Steady Mom

What's Wrong with This Equation? (Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge)

This post was originally published on January 1, 2009.

How long does it take to put on four coats, four hats, three snowsuits, eight gloves, eight boots, four scarves, and eight socks?

a. 23 minutes. (Yes, I timed it.)

How long do children happily play in the snow before complaining they are cold and ready to come inside?

b. 14 minutes.

How long does it take to clean up four coats, four hats, three snowsuits, eight gloves, eight boots, four scarves, and eight socks?

c. 12 minutes.

a+c = 35 minutes; b=14 minutes; a+c > b

And the whole experience = one tired, frustrated Mama.

Can anyone out there relate?!

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Thanks for participating in the Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge, held here each Tuesday. Please join us! You can read more about it here.

In the spirit of the challenge, take a little time to visit the links of fellow bloggers - but not too much time! Say it with me - "Only 30 Minutes!"

Do you have a 30-minute post you'd like to share? Link up below! Make sure your post links back to this post on Steady Mom, and that your link on MckLinky goes directly to your 30-minute post - no general home pages, please! Otherwise your link will be deleted, and I'll be sad.

Please note that the links will close at 11pm EST on Tuesday, in order to avoid any spammers.

Introducing Simple Homeschool

For the past few months, I've been working on a little project behind the scenes--and today is the day I finally get to spill the beans and let you all in on the action!

Let me backtrack for a minute. Over the past year I've occasionally received emails from readers who know I'm a homeschooling mama, asking if I could write about it on this blog.

I love homeschooling and what it has meant for our family, but that topic just hasn't felt right for this space. Steady Mom is about motherhood, and certainly about learning together.

But you can (hear me on this!) absolutely be an intentional, professional mama who does NOT homeschool. And so for that reason I haven't written much about home education up until now.

But all that changes as of today! Now you can find me writing about all things education at an amazing new blog--SimpleHomeschool.net.

I am thrilled, over the moon, and ecstatic to be the editor there and I will be writing posts regularly--along with a team of seven amazing contributors who you can check out here.

Whether you're just considering home education or you're a veteran, you'll find inspiring and practical articles to help give your kids an amazing education.

You can subscribe to the site, so you'll always know when a new helpful post has been published.

And that's not all! (I feel like a game show host!)

Simple Homeschool is just one of FIVE blogs networked together under the umbrella of Simple Living Media. Spearheading our efforts? The amazing Tsh Oxenreider of the popular blog Simple Mom.

  

Many of you are also familiar with the second lovely blog in the network-- Simple Kids.

And today Simple Homeschool, Simple Bites, and Simple Organic all get to join in the fun--each blog has a unique and valuable perspective on simple living to offer. I hope you'll add them all to your feedreaders!

Today is our official network launch date, so please check out the very first post (that I spent a LONG time writing--you know how debut posts go!). 

I'll meet you over there!

Inspiration for Your Weekend

Photo by Martin Male

Fundraising Update: We've raised over $500 this week to help free children from sexual slavery and exploitation. Thanks to all who have given.

Let's keep going to reach our goal of $1,662! Even a few dollars make a real difference.

Donate here.

And on to our links:

- Little Teachers @ The Blankie Chronicles

- Focus @ Chicken Counting

- Se7en Practical Ways to Say Yes @ Se7en

- Where is the Chocolate? @ Katherine Marie Photography

- Steady Days :: Interview @ exhale. return to center. (Yes, this is my first audio interview! I hope you'll head over and have a listen as Erin and I chat about life and learning to care for our little people. And no, that's not really the way my voice sounds! =)

I also wanted to shout out a big thank you to all those who have reviewed Steady Days on your blogs:

- Mandi @ Organizing Your Way

- Caroline @ Caroline by Line

- Sherri @ Zen Family Habits and Serene Journey

- Kristen @ We Are THAT Family

- Tsh @ Simple Mom

- Rachel @ Small Notebook

- Megan @ SortaCrunchy and Simple Kids

- Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home

- Renee @ FIMBY

- Beth @ Smart Family Tips

- Desirea @ Pennybird

Thank you all for sharing such kind words about Steady Days with your readers. Have a great weekend, everyone, and come back Monday for a special announcement!

