Parenting recommendations with Marissa Anastasi: Be easier on yourself. Know that some days you can’t do it all. I’m a stay at home Mom but I consider it my job to keep my kids and hubby happy, healthy and keep up with the house. Honestly, I’m still trying to find the right balance, but being easy on myself and knowing that some days I cannot do it all is okay. Some days the kids are happy and we went somewhere fun but we have frozen pizza for dinner and some days the kids watch three movies in a row so that I can catch up on laundry and prepare a healthy dinner.
Understand That the Parent-Child Bond Is a Relationship like All Others. “It takes work. Lots of it, so expect that there will be times when it feels hard to connect [with your child] or that you need to work through some issues,” says Kelly and Perren. “Meditation and reflection are really helpful tools for this, as is leaning on your mom friends as all mothers go through this with their kids,” they advise. “Sometimes, although you have it in you, you just need a little guidance to get back on track,” the founders add. Expect that there will be times when it feels hard to connect [with your child] or that you need to work through some issues.
Get to know their friends. This does not mean scrutinize your child’s friends because they have a Mohawk in liberty spikes. It means get to know the kid with the Mohawk in liberty spikes. Share information about yourself and ask them information. Act as if you are talking to an adult, not a kid you are “looking over.” Ask them about their favorite subject (it may be the same as yours when you were in school and that would be a great conversation opener.). Instead of asking the kid WHY he has his hair in liberty spikes (or the Mohawk for that matter) ask him HOW he got them that way. Stay neutral and don’t put them on the defensive. Explore a few extra info on Parenting blog.
What is your biggest challenge as a Mother and how do you overcome it? Sleep deprivation. We overcame this by hiring a sleep consultant whose approach matched our preferences. She gave us simple, gentle and kind ways to approach helping our son sleep and stay asleep. After a month we were a changed family. It cost about $350 and because of the cost, I had debated for months and months whether to do it or not. The crazy thing is, people easily spend that amount every month on entertainment, alcohol, takeaways, or dining out so why is investing in sleep for the physical and mental health of a whole family hard to justify? Once I realized how important it truly was, it seemed very affordable and justifiable!
Hey, my name is Marissa and I’m a mummy to 4. I’m 34 years old and live in the sunny Mediterranean island, Cyprus. Larnaca to be precise!. You can read more about me and a brief description of my journey so far on my introduction blog. 2020 is when I officially started blogging. I remember up until I met my husband at 16, I always used to write a daily diary of my day, my feelings and just whatever came to mind. Starting to write again is nice but at the same time, a little out my comfort zone knowing that people might read it! Since moving to Cyprus, I have pushed myself and have been given the confidence by my family into things I have never tried before but always wanted to do. Thanks for joining me on my journey and I hope you enjoy the blogs. Discover even more info at www.marissaanastasi.com.