Mommy Needs A Minute

A 3 Year Olds Little Box of Treasures

It all started one night while I was putting Aria to bed. She was fussy and just would not lay down and relax like usual. I asked her what was wrong and was surprised when she ran out of the room to get a box filled with odds and ends. She was content and called it her little box of treasures and that my friends gave me the idea for this episode.

The box she went to get was nothing special, it was a little lock n lock container that is way too small to hold anything. She slept with it all night, content as could be. In the morning I took a look at what was inside. The little box held two bracelets, a bath toy, several paper clips, a squishy toy, and other random things she had collected throughout the day. As I looked closer at the items, two thoughts came to mind. One was: why would my daughter pick these items out of the thousands of things she had access to and two why would she chose the absolute smallest box in the whole house.

When she woke up, I was sure to ask her. Our conversation went something like this: “Why are these toys in this box?” I asked. These my treasures she replied. Don’t you have any other treasures? Uh huh, but these are my favorite. So I explored further, “Why is this one your favorite?”, “because it’s squishy”, “and this one?”, “it’s yellow”. The reasoning she gave behind was so simple and pure. It truly warmed my heart to see just how thoughtful she is at only 3. It also got me thinking. What would be in my treasure box? What would it look like and what would be my reasons behind each thing?

My Perfect Treasure Box

It I were to describe my perfect treasure box, it would be something simple. Like a nice wooden box with maybe some flowers carved into the top. Of course there would be some type of sparkle to it because I love good sparkly things. I don’t think my box would be as small as my daughter’s because at this point I don’t yet have it all figured out as to what would be in my box. However, I picture the same size as a shoe box. I feel that is a nice size without being too overdone.

What about you? Take a second and think about what your box would look like? Would it be simple or fancy? Design or no design? Extra things or not? What size would your box be? Tiny, medium sized, or actual treasure chest size? I really think the way your treasure box would look has a hidden attachment to your overall sense of style and the way you live your life. So, now that you have designed your own treasure box, let’s talk about what I would put in mine.

What Would Your Treasure Box Have?

First things first, I would have a picture of my little family including my fur babies. I would also have tons of pictures: from our wedding day, of my relatives who have past away, and of some of my childhood memories. I would also have a sunflower, love letters from my hubby, crafts that Aria has made, and mementos from all the trips we have taken from our years together.

Now, I’m gonna ask you: what would be in your box? Would you have your diplomas? Car keys? House keys? Pictures of your significant other and/or kids? Special memories from when your loved ones were still alive? Letters from your parents or significant other? Little things from your kids? Something that represented you and what you stand for?

Now, that you know what I would have in my box of treasures, Let me tell you my reasons behind each one. The obvious reason for my pictures of my family and pets are because I love them and would not be who I am today if I didn’t have them in my life. Pictures from our wedding day because it was the first day that we officially became our own family. Pictures of my loved ones who have past because I want to remember them forever. My childhood memory photos because I had some awesome adventures when I was little. My parents took me to Sea World, South Carolina, the zoo, all over the place.

But, I would also have pictures from our home like the one of me setting up my own grocery store, getting my face painted liked a reindeer and a tiger, and when I made my own binoculars and made everyone try them. A sunflower because those are my absolute most favorite flower. Love letters from my hubby, I know it sounds cheesy but he wrote me a letter every day for the first three years we were together and yes I still have them. Crafts that Aria has made at daycare, the library, at home, everywhere because those are precious.

Side note: My mom and dad always kept everything I made or did from birth until my last year of high school. On my graduation day they gave me a few totes full of all my items and I absolutely loved it, so I want to do the same for her. Mementos from our trips, we have gone to so many states together and in every state we always stop and get something small, mostly bells to add to my collection. Each trip had a special memory as one we normally always get lost and two we almost always end up with a ticket lol but that is a story for a different day.

So now, think about the items that you put into your little box of treasures. Why are they in there? Why are they special to you? Do they hold tremendous meaning? Or do they remind you of something that you don’t want to forget? Do they help make you who you are today?

Final Thoughts on Treasure Boxes

I know this episode is shorter than most, but I feel that it holds the most meaning. I knew when I saw my little girl carrying in her box of treasures for the night, that it had to be shared.

As grown ups we don’t really or at least I don’t think about the things that helped shape me into who I am today. Seeing her with her treasures also helped remind me to stay humble and true to myself. At any time, things and objects can be taken away. What if you only had what was left in your little box of treasures. That would be a different perspective on things. Material items don’t really mean that much. Not as much as the people who are in your life, the people that you can’t live without.

I am so grateful that I get to look at the world through my 3 year olds eyes every once and a while to see what I am missing. We are so busy trying to run here and there when we really should be asking ourselves what we really should be focusing on is at home. I am also so blessed that I get to share my 3 year olds perspective on life with you guys. I feel that we all need a little toddler in our lives.

If you enjoyed this episode be sure to share that you are listening and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @tinytikesteacher so that I can connect with you! I love seeing how you much you enjoy these episodes! Peace, love, and treasure boxes.

Learning to Sign with Laura Payne

by tinytikesteacher 1 Comment

Hey there, friends! This episode is probably one of my favorites because I have always had an interest in learning to sign. I find that using sign language would be super helpful as a mom and as an educator. I am so excited that you decided to tune in today because I have a super special guest. Her name is Laura Payne and she is a highly qualified educator of the deaf. From her experience and help from a mom group, she decided to branch out and start offering a 4 week sign language course in Baby Sign Language, but I’ll let her tell you more about that in this episode.

Interview with Laura Payne about Learning to Sign

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself, what you do, your life as a momma etc…

-I live in Houston, TX. I have been married for almost 3 years and I have a 18 month old daughter. We are expecting our little baby boy in September. I am a former teacher of the deaf, I taught ages 3 years old to 4th grade. I eventually stepped away from the classroom to stay home as a mom before my daughter was born. Now, I’m all about that nap time hustle to fill my cup and serve other moms.

2. How did you start your business? Where did the idea come from?

Since my background is teaching deaf students – so I’ve known sign language since I was 7 and studied it formally while getting my undergrad degree. One day, I joined a mom’s group when my daughter was about 3 months old, and some of them were wanting to get together and freshen up their signs they learned from a baby sign class they took. I asked more questions and it turned out the instructor only had taught herself the vocabulary she was teaching the class – she’s not actually fluent in sign, knows about the language itself, etc – and would google a word if a question was asked that wasn’t on her list.

I quickly offered to teach them, and they gave me so much input about their goals, signs they wanted to learn, their expectations – and it created the blueprint for my sign language course I still am teaching over a year later. It’s evolved into so much more, it’s now taught virtually so I’m able to reach more moms regardless of feeding and sleep schedules, locations, and all other logistics

3. I don’t even know where I would begin to teach my daughter sign language, I have always wanted to learn myself as well, do you have any recommendations?

Start small, and take baby steps at first: think of 3-5 words that would benefit your child’s communication and confidence. That looks different based on age, interests, etc. My daughter was a newborn, so we started with MILK, SLEEP, ALL DONE. That then evolved as she grew and her needs changed.

Why do we need to learn to sign?

4. What are the benefits of using sign language with hearing babies and toddlers?

Your baby is born communicating with you, and communication needs increase as they get older. With that frustration builds too because they can’t use speech yet or use it to the full capacity they need. Learning to sign can reduce that frustration. Babies and toddlers experience the world in multi-sensory way (visual, verbal, tactile, kinesthetic), and learning to sign taps into each of these. No matter how your child learns, sign will benefit them

It also helps increases their confidence in communication because you will be able to meet their needs and wants faster. It takes out the guessing game of the grunts, pointing, crying, etc. And a faster response from you, boosts their confidence
Gross motor skills develop earlier than fine motor skills (ie: they can wave before they can put a straw into a juice box). Same as speech: very small muscle movements required for speech sounds develop over YEARS and your child can often go misunderstood or unintelligible for a long time. Sign uses those gross motor skills that are more refined.
It is possible for a baby to sign before they can speak, and for a toddler to express more of themselves even though they have multiple words under their belt.

