The Little Extras Make a Big Difference in Motherhood (and Life)

Welcome to Moms’ Month on Dr. Stephanie! This month I will be featuring guest posts from some awesome moms around the country.  They will be sharing tips, tricks, and funny stories about motherhood.  This will be a fun celebration – thanks for joining us!  Today’s author is Mandy Baron.  Welcome, Mandy!

Hi, I’m Mandy.  I am a part time Dental Hygienist in Dallas, Texas.   My Husband, Andrew, and I are parents to two little tornadoes boys; Austin (3) and Tyler (1).

We sometimes joke that we used to think we were great, single, individuals… then we got married.  We realized we both had a LONG list of improvements to be made.  We took a few years, learned a few things and again felt like pretty good people.  Then we had our two little boys and realized, again, we had our work cut out for us.  Being a mother has brought me joy, taught me countless lessons and continues to humble me every day.
I love the quote “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just that little “extra”- Jimmy Johnson.
Usually at the end of the day (while looking at the path of destruction caused by my tornadoes) the last thing I want to do is exert any effort or energy.  I have found that adding that little ”extra” has improved my relationship with my family.   Whether it is extra time for my kids, extra effort, extra time jumping on the trampoline, or extra chocolate chips in their pancakes I know the effort is appreciated.  I’m not saying by any means to over-do it; just take an extra five minutes.

Solving Your Kids’ Problems? Not a Great Idea.

Welcome to Moms’ Month on Dr. Stephanie! This month I will be featuring guest posts from some awesome moms around the country.  They will be sharing tips, tricks, and funny stories about motherhood.  This will be a fun celebration – thanks for joining us!  Today’s author is Caroline Moore.

I am the mother of two daughters who are 10 years apart so in essence I had 2 “only” children.  I am an Occupational Therapist and have always worked part-time until my very recent retirement.  Although working part-time, I often felt I didn’t do the best job at either being a mother or a therapist, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.  I feel very fortunate that both my daughters live nearby and they and my 3 adorable grandchildren are a very important part of my life.

I really feel that my life began when I became a mother 37 years ago.  It has given me the most profound joys as well as the deepest pain but has made my life so full and rewarding.

The one tip I would pass on to others is that when your child faces tough times (in childhood, teenage years, adulthood), it’s best to communicate your love, support, and encouragement in various ways, even though it would be easier to stay away, take on the problem yourself, lecture, cry, or blame others.  Communication can be as simple as a hug, pat on the shoulder, supportive phone message, invitation to take a walk, or a shopping outing, or even just sit next to your struggling child.  Just knowing you are there in support of your child can help. You can’t  and shouldn’t solve your child’s problems but you can give them the strength they need to face the issues themselves.