Parenting blog by Marissa Anastasi: Strategy! Always have a strategy. Keep it simple, achievable and be prepared to do anything like rebranding an experience. For example, shopping is now a treasure hunt or at dinner, if they don’t eat it at first, rearrange their food on the plate and it is instantly rebranded and magically eaten! Strategy is key in our household. Follow your intuition. The most valuable thing you can give your children is your love and time. Show them love and respect and they will grow to do the same for others.
Find Perspective. “Most of the concerns I see parents have with their kiddos (whether in infancy or adolescence) is sadly a projection of their own insecurities,” Crowley explains. “When we can be aware of our fears and how often we impose them on our children it allows us to separate ourselves and really see and appreciate who they are and enjoy the process much more,” she continues. “We need to trust that this little person is unfolding just as they should, as opposed to on a timeline we have scripted for them.” Don’t Be Afraid to Ignore Advice. “Everyone will give you advice, solicited or not when you are about to have a baby or have a newborn,” according to Kelly and Perren. “It’s extremely valuable to listen to the experience and perspectives of others, as it can help you form your own opinions, but make sure that you know that what is right for some families may not be right for yours. Let your motherly instinct kick-in and listen to it instead,” they say.
Spend time with them – on their terms. Spend time with your child, but not on your terms, on theirs. If they like concerts, go with them. Have a family movie night and let your children choose the movies that you watch. You can have one night where a child chooses the movie and another night where an adult chooses the movie. Or, each family can take a turn to choose. The important thing is to meet them on their level, on their terms. This will show that you are taking an interest in them, their lives and their world. And that will mean the world to them. See additional details on Motherhood blog.
Seeing the world through their eyes! As adults we are always in a rush but kids stop to see the tiniest bugs, to the cloud formations. They really make me slow down to appreciate things I take for granted. It’s so special seeing them experience the world for the first time and seeing them appreciate the simplest of things. The moment when your child does something kind, completely unprompted. It reminds me that everything I am trying my hardest to teach them every day is actually slowly going in. It gives me hope for the future!
My blog is really about my passions in life and my struggles and it’s probably the same for many people. I feel like I could share a lot of experiences, good and bad and blogging also gives me a platform to share moments in our ever-changing life from babies, young kids to teenagers. There’s a mixture of topics, not just motherhood but lifestyle, house design, fashion, travel. I’m passionate about supporting small businesses, especially local ones and those that are run by mums like myself, as I know first-hand how difficult this is and how much the small shops need local support to survive. If YOU have a small business and would like to collaborate, please contact me…. ALL FOR SMALL!! See extra details on marissaanastasi.com.