Mom Talk

7 Things I Learned from the Book: 52 Things Kids Need From a Mom

December 17, 2019 by Sandra 4 Comments

Motherhood is hard work.

But it can also be a beautiful journey — even when there’s pain involved.

In my own journey as a mom, I’ve experienced many, many joy-filled moments. It’s truly a blessing to have five children. There’s laughter and comedy going on in our home all the time.

But…there’s also a lot of pain that’s been written into my personal story as a mother. The most terrifying night of my life happened this past year as I held my then 4-year-old son in the pediatric intensive care unit.

I thought he was dying right in front of me. As the tears filled my eyes, I thought he was dying even as I held him up in my arms struggling to help him in any way that I could while the nurses and doctor did their job to save his life.

By God’s grace, David survived and ultimately underwent a bone marrow transplant. He’s doing well now, but there are bumps along the way. And these little “bumps” that at times steal my joy because of their ability to turn into “mountains” are hard to live with.

But I’m not in control.

God is steering this ship.

I was reminded of that and so many other wonderful things about motherhood and what our kids need from us as moms as I read through the book by Angela Thomas, 52 Things Kids Need from a Mom.

After I finished reading this particular book, I thought it would be a good idea if I shared a post about the tips and ideas that I walked away with and started putting into practice in my own life.

Here’s My Top 7 List:

1. The little things matter. Turning down beds at night. Talking to your kids like they are fascinating. Getting to know their friends and treating their friends like family. Touching your children. It all makes a difference. Seemingly tiny acts of love can speak volumes to those on the receiving end of it. The little things matter.

2. A private family blog is a great idea. Why did I not think of this sooner? Instead of hoping your kids will remember important facts, special events, and even fun stories about your family, why not document it for them in a private a family blog?

Birthdays, where you were born, your family tree, and that vast wealth of knowledge you’ve gained over the years…why not put it all into a blog? A blog that is NOT public. A blog that is only for your family’s eyes to see. When I read about this concept in Angela’s book, I thought: this is genius!

3. You set the tone in your home. It’s true. Our children do not set the tone and frankly, they should not be allowed to set the tone in our homes. They’re kids. They should be following our good example. Yes, as moms and human beings (and sinners!), we will fail at this sometimes, but ultimately, setting the atmosphere in our homes is our responsibility.

4. Share your family’s “highs” and “lows” around the dinner table. This idea wasn’t one of the “52 things” but it’s something that Angela’s family does that really stuck out to me.

Basically, you go around the dinner table, and have each member of your family share one high point and one low point about their day. Our family has started doing this, and we now look forward to hearing each person’s response. You may even be surprised by what you hear.

5. Just keep praying even when you there’s no such thing as “quiet time” in your home. When I only had two kids, it seemed like having quiet time with the Lord was relatively easy. I could read seven chapters a day in my Bible. I had a PRAYER CLOSET that I would visit often. I had it together. 😉

Then I had my third child…and the wheels fell off.

Truthfully, since then, I haven’t been able to get back to the place that I was at with my quiet time as when I only had two children. And that’s perfectly okay. Angela reminded me of this and encouraged us moms to just keep praying around our kids. Praying in the same noisy room that they’re in (just because they want to be with us) is sufficient.

6. It’s okay to do something extra-special for your kids every once in awhile. Plan an over-the-top birthday party for the birthday child, even if it’s just your immediate family that’ll be celebrating with them. Make a homemade Valentine’s Day card. Go on a special outing. The possibilities are endless, but remember, this is only an every-once-in-awhile event.

7. Make much of God, and your kids will notice. In Angela’s words, “Our kids need moms who will teach them that no matter what and no matter where, God is a really big deal.” My greatest joy in life would be to see all of my children come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and that they’d each walk with Him.

So that’s it. Those are 7 things I took away from reading the book 52 Things Kids Need from a Mom — a book that was given to me by my mom. 😉

I’d love to hear anything you’d like to share from your motherhood journey!

This blog post was originally published in 2014.

Free Breakfast at Chick-fil-A (Blessed Seven – Vlog #1)

March 26, 2015 by Sandra 6 Comments

I overcame my fear of vlogging today. Although, I do think you can hear a little uncertainty in my voice. 😉

But even so, I made it through one video and found out that it was easier than I thought it would be. I do use the word “um” quite a lot, though. And I didn’t realize that until I started watching the videos. I’m going to work on not using that word so much in the next video.

There’s that, and when I was watching the videos at home, I realized that Elisabeth’s car seat strap wasn’t totally right. She likes to adjust her own straps so that she’s comfortable, but sometimes she overdoes it.

Here’s the video:

By the way, we’ve decided to name these video blogs our “Blessed Seven” vlogs. We chose this name because there are seven of us, and we’re very blessed. 🙂

We thought about naming it “Our Happy Seven” but felt that “Blessed Seven” was more true to life.

Child Hunger Ends Here: How to Easily Make a Big Difference in a Child’s Life

July 19, 2014 by Sandra 2 Comments

This is a sponsored collaboration with The Motherhood and Child Hunger Ends Here
to bring awareness to child hunger in our country.