5. My toddler is 3 years old, is it too late to start learning to sign with her?
Not at all! You can sign at any age, for any goal or purpose. During a tantrum, the left half of the brain shuts down. That’s the part that allows your child to listen, be logical, and stay calm. So if that’s shut down, the right half is the one running the show: the side that’s the Tazmanian Devil, distractible, impulsive, and emotional.

But, the benefit to sign language and non-verbal communication is that the right side of the brain can respond to it! So while your attempts at talking to and reasoning with your toddler during a tantrum go unheard, your signs can be processed. Sign language can be your child’s second, third, or even fourth language. Multi-language learning has many benefits including: boosted brain development, help with acquisition of their first language, encourage problem solving, spark creativity, empower critical thinking, and support listening skills. The signs you use with your 3 year old will look much different than your 13 month old. Their needs, goals, and developmental milestones (including language abilities) are different and that’s how it should be!

Will learning to sign hinder my child?

6. Some people might think if they use sign language with their hearing child that it might prevent them from language development, is that the case?
Not the case at all! Like I said earlier, sign language is a language. And multi-language learning to sign is only a benefit to overall language learning. When your child’s verbal communication skills have progressed, you’ll start to see them dropping signs. They are now confident in using a spoken word.

My own daughter has chosen to drop some signs already. She’s 18 months old, and no longer will sign DOG. She now will say “woof woof” for a dog. That’s her communication preference, and I totally support it.

A friend of mine used sign with her son and he had dropped all of his signs for the spoken word except for THANK YOU. She was so concerned that he was still only signing it at 2 years old. I reassured her: his confidence in saying “thank you” isn’t strong enough yet. He wants to make sure his point is understood, and he’s doing that by signing it. The oral-motor requirements to produce the sounds in “thank you” are quite complex and some aren’t mastered for another year or two. When he’s ready, he’ll drop the sign. And sure enough, he started saying it rather than signing it about 6 months later. It was just on his terms!

7. What are some best practices or tips for parents when starting to use sign language with their little ones?
Follow their lead: physical developmental milestones, interests, temperament

In the area of development: Where is your child in their physical, gross motor development? If they aren’t clapping yet, signs that require two hands to come together aren’t possible yet. (ex: more and book) Can they cross one hand over their middle to reach to the other side? That’s when you can incorporate signs that require that (ex: whale, lizard). When deciding what signs to use with their baby, be sure to think of where they are in their physical development and focus on signs that meet their communication needs AND their current motor developmental milestones.

In the area of interests: Do they love books? The sign for “book” and “read” may be very motivating for your child to learn. Do they have favorite foods? Teaching them the signs to those will spark great conversations and language development opportunities during meals.

In the area of temperament: Just like you aren’t always in the mood to be talkative, go outside, or be productive… your child isn’t always in the mood to “learn” sign language. Take just a few seconds to expose, repeat, and review signs as they are playing or whatever it is, and let their temperament tell you when enough is enough. Don’t push it. Let them play freely, circle back if you can, or re-expose them next time.

Where can we find out more?

8. Now, I know you have a couple of interesting activities coming up, could you tell us a little bit about those?

Yes, “Look Who’s Signing Now” is my “trademark” 4 week sign language course for moms with 0-2 year olds. That’s where I teach EVERYTHING you need to know about baby sign language and the EXACT strategies, signs, and techniques I have used with my own daughter. My daughter was signing by 6 months old with this baby sign language “formula” and currently has over 50 signs at 18 months old. I am currently teaching that course, but I launch every few months!

I also taught “Sign Through the Seasons: Summer” and have released that as a self-study. If you’re a mom of any aged baby or toddler and looking for sign books, songs, and activities for the summer season, plus my secret sauce of how to actually do it all – it’s the perfect workshop for you. I will be launching a “Fall” version of this workshop in a few months, so stay tuned!

9. Tell people where they can find you…
-IG: @laura.payne13
-FB: www.facebook.com/laurapayne13
-check out available courses and workshops: https://signingwithlaurapayne.vipmembervault.com/
-subscribe to my FREE sign language newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/signnewsletter

I am so grateful that Laura was able to come on the podcast today. I feel like we have known each other for years. If you are interested in learning to sign with your little ones of any age, I encourage you to check out Laura’s resources. Peace, love, and communication skills and I will see you back soon!

Planting Seeds of Hope with Megan Smith

by tinytikesteacher 1 Comment

Hey there, friends, and boy do I have an episode for you today. Today on the podcast, I get to interview Megan Smith from plantingseeds365 and I just loved this interview because she has a new take on life. She decided to start planting a garden, but it’s not your typical garden with her kids. She plants seeds that are different. Take a listen to this episode about planting seeds of hope and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself, what you do, your life as a momma etc…

My name is Megan Smith. I’ve been married to my best friend for 12 years and am a mama to 3 boys – 8, 6 & 4. I work full time in research and education for a pediatric medical device company and own Planting Seeds 365. When I’m not working, I love to workout and play outside with my family. We have a few acres and a creek and love to play in the water and look for cool rocks.

2. How did you start your business? Where did the idea come from?

About a year ago, I found myself at a point where I could either continue on what felt like a hamster wheel of parenting, or I could choose to step off and do something about it. I was feeling overwhelmed with all of the “tasks” that needed to be done and felt like I still wasn’t enough. I wasn’t spending quality time or connecting with the boys and thought if I just had more time, I could slow down and be present. So, we decided to start a program for our family. We called it Planting Seeds 365 because we were going to spend the next year “planting seeds” with each other and our community. The idea for planting seeds came from my Grandpa – he passed away about 8 months before we started the program and I was inspired by the legacy he left. He was a farmer and also planted thousands of trees on his property. The idea that we plant seeds today for tomorrow’s growth inspired us. When we intentionally plant the things we want to grow, we leave our legacy.

This was intended as just a personal family program to last about a year. But, it inspired so much change in myself and my mindset and I now know that I am enough. It also helped serve to grow core values with the boys. I knew this could help other families, schools and community members be intentional and raise values in our kids.

3. On your blog you talk about the 9 seeds to plant, could you tell us a little bit about those?

The 9 types of seeds we talk about are planting seeds of hope, kindness, worth, gratitude, curiosity, hard work, time, attention and love. Whenever any of us plant a seed, we add a sticker to our family sticker chart (a shape of a tree). We also add a sticker to the sky when we see someone else plant a seed – this helps us look for the good in others.

4. What first step could you recommend to someone who wants to pursue a similar lifestyle but isn’t sure where to exactly start?

To start, I would write down what things you want to grow. Is it more time with your kids (it doesn’t have to be hours, but finding the moments to connect), not snapping or raising your voice at someone, is it exploring a curiosity, or doing more random acts of kindness? Then, when you come to a moment where you have a chance to plant a seed, make the choice to do so. When you know the seeds you want to plant, everything else becomes a “weed”.

This program actually requires you to be imperfect – growth is a messy process. In order for a seed to grow out of the ground, it has to push up through the dirt. So, when getting started, don’t get down or beat yourself up if you don’t act or respond in the way that you hoped. Just try again next time.

