Prepare for the Next School Break Now

One of the bravest things a mother can do for herself and her child is know when to let go and just do it!  It doesn't matter the child's age, when things are getting out of control and you feel as a mother that you can't do much more for your child, pick up the phone!  Some moms probably did just that this last break.  In the near future, other moms will end up not doing too much to get some assistance because they falsely believe they can do everything on their own.  This is why we see or hear of children being abused or worse dying in the care of moms.  If you have a newborn or toddler and you are feeling a bit frustrated or at your wits end, start looking for resources that offer child care.  There are programs out there that are discounted and even free for a time.  But you don't know if you don't look.  Check with human services department in your city, churches, mother support groups, and online ads related to childcare programs or home daycare.

Spring breaks (or any school breaks) can be grueling.  Your money, time, and patience is only going to go so far before you look at the calendar and say, "Thank God, back to school."  So before the next break, put an action plan together for yourself and the children.  Know what you are going to do when things get rough again at home.  The following is a list to help plan for the next break which is the longest of them all, summer break (sigh).

1.  Save money for activities.  Start now signing them up for stuff if you haven't already.

2.  Find out what events are happening in other neighborhoods where your relatives live and make plans with them to take your children to them during the summer.  This way you have some relief.

3.  List family freebies and discounted days at restaurants and elsewhere.  Note them on your personal calendar.  This way you don't have to cook on those days.

4.  Check in with friends and find out what their plans are for their children this summer.

5.  Plan what you will do when children are unable to go outside.  Do you have some fun things for them?  Rotate toys and don't allow them to see and play with everything all at once.  This way when you pull the fun stuff out of storage it will be like Christmas time for them this summer. 

6.  Talk with tweens and teens about household chores and work.  There are sites online that pay children 13 years and up so start searching.  Schedule days for them to work.  Check with relatives who are in need of help and talk with them about paying the children for tasks.  This way you can relieve some stress on your wallet.

7.  Share concerns with your Creator, a person of faith who can pray for you or a counselor.  When you are able to communicate family matters with someone, you are better able to deal with children.  Also, they don't feel so much tension emanating from you.

Nicholl McGuire
When Mothers Cry Author

Are Your Children Dominating Your World?

You love them.  They mean a lot to you.  You would do almost anything for them.  But are your children everything to you?  Now before you are quick to say, "No."  Answer the following:

1)  Do you find yourself rearranging your schedule to suit them even when you could ask others for assistance?

2)  Do you show up at most events and when you are unable to attend do you viciously argue with others about why they should be at your child/children's performances?

3)  Do you have frequent headaches because you expect your children to be the best at whatever they do and when they fall short you have a long list of consequences?

4)  Do you threaten others about your children sometimes over the most mundane things?

5)  Has your marriage or dating relationships come to a swift end because someone spoke up about the way you treat your children?

6)  Are you in much debt because of children?  How about you take a moment and check your bank account, credit card, and personal loan statements, are your children's requests showing up?  How much did you spend last year on toys, activities, unplanned grocery items, crafts, entertainment, etc.?

7)  Do you fight with the desire to do for you or do for them even over the littlest of things like whether you should avoid buying lunch at work for yourself v/s ordering them a pizza or whatever else they like after work?

8)  Do you find yourself skipping a bill payment just so that you can buy something like a Nintendo Switch for your child or some other item merchants have brainwashed our children into believing they must have?

9)  Do you have relatives or friends who don't feel comfortable around you due to your overreactions regarding your children?

10)  Are your children getting in the way of your personal time with God?

Image used under license from Freestock.com

Now that you answered those questions, hopefully honestly, consider the time, energy, sacrifice, money, and more that you give up for your children.  Should they be esteemed like this?  Are they more important than your marriage, personal hobbies, employment, and more?  Remember children are in our lives for a season obeying us, but then they will no longer be all that agreeable and will want lives their own.  Then what?  Your life is either starting or is revolving around your children for any number of factors such as:

• A spouse no longer likes or loves you so you use the children to fulfill personal needs.
• Family and friends who are often busy and don't have much time or energy to be there for you, but "Hey, there is always the kids and all their activities."
• Too much extended family involvement to the point that they have driven you toward your children so you use them as an excuse.
• Your faith has been stagnant for years and God is no longer important (if he ever was), but those "idols" are there and so you worship them.
• You don't like your job so any excuse to leave it for the kids.
• You are running away from other responsibilities by spending more on them for the temporal pleasure of feeling good that you did many things for your children.
• You feel like you need to prove something to your spouse so you go overboard helping your children even when they don't need or want your help.

You probably can list a few more reasons why your children are all-too-important these days.

Sometimes parents feel guilty about a number of things and others use their remarkable treatment of their children to cover up some dark things within and around them.  As we all know, too much of anything isn't good and sooner or later the act will be revealed.  For other doting yet obsessed parents, they will unfortunately start to resent their children sooner or later.

"Look at all the things I have done, gave up for you....and you treat me like this," yells Mom.
The child might respond, "And I didn't ask you to do all those things!  Besides weren't you really doing all this for your SELF?"

Wow, powerful truth, take heed now before it's too late!

Nicholl McGuire is the blog owner, author and speaker on faith-based YouTube channel: NM Enterprise 7 

How to Care for Baby Teeth

Seeing your child's teeth for the first time is one of the cutest and most momentous occasions in your life as a parent. After months of watching them drool and gnaw on random objects, they finally have that first microscopic tooth emerging. A full set of baby teeth will replace that annoying grandma smile in a couple of years. According to smilesonyonge.ca, child tooth care is extremely critical. Some people think it isn’t because all of these teeth will one day be replaced by permanent teeth. You still need to care for them, though.

Gum Care for Babies

Gums need to be taken care of right after they have been born. Do not use a toothbrush or toothpaste at the start – they are still very sensitive to chemicals like fluoride. Instead, get yourself a soft cloth that is moist, or even a damp bit of gauze. Twice a day, instead of brushing, wipe your baby’s gums. This task should ideally be done right after feeding them, or right before they go to bed. Cleaning the gums down prevents bacteria from building up on the gums, and leaving plaque behind that could start eating away at your baby’s teeth, the second they begin to emerge.

What About Brushing Their Teeth?

You can start brushing their teeth when their first tooth emerges from their gums. You should pick an unique baby brush with a soft set of bristles, a tiny head, and a large, easy-grip handle. Don’t use the toothbrush at the start. Just wet the brush and use it instead. Start using toothpaste the size of a grain, and then increase it gradually to a pea-sized amount as more teeth begin to come in. The toothpaste should ideally be fluoride based and made for children. Over the course of about three years, increase the size of the amount of toothpaste.

Teething and Maturity

You have to keep brushing at least twice a day, until your baby can hold their brush when they are a toddler. This chore doesn’t mean you let them do it on their own, though. You have to supervise the brushing for as long as you can, or until your child can spit their toothpaste out without you having to help them. This phase usually happens when they are six-years-old.

Teething is the process by which your child’s first teeth erupt through their gums. It is every bit as painful as it sounds. Over the course of two whole years, the baby teeth make their way through the gums to the surface. Babies cry, drool, have gum pain and toothache, and can even have a slight temperature while teething!

You can relieve the pain by rubbing their gums with your finger (clean, of course), or by purchasing special teething rings that your baby can munch on to help the teeth emerge faster and to numb the gums, so they don’t hurt as much. Try to make whatever you put in their mouth as relaxed as possible.

Child Getting on Your Nerves?

 

You're not the only one.

 

 

When Mothers Cry

 

by Nicholl McGuire

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