parenting

Digging Deeper: Controversial Topics

December 12, 2012 By Thaleia 11 Comments

Digging Deeper: Controversial Topics

I have not thought to delve into controversial topics until recently and here is why:

A dear friend of mine was very impressed with my blog so far. We had talked about it while are children visited and played over the summer during our homeschool “break”. She researched and thought about starting a website, but I had actually taken the plunge in a lifestyle mommy blog.

There was a question posed by this same friend of mine. Are you going to delve into those controversial topics such as vaccination or circumcision? To be honest I had not even thought about it. It’s not that I am afraid to go there. I guess I just do not want to get caught up in personal debate and all the drama and hard feelings often associated with these topics. I’ve got enough drama and stress in my REAL-LIFE to bring drama into my bloggy world! Yes, I do realize that hot topics often drive lots of traffic with all sorts of heated topics, but I am just not quite ready to go there, yet. I am going to work on my positions before delving into those hot topics. Hope this doesn’t disappoint you dear friend, but I am working up to it!

(Ironically the day or 2 after I wrote this post, initially, I signed up to review 31 Days to GREAT Sex for Married Couples!)

Here’s what I will say for now:

We had made our choice about circumcision with our first son, after much debate and research between my husband and myself. (We are not Jewish so we are under no religious obligations to choose circumcision.) So with our 2^nd son, we made that same choice easy peasy! We made our choice and we encourage other parents to make an INFORMED decision not just do what everyone else does or what the doctor says (unless there’s truly a medical reason necessitating a certain choice).

Vaccination controversy made us “fire” a pediatrician when she made us feel like horrible parents if we did not vaccinate on her/CDC’s schedule. No matter how much you plead or argue with a person they will always make their own choice.

The parents I am really scared for are all those that DO NOT RESEARCH or read ANYTHING about the health and well-being of their children. Those poor children grow up in a house where parents just do what the doctor or grandma recommends. Most likely experiencing knee-jerk reactionary decisions! No real thought goes into it on the parents end. They act like sheep and just go with the crowd. SHAME ON YOU! If you are one of THOSE parents, please take a moment and research your options for health care, education, and spiritual growth. YOU ARE THE PARENT and IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to do your BEST in raising your child.

So this will be my starting point from which I will then begin to post controversial post topics in the future. I have NOT determined a set platform for my blog. Right now I am still putting feelers out to see what resonates with those readers who have found my blog.

Please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question or message me on Facebook if you’d like a certain controversial topic discussed. If you would like to guest post please let me know what topic you think my reader’s would like to learn from you!

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Attachment Parenting Can be Tough (and Self-directed Potty Training)

July 25, 2012 By Thaleia Leave a Comment

(and Self-directed Potty Training?)

Don’t let the title alarm you or fool you into thinking I dislike attachment parenting. Sometime I wish is was easier like when I am in the middle of researching a topic for a blog post and my 2 yr. old stirs briefly from his nap. I wait a few seconds, since I am the only one home, to see if he needs comforted or nursed back to sleep. He seems a little fitful so I choose to lie next to him and nurse him back to sleep. He sleeps in our bed and that is where he naps. Once he is comfortable and “out” I sneak back to the livingroom where the laptop is sitting waiting for me.

I was torn as to how long I could cuddle my 2 yr. old while this blog post was be built into my head. I did not want any part of it to be forgotten before I could write it. I am not about to “abandon” my child for the sake of blogging hence the title Attachment Parenting Can be Tough. Some days I have to put a lot of things ahead of what I want to do. Some would just call that parenthood or motherhood. I think you have to make the conscious effort to care for your children before your needs in order to be successful. Sometimes this can lead to frustration and exhaustion, but in the long run you will have sweet voices and smiling faces that give you lots of hugs and kisses.

The last few months have been difficult as far as parenting goes. I have school age children who want to stay up late and sleep in even though it is summer! These same school age children still sneak into mom and dad’s bed at night. Although we have a king sized bed, it is not enough room for 5 people. This makes mom and dad cranky when we are kneed or elbowed in the back or groin! I have had nights of lots of nursing which I think must be some more molars coming in? (this makes for a cranky/drained mom who wakes up hungry.) I still think it’s a little crazy that my almost 27 month old still nurses, but HE IS THE BABY, and he does eat “real” food! I am just not ready to MAKE HIM QUIT nursing. Should’ve taken the booby away before the paci but hindsight is 20-20.

And this BABY has decided to work on potty training himself after picking out “Elmo’s Potty Time” video at the library. He watched that thing at least 2 times a day for the 2 weeks we had it. We all laughed when he went around the house saying, “wee, wee, woo, woo” or “pee, pee, poo, poo”. We sing songs and read books and just try to laugh or make a big deal about him sitting on the potty. No M&M’s, no bribery, just plain old-fashioned verbal praise has done wonders. Is he close to being totally potty trained? No way, but he does alert us at least once a day when he needs to sit on the potty. He does both on the potty and that my friend is a great accomplishment for an almost 27 month old boy!

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Something to Offer

July 20, 2012 By Thaleia Leave a Comment

What is Something 2 Offer?

Here’s what this blog is all about:

Sharing my Passion about….

Life, Love, Homeschooling, Montessori, Safety, Education, Parenting, Creativity

My husband said, “Go for it. If you feel that nudging feeling like you are supposed to do something or try something. DO IT. Do not research it. Do not think it has to be perfect or planned out. Go for it.”

Well those were the most precious of words that we have had in a long time. I have felt as if I have been floundering in life for awhile now. I do not feel that people know me or know what I have to offer. I have Something To Offer and I feel as if people around me are missing out especially other homeschool moms and parents. I know that everyone struggles with various things in their adult life. Mine recently seems to be to START and FINISH any task that I am unsure of. I do not know for sure that the Lord is leading me or calling me to blog as a hobby vs. profession but I do feel I have some things to share at very odd times and a blog would allow for that to happen.

I am a researcher and a creative thinker. Give me a problem and I can give you a solution. Can’t solve my own problems but definitely good at thinking of solutions for others. For example, I was talking with another homeschool mom who was fretting a little about her homeschool schedule. She was using two different curriculums’ with different amounts of lessons. One was for 36 weeks and one was for 32 weeks. She was having trouble getting her kids back into school after Christmas break and getting things accomplished with various medical appointments and preparing for missionary work. I said you can do one of two options. 1) Use January as a time to ease back into school by just doing the curriculum that is 36 weeks. Then add the other in February and end both at the same time. OR 2) Start both in January and when the one ends double the other to end sooner OR try a short unit study that you missed during the year. She was so relieved to have some simple options and not have to stress (think) about what she was going to do. I was so glad I could help with just a simple off the top of my head solution.

I am no expert when it comes to homeschooling or education BUT I do my research and have a lot to offer! I have a degree in Childhood Development which in some ways I feel is better than education since you learn about developmental stages first than focus on the education. When you know what a child is doing and why you are more apt to be less frustrated and realize they are just doing what other kids their age do and it’s normal; making things seem so much better. I think developmental education for parents is key and could lead to less abuse.

parenting

Digging Deeper: Controversial Topics

Here’s what I will say for now:

(and Self-directed Potty Training?)

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