For us, doing it as a family and talking about it daily has lessened the amount of fighting from the boys and has decreased our stress. When something happens that’s a “weed”, we can now let it go much easier. The sticker chart helps with accountability and motivation, but unlike traditional sticker or behavior charts, we all contribute and work together and it takes a lot of time to fill it up, so we don’t have daily or weekly rewards.

5. Tell people where they can find you…

We are on Facebook and Instagram @plantingseeds365 and at www.plantingseeds365.com

I hope you loved this episode about planting seeds of hope with Megan and please follow her or read her blog if you would like more information.

My little hidden secret…Shhh!

by tinytikesteacher Leave a Comment

Hey there, friends and welcome to another episode of this podcast. Today I have been on a realness kick. This podcast episode is going to follow along the same lines as that. I love this space that I have created here, because I can be real, open, and honest with you and I don’t get to know who listens or cares for that matter. Unless you tell me that you are listening. On this episode, I want to chat about something that has been weighing heavily on my heart these last couple weeks.

I have a little hidden secret, one that I wish I could turn off with the click of a switch. One that I wish would go away or wither away like the plants I forget to water. One that I am not proud of, but sharing it makes me more human and that is irreplaceable. Take a listen to this episode, all about my little hidden secret.

Sometimes I feel like the people I listen to on other podcasts are untouchable, not authentic enough for me, or they are out of my league. But, I still find myself listening to them week after week, episode after episode being starstruck and just wanting to hang on their every word. In case you couldn’t tell, I mainly listen to business/entrepreneur minded podcasts, all done by an individual or a group of people who have made it big time. If that is what you are here for, that is not what I am all about. I want you to know that I have never been nor will ever become someone like that.

I am a small town girl through and through, the most famous I have ever been was in my small town newspaper for a project I did in 3rd grade for a science fair, my high school honor roll and college dean’s list, our engagement announcement, and when I got hired for my full time job. Other than that, I like to keep a low key, fly under the radar, kind of lifestyle. But, yet I get caught up in my evil little hidden secret of comparison. I hate it, it’s not attractive and frankly I find it a giant crutch in my life.

Comparison is the thief of all joy and I can tell you more often than not it has stolen my joy right out from under me. My little hidden secret has sucked the wind right out from my sails on more times than I care to admit. How many times have you thought to yourself while perusing social media, I wish I had hair like hers, or her office is so cute and mine isn’t. That right there is stealing all your joy away. You were content with your office and hair minutes before, but once you see something shinier, brighter, or better you are too quick to cast aside what was your joy for the hopes of obtaining something “better”. You can’t see me but I put the word better in air quotes, because it really isn’t better you just think it is at that point in time.

Now, I am a comparisonholic if I can make up a word. I find myself looking at pictures and thinking ugh I should be doing that with Aria or ugh I should really buy my husband something that he needs because so and so did this or so and so is doing that. What I am really doing to myself is spinning my own wheels and making myself feel less than someone else. But, I find myself doing this more often than not. What about you? Do you look at someone else’s pictures and think we should be doing that too. What if someone gets a new car? Does that make you feel like you need a replacement too? That right there is comparison stealing all your joy. Your car or activity was good enough for you moments before, but now all of a sudden it isn’t.

I have slowly become to realize that comparison is not a habit that is easy to break. In fact, I am still struggling with it, but am more aware of when I am starting to fall into that rabbit hole. For me, that makes me realize that I need to put the phone or computer down and come back to it later or maybe never.

I am not here to give you ways to cope with your comparisonistic ways because I don’t have it figured out either. What I am going to do is tell you that it is deep within our innate human ways to compare ourselves to others. I mean think about, ever since we were born someone has been compared to. Either you were compared to your relatives, neighbors, or friends. It may not have been said aloud but at some point in time you were compared to others or you might have compared yourself to others.

Think about that time in elementary school when one of your friends did better than you on a test or maybe you did better than your friends. There was probably some comparison going on. How about when you or maybe one of your friends found that perfect dress to wear to the next dance? You know what I’m talking about, that nice little dress that makes her or your figure look so dang good. Uh huh we have all been there. Suddenly your dress didn’t quite measure up and you thought about throwing in the towel and not going to the dance at all. Trust me, everyone has been there. Whether they own up it or not, it is a fact.

There is one thing that I have learned from all my years of comparing, it is this simple truth. You will never be truly happy if all you do is compare everything you have to someone else. Now, like I said before comparing can go two ways. You could compare yourself to someone who has more or to someone who has less.

I know you probably won’t admit. But we have all been guilty of looking up someone who hasn’t really done a lot. It could be since high school or college or where ever. This is not to just check up on them. However, more of a way to see that you are still setting the world on fire while maybe they aren’t. Just to make yourself feel better about where you are, what you are doing, and what not. This is also just as devastating to your overall health and demeanor.

Did you realize that by wasting your time and energy, looking up that person, that you are falling into a vicious cycle. The cycle goes: look them up, feel good for myself, go about my day, see someone that makes me feel less than, self pity, look that person up again and the circle repeats. Why are you wasting energy on that! You have more important things to be doing than looking up people all dang day. Am I right?!? You were not designed to be a carbon copy of someone else. In fact, what makes you unique helps make you YOU. Why would you waste your precious time on earth comparing.

It drives me crazy that I am not able to completely get rid of this habit. I still find myself looking at things and wondering if that was me or I should probably think about doing X,Y, and Z. It is a struggle that sometimes, although I hate to admit it, paralyses me from moving forward. It is so easy to do now, that I have started a brand new venture into some new and uncharted territories. I catch myself looking at the successful people I mentioned before and wondering when it’s my turn. Instead of being freaking excited for the progress made so far which has been tremendous.

If you get anything from this episode today, it’s the fact that even though I don’t have all the answers. I mean who does anyway, but I do have one thing that other people don’t. I will never stand on a pedestal and talk down to you. Nor will I ever make you feel less of a person because your path is different or your path is faster. And this is a big one, I will never make you think that my way is the only way. This episode and others are just a piece of my mind and you can take it or leave it. My little hidden secret is meant to be inspiration for you. So that you can recognize your own little secrets and come face to face with them.

If you do take my advice, comparing is a hard habit to break. As I’ve said before I haven’t mastered the way to completely stop my little hidden secret. However, one thing I have done is curb how much time I spend on social media. Probably the BEST invention on Facebook is the snooze feature. That way you don’t have to unfriend someone. But, you won’t be able to see their posts and such for however long you choose.

If you take anything else from this episode, I hope it is this. You are in charge of your own happiness. You don’t need to rely on anyone else to give you your happiness. Start today and create your own happiness. Whether that is going for a walk, planting flowers, pampering yourself, what have you. The important thing is to just go out and do what you feel would bring you the most joy. And please stop comparing yourself to others. You are glorious just the way God made you and you do not have to compare yourself to anyone! Peace, love, and baby steps friends. Here’s to breaking your my little hidden secret and yours, whatever they may be.

From Bump and Beyond with Chandreyi

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Hey guys, and welcome to another episode of the Building Blocks for Tiny Tots podcast. Today I have another interview with Chandreyi who takes moms from the bump and beyond. She helps moms-to-be get ready for their babies and provides for them from the bump and beyond. Now she also helps them after having a baby. But her main focus is to start the journey the right way on the right foot, by helping you get everything together. The hospital bag, what you would need to do to get ready for labor and delivery, all kinds of good stuff. So, stay tuned because i know you are going to love this episode.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself, what you do, and your life as a momma.