What if…something you did that seemed small could make a big difference in a child’s life?

What if…you could help in the fight against child hunger by simply bringing home items you regularly buy from the grocery store?

What if…feeding your popcorn addiction meant one meal for someone else?

Okay, maybe that last one was only meant for me. 😉

But seriously, it is that simple.

The Child Hunger Ends Here Program

The Child Hunger Ends Here program makes it easy to provide one meal for a child who needs it.

Here’s how:

Simply look for ConAgra products that have the red pushpin pin somewhere on the package (front or back), and then enter the code either on the Child Hunger Ends Here website or in the widget in my blog’s sidebar.

For every 8-digit code entered now through August 2014, ConAgra Foods will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to Feeding America.

DID YOU KNOW? More than 1 in 5 children in the U.S., including more than 1 in 4 Latino children, may not know where their next meal is coming from. That’s nearly 16 million children, a number that could fill 8,000 playgrounds!

A Quick 1 to 2 Minute Survey

Would you be willing to take a quick 1 to 2 minute survey to help gauge awareness about child hunger? If so, head on over here to share your thoughts.

And Finally, a Fun Facebook Promotion

Child Hunger Ends Here is giving people an opportunity to ask Hunter Hayes a question — and he may answer it personally!

Just enter a code on the Child Hunger Ends Here website for the chance to “Ask Hunter” a question. Each month through August 2014, Hunter will personally answer one question (using the winner’s name) and post the video on the Child Hunger Ends Here Facebook page.

Ideas for Your Question: In July, be thinking about what you want to hear from Hunter about being a role model. Perhaps you want to know the best thing about being a role model? Or the hardest thing? Or maybe how Hunter hopes to leave a mark on the world?

*You must be 14yrs. or older to take part in the promotion, and there’s one prize/question allowed per person.

Did you know about the Child Hunger Ends Here program?
P.S. Entering codes may be a great way to start a conversation with your older kids and get them engaged and interested in helping fight child hunger!

5 Tips for Potty Training Success (and How I’m Potty Training Baby Number 5)

May 9, 2014 by Sandra 4 Comments

This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Pull-Ups® Training Pants and Latina Bloggers Connect.

Potty training a toddler is no walk in the park.

I believe this is why we moms get to celebrate a holiday known as “Mother’s Day.”

Am I right? 😉

Seriously, though, I should know. I have five kids. And we’re currently working on potty training baby number five, my beautiful and feisty 2-year-old daughter, Elisabeth.

But you know, I think that with the right tips, tools, and mindset, potty training your toddler CAN be a great bonding experience.

It can even be fun to “Say Adios to Diapers!” together.

We’re Using Pull-Ups Training Pants

Because our kids are all different, we have tried varying methods and techniques when it came to potty training each of them. For Elisabeth, we purchased a new potty seat for the commode in addition to Pull-Ups Training Pants.

So far, Elisabeth wants little to do with her new seat, but she adores her Pull-Ups!

She’s decided that she’s done with diapers, but she still needs a little motivation for actually making it to the bathroom to use the potty.

DID YOU KNOW? Pull-Ups Training Pants are proven to deliver more potty training success than diapers. And Pull-Ups have stretchy sides that allow your child to learn the skill of pulling down and up.

5 Tips for Potty Training Success

Even though Elisabeth says she wants to use the potty, and then always says, “Laaaater” whenever I talk to her about actually going, I’m not concerned. I’ve been down this road before with my other kids, and I know that she WILL get the hang of this potty thing.

Since this isn’t a new experience for me, and I’ve learned some things along the way, I thought I’d share my top 5 potty training tips with you.

Here We Go!

Tip #1: Be willing to follow your child’s lead. If your son or daughter seems ready to begin potty training, go for it! Grab the Pull-Ups and get started!

Tip #2: Be careful to involve your child. Take them to the store and pick out a new potty seat or search for one together online. Talk to them about the fun characters and designs that are on the front and back of Pull-Ups Training Pants. Elisabeth loves picking out which design she’s going to wear next.

Tip #3: Be patient…boys generally take longer to potty train than girls. From personal experience and from what’s been shared with me by other moms, I think it’s true that boys take longer to potty train than girls. Your son may also not be ready to start potty training as early as your daughter was.

Tip #4: Be motivating and celebrate your child’s success! Do a happy dance or have a mini-party when there’s potty training success. 🙂

Tip #5: Be prepared to give lots and lots of grace. Just as with anything else, when little ones are learning a new skill, we need to be ready to show grace when mistakes are made. There will be accidents, but how we react to those accidents is what matters most.

Our Final Potty Training Journey has Only Begun

We still have a long way to go before Elisabeth is completely potty trained. But you know what? I’m not in a rush. Maybe it’s because we’ve been down this road before or maybe it’s because she’s our last baby.

However long it takes is fine with me.

Do you have any potty training tips to share? I’d love to hear them! 🙂