“Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls.
But every day I’m growing –
I’ll be grown some day
And all those tiny handprints
Will surely fade away.
So here’s a little handprint
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small.”
May we always remember this. May we learn patience. May we grow as a mother but also as a woman so that children are not guilty when they become adults.
Meeting the first child’s needs when caring for a newborn is very challenging. I sometimes felt torn between the needs of my two children, even guilty towards my daughter because the new baby took most of my time. While I sometimes felt on the verge of collapsing, I was happy that nobody was breathing on my neck/telling me what to do. My days were a big roller-coaster of emotions, but I wouldn’t have traded my life for anyone else’s. At last I could feel useful by doing the most important job in the world: raising children, helping them turning into caring, autonomous and responsible human beings. Love to you all and a big hug to fellow hard-working mothers.
If you travel to Djerba in Tunisia, I highly recommend a visit to DjerbaExplore, the crocodile park. The children loved it.
I spent an amazing stay at the Meninx Hotel in Djerba, Tunisia, thanks to the excellent staff. The place is paradise, a warm, peaceful and beautiful hotel. The children loved it. Thank you so much.
I am doing my best to raise happy and healthy kids. I want to be a good mother. However, I refuse to sacrifice myself for them because I want to avoid resentment on my part and guilt on their part. However, finding the right balance is so difficult. During the holiday, I had the opportunity to dance in the hotel bar in the evening. It transformed me, because I have not danced in more than ten years while dancing has been my main passion since I am a little girl. When both of my children whined and forced me to go back to the hotel room while I was dancing, it pained me. My friend, my sister, did you find a way to find such a balance?
I want my children to avoid the poverty mindset. I want them to live in abundance. I do my best to make them understand that I cannot and do not want to buy everything they fancy. I explain to them that as a single mother, I belong to the most economically fragile people. I want them to realize how lucky they are, to have a roof over their head and something to eat every day. Traveling is very helpful to show them that some children are less fortunate than them, while others are much wealthier.
I want to place the gratitude mindset at the heart of their education. I teach them that being grateful for what we have today brings even more of what we currently have. Complaining and comparing ourselves to others does not bring any good.
On a practical level, if we are in a store when I cannot buy the thing they want, I tell them that I refuse “to protect our wealth”, not because I cannot afford it. It is only a change of vocabulary. However, I am convinced that using positive terms is very helpful.
Moreover, I want them to have a good education about financial matters. Money is not a taboo subject. Having money and being financially savvy are ways to become financially independent, and to help even more people around us. I show them the excel spreadsheet I use whenever I spend or I get money. I give ten euros to my daughter since her tenth birthday. The aim is for her to learn how to manage a budget. The goal of being a financially independent person is very important for me because it was not my case for a long time. When I was trapped into an abusive relationship, I wanted desperately to leave. However, I thought I would end up in the streets, unable to meet the needs of my baby daughter by myself. Therefore, I remained in an abusive relationship which damaged me a lot. Nevertheless, being homeless in the street with my baby was just a thought. I chose to believe such thought. Such a thought led me to despair and a lot of pain. Today, I learned my lesson. I do not believe my thoughts when they relate to lack. I focus on abundance. I focus on working as best as possible to be able to live from what I create.
There is one children book which touched my heart deeply. It is entitled “Welcome With Love” and I read it so many times when the children were smaller. The drawings are stunning. I love how the story is so authentic regarding giving birth at home. Thus, the mother goes outside for a stroll when labor begins. Then, when contractions intensify, she leans on her husband. The aunt is present in the house and reassures the big brother. She tells him than mummy is making loud noises because the baby is coming soon. She has brought nice soup for the whole family. There is a drawing of a baby boy coming out of the mother back body while she is almost standing. The father gathers wood outside, then makes a big nice fire in the living room. Eventually, they all sleep together on mattresses gathered in the main room to celebrate the new baby.