A: So, I am a full time working mom. I work in medical publishing, so I am working full time and I have a two year old upstairs. A two year old little tornado and I found this journey of working one on one with moms and I stumbled upon it by chance. It wasn’t really something that I wanted to do, so I was kind of looking for what my next step would be in the corporate ladder and in the corporate industry and then I was somehow like hey what’s next for me. What’s my next chapter, what’s my next milestone. Then I started working with a coach which is why now I’m doing multiple hats on a balance beam as I always say. It’s that I’m working full time, raising a toddler, and also running a business. So full plate and definitely never a dull day.

Q: Your business is helping mommas-to-be get their nurseries ready and registries ready, and taking them from the bump to beyond, where did that idea come from?

A: So that idea evolved because naturally I’m a helper. I love helping so anytime I see someone whether they need help learning a new program or implementing a new system, or just getting ready for their big day, I’m always drawn to helping somebody and that just comes out from what was implemented to me in my childhood because that’s how my mother is and how my grandmother was. Their both teachers so naturally it was just something that was ingrained in my head, always wanting to help. Initially the business started out that I wanted to help moms especially those with toddlers and little ones just trying to declutter and organize their space and their mind and for me I said okay well I’ll help with the play room or I’ll help with the kitchen so we can get rid of the mess. Then it just evolved and I felt that by just targeting those small spaces that I wasn’t really able to achieve everything they wanted to accomplish. So, then I said I wanted to work with them more, from the bump and beyond. I wanted to give them more and serve women more and serve mommas and mommas-to-be more, so my idea and business evolved so I niched it down and recircled and tweaked it a little bit and so I said I want to start in the beginning phases before all of the clutter built up. You know just like you say for your podcast it’s a building block. It starts from the very, very beginning of the journey and that’s why I said let me start from when they first have the baby or before they even have the baby and then work with them as they grow. So I think it just really helps with both because I’m learning from them and their learning from me and we’re really just growing together rather than me just coming in a saying oh you have a two year old or your have a three year old let me work with you now when they already have the routines and systems and what they do already built into the family rather than having some strangers come in and just change around everything on them. That’s why I like working with them way before all of this, from the bump and beyond. So, we can put those systems and routines in place and we can work together as a team.

Q: What all do you help with?

A: For me it goes beyond having the perfect registry and hospital bag and it’s really just working with the momma-to-be in addressing those emotions and feelings before they go into becoming a mom. Becoming a mom is just another chapter in your book. I really believe that it shouldn’t be THE ONLY chapter in your book because we’re also women, we’re also bosses. We wear so many different hats and I think when we become moms we tend to shift those hats back in the closet. Like oh I’m a mom that’s all I can do. So I really do work on trying to find systems and routines that will work with them in place before the baby so that they understand let’s go about in a different way then just printing off a list. I do work with them in customizing their registry list as well as their hospital pack list, postpartum list. So, working with all of those and then just trying to figure out what space works for them because everyone’s space is different. Some people have an entire room for the nursery, a lot of mommas-to-be don’t really have that. So, they’re like right now I can only put them in my room so what do I do with that. Where do I start? What do I need? Some people have a three story townhome, so just like what do I need? Do I have to put something on every single floor? So just really making the space ready for the baby because the registry will happen but it’s just trying to make sure that you, yourself, become a confident and empowered momma and saying alright I got this. Stuff is in place, everything is ready, I got this mom thing down. Of course, it will change for every family but I think the biggest thing is that I tackle those emotions of being overwhelmed and stressed out and confuse and make them be confident and empowered before they take on this new journey of motherhood.

Q: Do you do everything virtually or have you done in person too?

A: So, right now I have been working with mommas one-on-one all virtually. So, we talk all week on an app and we communicate throughout the week as questions come up. But then we also have dedicated one-on-one coaching calls all via Zoom. So, that’s where we really get down and say I emailed you a copy of the hospital bag checklist, let’s go through it and see if it’s everything that you need, let’s talk about what you think this means or what that means and just talk about every single thing. That’s really their time to ask the questions and really work on it to make sure that we’re on the same page. My biggest thing is at the end of the day, their the momma-to-be, their the parent-to-be, I’m there to help guide and coach them. I’m not there to pick out the items, I’m there to guide them to what they feel is best for their family and for their baby. I’ve done in person before but that was more for the organizational standpoint. But, most mommas prefer virtually.

Q: What do you think is the biggest struggle for mommas-to-be? What do they come to you for the most?

A: I think the biggest struggle that they come to me is just trying to get ahold of the information overload and all of the noise. A lot of moms they don’t know when to ask for help. We as women think that we can take on the world. We got this! We can do it ourselves. Asking for help is hard, very very hard because you don’t ever want to admit that you need help or you want help so I think that’s the biggest thing. Mom’s don’t say I need help! I need someone to help me with this registry, I need help with knowing what to put in my hospital bag or what I need for the baby as soon as they come home. So the biggest thing is just asking for help and asking for that support. Then as we work together, it’s really like I have no clue what I’m doing with the registry now because it’s so overwhelming out there in social media because there are so many mom groups, there’s so much on Pinterest, and so much on Google. Then you also have your families input, which is very overwhelming. I’m really there from bump and beyond to quiet the noise and quiet the information overload and make sure that they know they are the mom. They make the decision. That’s the biggest hurdle, who do I trust, where do I go.

Q: What is one thing moms-to-be forget about?

A: They forget about themselves. They get so focused and caught up in getting everything perfect, that they forget about other things. They don’t realize that they are missing out on the journey. The journey of having a baby, part of it is the pregnancy and of course everyone’s journey is different. Some have a very, very rough pregnancy, and they don’t enjoy it. Some of us love it. The biggest thing is that they tend to forget to take for themselves and their self care routine. Really pregnancy, you should be resting. That’s the biggest thing that once you get through the first trimester you’re in the golden period. The last trimester though you feel like a penguin and just want to lay around. But, you can’t because your mind is racing. Mom’s tend to forget about themselves because they are trying to get everything done. More than the list and objects, it’s more about focusing on the mom from the bump and beyond.

Q: Is there something that you recommend moms doing for their self care?

A: Self care looks different for every momma. Some people love blasting music and dancing, some people love spas. Self care looks very different but it is so important to find your self care before you have the baby. Then, once you hav the baby and are in that baby fog, you can remember that this is my outlet so any time I do need a breather I could just go and maybe go downstairs and run. Whatever version of your self care, that makes you take time for yourself to recenter. It doesn’t need to be an hour or a whole weekend, even if its just a few minutes to decompress and reset. Whatever works for you, it is so important to find that before hand. And I know it gets hard, it gets very, very, hard between everything that we are going through right now, but it is still important that we take a few minutes to ourselves. Even if it is closing the door and eating a whole bag of Oreos. Whatever it is for you make sure to continue it from the bump and beyond.

Q: Well, Chandreyi I have enjoyed talking to you today. Tell everyone where they can find you.

A: Perfect! Thank you so much! This was so much fun! You can find me on Facebook my community is Mom Talk: Bump and Beyond. I would love to have you, if you are a momma-to-be or if you are a veteran mom or aspiring momma. I would love to have you and welcome you into the group with open arms.

I hope you had a lot of fun listening today and I hope that you if you are a mom-to-be maybe reach out to Chandreyi and see her services that she offers and if they would be of any help to you from the bump and beyond. I know for a fact that going through my first pregnancy, I did not have all t’s crossed and i’s dotted. So, be sure to check Chandreyi out and I will see you on the next episode.

Practical Marriage Advice for Today

by tinytikesteacher 1 Comment

Hmm, did I get your brain thinking on that title. What practical marriage advice for today? Do I need practical marriage advice for today? Haha Take a listen to the episode all about marriage. Yeah, I said it. We’re going there.

