chocolate! Isn't it funny how our parenting ideals change once our children are born?
ReplyDeleteLove Sydney's glasses! Such a cutie. :-)
ReplyDeleteDulce-thank you for inviting me to join. <3
ReplyDeleteSasha-it is nice to have another mom of teens. I have found that the hardest part to moving from punitive to gentle discipline.
Jennifer-I'm cracking up at how many people answered chocolate!
CM-thanks! She's a little nut :)
ReplyDeleteI found you through the blog party. I sense such sadness in some of your responses. Your family are beautiful and we evolve so much as we grow. To have a child at 16 is something I could not imagine, so it's obvious, to me, that you would make different choices now than back then. That you love your children has to be enough sometimes ...
ReplyDeleteWishing you inner peace.
Mrs Green @littlegreenblog.com
Stopping by from the blog party. Saw your most recent post and YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! You are a human...we have less than stellar moments. Move forward and realize that you are making strides to improve. :) Sending love your way!
ReplyDeleteJust stopping by from the blog party. I too am learning how to be more of a Gentle Parent. My oldest is almost 4, but even in that short time period I have regrets. :( I could resonate with much of what you were writing in some of your posts. For me, I've just chosen to ask for forgiveness and move on. It's not always easy and I DAILY have to re-think my thoughts on discipline and guilt over the past.
ReplyDeleteRae-Your words are so encouraging. I agree sometimes that loving are children has to be enough and I love them all so, so much!
ReplyDeleteHRM-Thank you! I'm learning to move on from my best into something much better for myself and my family.
Vanessa-Yes, it is hard to have regrets. ((HUGS)) I just try to remember that in so much of my early parenting I *did* listen to my instincts and now I'm learning to trust them even more.