Alright, I want to preface this by saying my marriage is built on a solid foundation with mutual trust and sometimes mutual understanding. Although there are still times I wonder what in the world was he thinking. Like the time he put a pan used for pancake batter in the dishwasher without trying to rinse it out first. Ugh or how he manages to take his pants off with his underwear and socks still in them. He’s a freaking miracle I know. Lol now all these instances sound like marriage isn’t that great but I’m here to tell you that after almost 6 years of marriage, 13 years of being together total, one child, a house, three dogs, and a little farm it is okay that I have a little issue with his idiosyncrasies.

But, what I really want to talk about is this, practical marriage advice for today. Marriage is hard. And, I mean really hard. At first you get engaged and the wedding planning is such fun. Then the wedding day comes, and it is literally over in the blink of an eye. Everyone thinks that they will remember every detail and emotion from that day, but the truth is you don’t. Thank goodness for wedding photos!

After the wedding is the honeymoon and the beginning of the honeymoon phase. This is a wonderful, blissful time and your bond will never be as strong as it is in this moment. Everything is coming up daisies and you scoff at anyone who tries to tell you any different. This is also the phase where he stills remembers to put the lid down and you try to look fresh in the morning. You cook meals together, share in the cleaning and chores, and want to spend every SINGLE second with each other.

Then, comes the next phase. This is where you have been married for a while, about 3 years give or take. I wouldn’t call it a plateau it’s just that life gets super busy. Maybe in this phase you both decide it is time to have children. You might have one or two or more…your life starts looking a little like less time for the two of you and more like chasing around your little ones.

Now for a dose of good ole fashion honesty. There are rough patches at every stage, but they are each a little different. The first phase you weather storms separately. The second stage there are very little storms, but if there are you choose to weather them together or at least try to weather them together. The last stage, you have this stuff down to a science. You know that you are better, stronger, and tougher together. Like two T-rexes you work together to attack your prey (the problem) because you know there is little to noj chance of your prey getting the better of the two of you. Plus, at this stage you have more knowledge and can pull in help from various sources to help you overcome your problem if you need a little help tackling that bad boy. This isn’t anything new just some practical marriage advice for today.

As you might have noticed a trend but if you haven’t let me point it out to you. Marriage is successful when you have two people who love and care about each other. You know that. However, did you know that your marriage is successful when other people (like friends, coworkers, family members) build up and respect your marriage as well??? It’s true in order to have a successful marriage it requires two distinct pieces. First and foremost, you both must put in an equal amount of work into the relationship. It can’t be all on one person. In fact that is when the trouble sets in. When one person in the relationship does everything or feels like they do everything it can put a big strain on the relationship. The second part is having a community that rallies behind your relationship. Now I don’t want to say that relationships can’t work if they are surrounded by negative Nancy’s but it will take a lot more work for those to be successful. Not everyone will be supportive of your relationship. Especially when it comes to friends, they may be jealous which leads them to portray negative emotions towards you and your significant other. If you let that get to you, it will ultimately play a role in the dynamic of your relationship. Not every relationship will be perfect and you don’t need to ask for approval, however it will be an easier transition into the marriage if everyone gets along or at least pretends to.

Along with that let’s dive into talking about the changes that will happen once marriage is introduced. After you settle in to your new normal, there were be some changes. There are the obvious ones, like your last name changing potentially, moving into a new home, working together on household chores, and multiple methods of agreement. You might notice little things about your significant other that annoys you. Trust me it happens to everyone, hence the clothes situation I talked about earlier. In the beginning stages of our marriage, I used to get irritated and would voice my complaints to my husband. Which would then lead to a bigger argument with no one getting anywhere and us having to apologizing to each other before bedtime. I have since started a new process of helping to shape my husband into a civilized man lol. I will tell you something, that asking instead of nagging leads to more positive results. Imagine that. Lol. It also works in his favor as well. The less nagging he does and the more asking instead, helps to combat my negative feelings and lets me become aware of what I am doing and how to fix it.

But at some point in our relationship, we both felt that something needed to change in order to keep our relationship growing into the next level. Now one of my friends from work told me about this fantastic book called the Love Dare. I definitely recommend it for anyone who is getting married or is married for any amount of time. It is a book that walks you through all the areas needed in order to have a successful marriage. But, it first starts out with you and your partner taking a quiz on you in your marriage. I mean who doesn’t love a good quiz. I have to say I was disappointed in my score and Jeremiah got a much higher than me. In all honesty though, looking back I shouldn’t have been surprised. Jeremiah is definitely more of a lover than a fighter at least when it comes to our relationship. He is also my cheerleader, always letting me go after my goals while putting his aside. Now the book directs you to read a chapter a day and complete a daily challenge. I have to say that reading a chapter every morning with Jeremiah was something I looked forward too. We have since finished the book and still use the strategies when we need them. If you would like your own copy of the book the link with be in the show notes. Trust me you won’t regret it.

But for now I want to leave you with some action steps that you can use today. First is to be patient. No one is perfect and that should come as no surprise. We don’t have control over other people, but what we do have control over is how patient we are with them. So, when my husband leaves his clothes on the floor, instead of saying something about it, I should take a deep breath, count to 10, and realize that it really isn’t a big issue. By saying nothing negative, you are opening up the door for more conversation between you and your partner.

Next, is to be kind. This goes without saying but I think it is important to mention. Plan a simple act of kindness to show your significant other. It doesn’t have to cost anything or take real elaborate planning. Just something simple like a text or phone call to let your partner know that you are thinking of them and appreciate them being a part of your life.

Another actionable step would be to curb your jealousy. It is easy to get tied up in your partners successes and aspirations that you start to feel like they are forgetting about yours. A marriage is a partnership and everyone in the relationship should feel valued. When one person starts to become jealous of the other that my friend is a recipe for disaster. Instead of becoming jealous, make sure to keep an open line of communication because then they will know exactly where you stand and how you feel. Your partner is also your biggest cheerleader and can help you reach your goals too.

In closing, I want to end this episode with talking about the most important aspect of marriage which is communication. Constant and deliberate communication with your significant other lets both parties feel heard and valued. If one of you is better at communication than the other, this may be a major pain point of your marriage. I love talking about goals, dreams, aspirations, and the past with my husband during dinner time. Now, of course the dynamic has changed since we had our daughter and most of our time is spent on her. However, you still need to keep the communication line open and facilitate when you can. Maybe that means getting up at the same time to share a cup of coffee together before you both rush out the door. Maybe it means making time to call them during your lunch break just to check in and to see if they need anything. One thing is for certain, if you have good communication with your partner, everything will run smoother and you won’t have as many conflicts. Notice I didn’t say any, because as much as I like to believe, at the end of the day you are both two individuals who came together as one family but still have your own thoughts, desires, and goals. They may be way different from the single you, but you still need to feel validate by reaching those goals. Now, you just get to reach them together. Which is awesome because you will always have someone to celebrate with.

I hope you enjoyed this episode all about practical marriage advice for today, as it is a little different than my normal topics, but I figured that it was important to cover the before children aspect of life too. I am a strong believer in a marriage is successful if both parties work together to form a healthy and strong bond. Adding children to a marriage provides a stronger glue to hold everything together, but at times it can add it own stress to the situation. We will dive into that topic more at a later date. But for now, I ask that as you go through the rest of your week to be patient, kind, not jealous, and communicate with your partner.

Did you know I love reading your reviews of my podcast? Be sure to leave a review and I’ll read some of them on my next episode. Until then, go love your partner and I’ll see you back here real

Soul Searching For Moms with Payton English

by tinytikesteacher Leave a Comment

Are you feeling lost in the sea of motherhood? Are your worried that you are losing yourself and who you were? Listen in to some soul searching for moms with my special guest, Payton English!

Oh my goodness guys, do I have an episode for you today. I have a special guest and her name is Payton English. She is a mom, business owner, and a pure, spunky ball of energy. Her no nonsense attitude and strong will power can be felt far and wide. She has gone on her own soul searching for moms journey and has made it her mission to take soul searching for moms seriously. Take a listen to her journey and you can find all of Payton’s info in the show notes on the podcast.

Question: Tell us a little bit about yourself, what you do and your life as a momma?

Well, I became a mom at sixteen, so that was an interesting way to start out being a mom. I had her when I was sixteen and I actually left my school but I decided to do online school and so I stayed in school. I didn’t fall behind or anything like that because my mom had my brother when she was 17. So, we have generations of teen parents in our family. I was determined not to drop out of high school or do anything like that so I stayed in school but I just switched to online. Then, I eventually went back to my regular high school because I suffered from depression and anxiety and I’ve always had depression and anxiety but after I had her alone and I had her in the winter time. So, I was at home with her all day, every single day, trying to do school work as a teenager, and also trying to be a parent, and she had colic. So, she was a colic baby so she would just cry all day and all night and nothing ever made her happy. So, it was brutal but I finished school on time and I graduated with honors with my class and that was a goal of mine for high school. So, I did that and then I went to college, graduated college two years ago now, got a job in the field that I went to school for and ever since then I have just been doing that. But, it just wasn’t enough for me and I put aside everything in my life basically when I had her and I worked so hard to do everything just right so that’s kind of been the path that I have been on the whole time and now I’m finally figuring out my own life and the things that I love to do, the way that I want to live my life moving forward at that point on so that’s kind of where I’m at the moment. She’s 7 now and she is crazy, she also has ADHD and it is a lot. It’s a lot to hold on to. That’s just a little about me.

Question: What is the drive/purpose behind The Unveiled Life?

I started The Unveiled Life and kind of to give a backstory behind that is that when I was in high school for our senior year we had to do something called a senior project. We had to do some sort of volunteer project in the community and think of a problem that you want to solve in the community and then come up with a plan for solving it and then present that as your senior project. Obviously I ended up choosing teen pregnancy so I went with that. But, I didn’t go necessarily along the lines of don’t get pregnant and like practice safe sex and like do all these things, and birth control, and whatever normally a lot of those campaigns go by. Mine was more along the lines of my own story and encouraging teenagers to yes be safe and to not get pregnant as a teenager. Obviously that is the ideal situation but mine was more along the lines of if you do find yourself in that situation you don’t have to be a statistic, you don’t have to drop out of school, and work a job the rest of your life and that’s just going to be how it is going to be. Mine was more along the lines of empowering teenagers to take control of their lives and if they do find themselves in that situation, although it’s not ideal, what they can do to not become a statistic. So, I started a blog, I did some fundraisers, I donated to some other teen moms, just a couple different things that I did worked really well for the time being but I was in college, so I fell off the wayside of doing that because I was focused on bettering my life and my future. So, I’ve always been into blogging and been into helping people like moving them along on their own soul searching for moms journey and helping them become the best version of themselves and so after college and after finding my regular full time job, I just felt that I was super unfulfilled and I couldn’t understand why I was unhappy because I had done everything that everyone asked me to do or like said that I should do or what the world said I couldn’t do. They would say you can’t graduate high school because you’re a teen mom. I said well I’m going to graduate high school and I’m going to graduate with honors and you can just stick it. That’s basically been my attitude anytime someones tells me I can’t do something, I always say well watch me. Which has always been my attitude which is not always the best attitude in some respects, but whatever. I was always along that path, doing things that people said I couldn’t do. All of the things that people tell you you should do as you become an adult and so I did those things. I had a 40 hour a week job that I was working at and it was in the field that I went to school for and it was in the area that I wanted to work in, but I wasn’t happy. I thought that once I had that steady job I would be happy like that was the key. And once I got there and I realized I was even more unhappy than when I was working part time at McDonalds and going to school. Basically I went on the soul searching for moms journey of figuring myself out. I decided enough was enough and all the thing I was supposed to do but I was just sick out it. I basically blew up my whole life like I said screw everything and I’m going to start doing things I’ve always wanted to do that have been on my list of things I want to try or the things everybody says I’ll get to it someday. I want to do those things. I still obviously took care of my child, I still went to work, I was still with my boyfriend now fiancé, and I did those things that I had to show up for but other than that I decided I wasn’t doing anything else for anybody anymore because it was always for somebody else. Everything was always for somebody else and so I just blew everything up. I went and got my nose pierced because I wanted to get my nose pierced for the longest time. So, I literally ditched work on day and went to get my nose pierced. So, I texted Tyler and said I was on my way home. He said why whats wrong because I never NEVER leave work like I am that person and I said I’m gonna get my nose pierced. And he said okay sounds good I guess. We walked up to the tattoo shop up the road and I got my nose pierced and that was the beginning of everything. So, then we started doing all kinds of other stuff. We went camping for the first time, I had never gone camping as an adults before. We went and bought a Jeep Wrangler even though we absolutely probably couldn’t afford it and we just went and did it anyway. I wanted to vomit but it was mine and I’ve always wanted one. So, I just went on this soul searching for moms journey. Then, after I started doing these things, I realized that so many other women are in the same position especially moms. Because everything is for everyone else, we do everything for everybody else, and we sacrifice what we want to do because it is always how is your kid doing, how is your relationship, how is this, whatever. It is never about how are you like how are you doing and not like the I’m doing good everything’s fine. No, like how are you actually doing and so I saw so many women doing all the same things I was doing and I just wasn’t happy. So, I wanted to create this space to encourage women and to help them move along and encourage them to do the things that they really want to do and to live a happier more fulfilling life and more joy. I feel like we don’t have to sacrifice our happiness and I think we can do everything. That sounds overwhelming but I feel like we can do everything and we can have little bits of everything that we want. I just want to create this space for them to go to and help them through this process of soul searching because I went through it alone. I went through all this stuff without anybody else and it was lonely and I didn’t understand what was happening and I didn’t know if I was being selfish or doing the wrong thing. So, I wanted to be able to create this support for them and have space for them to go to for their own soul searching.

Question: You talked about ways to help ground yourself. How would you recognize whether you need that or not?

I come up with three different things on recognizing if you’re not connected with yourself and if you need to reground yourself. Those three different ways are feeling unsettled, feeling unfulfilled, and being fed up with your life. With the unsettlement in yourself, it is more physical. So you just have this tightness in your chest or a weight on your chest and you don’t know what it is. Being unfulfilled is a deeper aspect of that where you feel the tightness and you feel like you don’t have a purpose. Roaming around life aimlessly. You’re doing everything that people say your are supposed to do or what will make you happy, but you still feel empty and lost. Like something is missing in your life. You don’t know where to go. The being fed up with your life is like the final straw. It’s when the other two things happen and then you get to the point where you’re done. You’re at the end of your rope. Everything irritates you and you feel guilty about it. It’s stuff that you might not be mad about if your needs were being met. If you’re feeling any of those three things or all of them, you’re really far down the rabbit hole then that is the sign that you need to reground and recenter.

Question: What do you feel is the most important aspect of parenting?

Obviously, taking care of yourself is definitely the most important thing and it is counterintuitive to what most of society says. I feel that it is so important because everything starts with you. You take care of your kids, you take care of your household, you take care of your relationship/partner, you take care of the animals, you take care of your job, everything comes from you. I hate to be clique but you can’t pour from an empty cup. I know everyone says that but it is true and I just can’t reiterate it enough that you can’t take care of other people if you don’t take care of yourself and I think it’s really hard to grasp that especially as mothers because everything is about everybody else so then you feel guilty when you take care of yourself. It is so important for the fact that we are raising our children and we are teaching them how to live their lives. We wouldn’t want them to live like this so we need to show them the way.

Question: I kind of what to circle back to The Unveiled Life. Is there a process that they sign up for or is there steps that they work through or is just like you meeting them where they are?

It is a combination of those. I am running a masterclass right now that is me digging into the deep stuff and walking them through the same thing that I went through. It is for the moms and women who went through everything and peeling back the levels so they can live a life they love and are excited about. I want to give them the tools they need to uncover that and go through the process and then set them up so that they can live the life that they really want. That is the big thing that I have going on. My content is more about meeting them where they are and kind of giving them advice. But if they were to work one on one with me it would be all about meeting them where they are at. For my group programs I usually stick to a certain area and help them through that. It is really a combination of both to how I work with them along with what is coming up in the world.

If you or someone you know would love to hear more about soul searching for moms or just soul searching in general, I encourage you to look up Payton and see what she has to offer. I really enjoyed learning more about soul searching for moms as I feel that it is a topic I care strongly about. My mission is to help moms and all parents feel a sense of peace and confidence about their parenting skills and to let everyone know that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and we can choose to learn from them and continue to help our children grow.

How To Give Yourself Some Grace

by tinytikesteacher 2 Comments

Hey there, friends and welcome to another glorious episode of this parenthood journey. I am so blessed that you decided to tune in today and I feel that today is an episode that will resonate with everyone, moms, dads, grandparents, caregivers, teachers. Anyone who has a hand in helping children. Everyone needs a little help in how to give yourself some grace. So, get a pen or pencil and a piece of paper and join me inside this episode.

It’s no secret that we all need to allow ourselves some room for error in our daily lives. There is so much that can happen in a day especially during this season of life, that can cause us to become withdrawn, anxious, and concerned. This is the perfect time to allow yourself and those around you some grace. But, for this episode we are just going to focus on you: your connections with others, your feelings, and how to allow yourself some time for self reflection.

First things first, let’s start with how to recognize with the way the world is today that you need some grace. I don’t want to give a lot of attention to it but with all the news and social media outlets blasting the virus it has been quite overwhelming. I remember for myself when the virus first started to shut down schools and businesses, the president was making multiple announcements and the governor was making multiple live streams a day. They were all blasting us with multiple ways to protect ourselves, the next business or places that would be closing, how many new people were infected, and no one could give us a definite answer as to when this would all be over. As I said on my couch watching the news, I could feel my chest tightening. In fact, I can feel it now as I start to think about everything that is going on. Now, I’m not saying to disregard the information, you and only you can decide what you want to listen to and if you feel the need to listen or watch. But, for me I knew that I could not sit and watch any more press conferences or live streams because I just could not function with all the information that was being blasted at me. So, I decided to give myself some grace and make space between myself and the media. I have not watched the news in I don’t know how long and I have avoided watching the live streams daily when I get the notification. Now, I don’t want to sound like I am avoiding it completely because I am not, but I am more concerned about what I can control. Who comes around my home and family, where I go, who I come in contact with, and the measures I am using to disinfect and clean my home once I return. By giving myself grace in this instance, I feel like I have given myself a part of my inner spirit back. Before I could feel myself feeling like I was trapped inside my house sort of like a prisoner. Once I made the switch I no longer look at it that way. I look at it as extra time I get to spend with my little girl, hubby, and fur babies.

Now, that the elephant in the room has been discussed. Let’s talk about the importance of giving yourself grace. My friends, I love each and every one of you and I want you to know that I truly care about you. Your well being and overall spiritual health means the world to me. That’s why I am so passionate about providing you with useful and actionable ways to increase how much grace you give yourself. By giving yourself grace you are freeing up space in your mind and heart for other things. You don’t need to worry yourself with what other people are doing or not doing. You need to do what is right for you. If that means deleting your news app on your phone, DO IT! For someone else if it means that you need to turn off social media for awhile, then go ahead and do that. You know the best way to give yourself some grace in the way that you need. I want you to jot down what stress you out most about life. Is it work stress, home stress, financial stress, whatever it may be and then beside it write what you can do to provide you some space where you don’t think about it. For me the best way is to write down everything I’m grateful for in my life. Then that way once I start to feel that stressed out, chest tightening feeling I pull out my list and read about all the things. It may sound simple but it is something that truly puts everything else into perspective. If you would like your own gratitude list, you can head down to the show notes and click on the gratitude list link. This list will help you get started on this journey and hopefully make even this unknown time a little better.

How exactly do you give yourself grace. First things first, write down all the things that cause you stress. You may want to skip over this step, but I encourage you not to. Recognizing what causes you to feel inadequate will help you in the long run. For me, my list includes the ever popular mom guilt of not doing right or measuring up, not spending quality time with my husband, and the teacher guilt of never giving my all to my students. Then you need to fill in your blessings for each one. So for my mom guilt, my blessing would be that my daughter is happy and healthy and has everything she needs, for the wife guilt I have our meaningful conversations, and for the teacher guilt I have my students are happy and know that they can be themselves and I accept them for who they are. The last step is you need to think of what you can do when gratitude is not enough. When the list of reminders is not helping, I look at my list of extra strength guilt crushers. Now under this category should be things that you do for yourself that make you feel better. On my list is exercise, baking, reading, listening to music, watching movies with my family, reading a book to Aria. Activities that make me feel like the world is in a better place and makes me feel a sense of calm and balance.

Now that you have your three lists, this becomes your strategy plan. I want you to print out the list, fill it out, and hang it up somewhere you will always see it. For me I have two copies, one in my office because that is where I am when I am working on school work or my business, and one on my refrigerator because let’s face it, when I’m not in my office my other place of solitude is the kitchen. This strategy plan because your one step guide to giving yourself grace. If you ever start to feel one of those sneaky little lies (for lack of a better word) in column one creeping up on you, crush it in it’s tracks with a method from column two. If that doesn’t work and you need something stronger, move to column three. I guarantee you that anything from your column three list will get rid of your pesky little problem from column one.

Friend, above all, I want you to know that you are a beautiful and capable soul. You can conquer anything that is thrown at you and I believe that better days lie ahead. If I am being totally transparent with you, I will say that mom guilt is definitely my number one biggest struggle and I really think social media plays a big part in that. I feel like most of you who are listening that what I do during the day is never enough or adequate enough for Aria. However, I know better than to compare my parenting skills to anyone else’s. I am also ready to listen and help however it is needed, so if you would like to connect with me you can find me on instagram @tinytikesteacher formally @littlecountryteacher or on the Tiny Tikes Teacher Facebook page.

To close out this episode, I just want to let you all know how deeply cherished you all are. I really want you to take these easy steps on how to give yourself some grace. I look forward to coming back for more episodes and I promise that one will definitely be about mom guilt because that is a monster in it’s own. I would love for you to leave me some feedback. You can leave a review on this episode and I will read some at the beginning of my next episode. Love you all and remember we are all in this journey together so let’s be kind to everyone. Bye for now!

10 Things That Stink About Being A Parent

by tinytikesteacher Leave a Comment

Whoa nelly, stop right here and listen Linda! Before you pass judgement too quickly, this podcast episode is not a rant or complaining. It is intended to be purely funny and give soon to be parents a behind the scenes glimpse of what is really in store for you. So, with that I give you a list of 10 things that stink about being a parent.

Alright, so in today’s day in age, I feel that we all need a little humor and what better way to provide that then through discussing things that stink about being a parent. Yes, parenthood is blissful, wonderful, challenging, and all around a big blessing. However, there are times when it is less than wonderful and we get to talk about those today.

Number 1: The Big Blowout

I know you’re thinking it can’t be that bad. Haha. I pray that you never get one like I did with my daughter before dropping her off at daycare. I was sitting in the lot because I liked to get to the center early and all of a sudden I smell something. Aria was asleep in her car seat, so I got out to check on her. I didn’t see any visible you know what so I gently unbuckled her car seat and lifted her out. Whoa baby! Not only was it a blowout, but it was the blowout of the century. Not only did her clothes need to be changed but it was all over the back of her car seat cover. I quickly got her cleaned up. Note to new parents, keep some plastic groceries bags in your car for such emergencies. I then held her for the rest of the time until the daycare opened. Once I got to my school I took the cover off of the car seat and washed it out. I pray this never happens to you but I would be lying if I said that this was the one and only time that Aria had a massive blowout. She has graced us with a blowout at Target, right before her doctor’s appointment (that was fun), and at a funeral. Haha these things are bound to happen and once you have your first experience you tend to be better prepared for others.

Number 2: Your makeup will become free range

“Who’s lipstick is that? And why would you put it on your eyelids?” Your makeup will never be the same and god bless you if you use waterproof anything. That stuff really is waterproof and will make you feel like you are going to rub your babies skin off. I always kept my makeup on the sink countertop. That was until recently. I was in the kitchen making dinner and I thought Aria was in the living room playing. Ha that was a good joke. I peaked into the living and she was no where to be found. I found her in my bathroom, my makeup all across the floor, and her with all kinds of makeup on her face. Lipstick around her eye lids, bronzer all over her forehead, concealer around her lips. The list goes on and on, you get the picture. It was like one of those videos from AFV, but it was also my nightmare. Trying to get it off of her gentle toddler face. Needless to say, I learned a very important lesson that day about not leaving things out where she could use her step stool to get to them.

Number 3: Baby farts will make everyone think it is you

I guess I should have put this one after number one because they go hand and hand. Honestly, Aria always had the worst timing for some of her most deadliest farts. I remember one specifically when we were at a restaurant, Olive Garden to be precise. Picture this, we had just gotten our food and of course people are packed in around us because it is the busiest time of day. That’s when Aria let’s one rip that could make a bodybuilder embarrassed. Then everyone starts looking at us like on of us did it because nothing that raunchy could ever come out of a sweet little baby. She has let an SPDer go in Walmart, when we had handed her over to friends and family members, and at birthday parties.

Number 4: Washable Markers are not washable

I learned this the hard way. I thought I was being mother of the year and bought Aria her first set of markers. They were a name brand and said washable in really big letters on the front. I loaded the table up with all different colors of paper, handed Aria the markers, and we set to work creating. Little did I know that Aria would think markers make the perfect nail polish, and tattoo ink. I kid you not one second we were drawing on the paper and having a great time. The next second I was looking at my kid who looked like she had lost a battle dying eyes. So, we went to the sink to wash up. Haha little did I know that it wouldn’t be that easy. I must have scrubbed my own hands forever and still had some little dots on my hands. Poor Aria would go to daycare the next day looking like she was turning in the Hulk because as try as I might that marker was not going anywhere.

Number 5: Some kids shows these days make me think why didn’t I think of that

Oi! There is this one show that Aria loves watching that is torture for Jeremiah and me. It is so painful to watch. Just thinking about it makes brain hurt. Jeremiah and I just watch it in pure and utter amazement that this show has been on tv for as long as it has. There is really no plot to the show and the opening song is painful. But, Aria likes so we will tolerate it until she finds another interest. Another one of her favorite shows has a British accent. I enjoy that one because sometimes the British accent sneaks up on Jeremiah and he ends up talking like that for a while.

Number 6: You think you have fashion sense, but not according to a toddler

I obviously have no fashion sense when it comes to dressing Aria. Every outfit I pick out is met with a No! So you let your toddler pick and they end up dressing themselves in a bath suit, sweatpants, a sweater, and rain boots. No lie that is what she dressed herself in yesterday to go and get the mail. I believe I lost this battle when she was 15 months old. She would push away every outfit I would pick out until I gave her a choice. I also believe that I have shirts and pants in her closet that haven’t been worn yet because every time I suggest them she turns her nose up. Oh the joys of having a girl. I wonder if boys are as bad. If you have a son let me know.

Number 7: Adult shows? What are those?

So one of my best friends got me hooked on Netflix mostly because I wanted to watch some trashy adult tv and see what all the hype was about. Haha my first mistake was actually thinking I get to watch tv unless I stay up late after she goes to bed. I think I started one episode of The Ranch and I maybe got to watch 10 minutes if that of it. That was before Aria, who was in her room playing with her kitchen, came running out at top speed saying my shows momma, my shows please. Well, I wasn’t about to argue with her because she did say please after all. So I asked her what she wanted to watch and we ended up watching two Tinkerbell movies. Now, you might ask did you ever get back to watching your shows. Ha that’s a big NOPE. After two movies, she then found something else on Netflix that caught her attention and has been watching those non stop. I will eventually get to watch my shows again, sometime, maybe.

Number 8: No more snacks for yourself

Ah remember the good ole days when you could go to the kitchen, grab a bag of chips and a drink, and come back to the couch to enjoy your snacks without having to share with anyone. Yeah, those days are gone. Haha. It is sharing 24/7 at my house. And you might just lose a hand if you have corn curls, bbq chips, or peanut m&ms to snack on. This girl loves those and I’m not talking about me. Haha. On a different note, if you don’t have any snacks but are sitting on the coach beside her, she will eventually end up sprawled across your lap, standing behind you, twirling and twisting your hair while you pray she doesn’t get it in one big knot because the virus has every hair salon shut down and you have video conference calls and do not want to look like a wreck. Haha Or bouncing up and down on top of you while you are trying to enjoy watching whatever latest show she has picked but is not interested in anymore. However, don’t you dare change it because she will then become engrossed in it.

Number 9: Watching the same movie on repeat with be your new hobby

This goes hand in hand with number 8. I have lost track of how many times I have watched Frozen 2, Moana, Tinkerbell, and Boss Baby. Those movies plus others are on constant repeat so much that Jeremiah and I know all the words and songs by heart. If you knew my husband you would know that he doesn’t look like the type to belt it out especially to Disney songs, but he does. I have tried to get proof but have failed every time. Aria also has her own music station through Amazon that she can listen to whenever she wants to dance, which is you guessed it, all the time. That station is also filled with every Disney song from the movies I mentioned and more. So we are one big Disney dance party here, stop on over if you want to join but hide your snacks well. Haha.

Number 10: Chasing a half naked baby around will be your exercise

Yeah, let that sink in. Little did I know that I would say the word naked on my podcast but it is true. I don’t know how many times Jeremiah or I have taken Aria in to change her and she has run away from us throughout the house. I would be lying to say it’s not funny because it is hilarious. To be chasing a little mini version of yourself, running around, laughing mischievously as you try to wrangle her down to get a pair of underwear on. If I ever felt more like the Crocodile Hunter it would be in those instances.

I hope this episode put a smilie on your face because I know I had a huge smile on my face the whole time I was recording. Most importantly, I want to say that although it sounds terrible, being a mother is one of my greatest blessing. I love every moment and every stage. I have loved helping my child grow and develop. If that is something that you would like to do to please click here and sign up for my free ebook on how to help your child develop.

Guys, I have had so much fun on this episode and I hope you have too. 10 Things That Stink About Being A Parent is sure going to be one that you are going to want to share with your besties. Be sure to leave me a review and I will read some of your reviews on the next episode. If you would like to join my Facebook page you can click here. As always, love on those babies and I will see you back here soon!