Making Time for One-on-One Time

The following post is written by Steady Mom's monthly contributor, Hillary.

Creating space for one-on-one time with each of my children is something I value as an important part of building a solid parent-child relationship.

Even so, I find that if I don't carve out specific times and make it a priority, the days slip into weeks and the weeks turn into months before I have a special date with each of my children. 

With my third child coming early this summer, I'm making it a point to have regular one-on-one time worked into our family's routine.

So far I've had success finding special events that are focused towards my eldest child's interests and also including him in regular weekly errands with a special twist. 

My two-year-old's exuberant personality does not make a good match for a productive trip to the grocery store, but I've noticed my five-year-old absolutely loves it if we go alone. 

We take time to discuss foods we enjoy and I ask him to help punch in the numbers on the digital scale in produce.  Afterwards we stop for a little treat at the cafe.  Sitting there with him discussing all sorts of things as he kicks he feet and tells me jokes--it's a little slice of heaven.

I'm just beginning to make a conscious effort to take special time out for my two-year-old as well. 

He enjoys a leisurely walk around the block taking time to explore little details or even something as simple as stopping on a ride home to check out some train tracks.   

Watching how much they soak up the individual attention allows me to stay in the present moment, which also helps me to stay in tune with their individual energies. 

I've noticed that the more tuned in I am to them individually, the easier it is for me to help us flow as a group--especially on a particularly hectic or crazy day.

I've also learned that my mindset is more important than what we do. 

Looking at an errand like a chore begets some drudgery and is usually not much fun. 

Looking at the same errand as an opportunity to spend time together uninterrupted leaves me more spontaneous, tuned in and willing to giggle a lot more than usual.  It usually brings out their best self too.

On the other side of the coin, putting too much pressure on a big event can backfire.  As always, finding that balance seems to be the key.  

I'm hoping that investing time and energy into our individual relationships will help make the transition into a family of five enjoyable and empowering for everyone.

**How does one-on-one time work in your family? I'm looking for ideas and inspiration!**

Hillary is a thoughtful mother, loving wife, and a conscientious cook and consumer. She credits her two boys (& a baby on the way!) to her ever expansive knowledge base and blogs about mindful family living at infinitelearners.com.

Love Protects

Love Defends

Love Restores

Love Empowers

Love146

So far this month, after Monday's post, we've raised a total of $452 to help children freed from sexual slavery.

But we still have a ways to go to get to our goal of $1,662.

Can you give $1 to help children in need?

Click here to donate (& here if you missed Monday's post).

Thank you!

Play to Your Strengths

Photo by Alison Bull Pavlos

Have you noticed that it's easy to get a little insecure as mothers?

To look around at other bloggers, writers, crafters, cooks, or women in general and think that they have it all together? To think, "If only I could do this like her?"

Let's stop it today, ladies.

Motherhood is tough enough without heaping extra doses of doubt, guilt, and insecurity on our heads.

It's time for us to revel in who we are, the unique individual with amazing talents and skills we were destined to be.

Everyone has weaknesses, of course. But many of us focus on our weaknesses continually, which doesn't serve us or our families.

Begin, today, to play to your strengths instead.

Let me give you an example: I hate puzzles. Always have, always will.

Even before I had kids, as a child myself, I remember reading or hearing that puzzles are good for developing fine motor skills and intelligence.

So occasionally I would buy a complex jigsaw and give it my best shot. Frustration always ensued. I just couldn't wait to finish up so I could go read a book!

I would secretly worry that I wasn't developing my full intelligence due to my lack of puzzle enjoyment. (Oh yes, I was an introspective child!)

Fast forward to my early mothering days. Now I found that I still hated puzzles just as much as I did in my early years.

Except now my worries were that my kids wouldn't have fully developed motor skills, that they would be "behind" developmentally.

At times I would get the puzzles out, out of a sense of duty, only to find that frustration still ensued.

Guess what?

My kids have great motor skills! Occasionally they will get a puzzle out on their own and go to town. Sometimes they need a little help, and of course I suck it up and give them a hand.

But then I go back to doing what I love.

When we do what we love, we revel in it. We don't have to conjure up feelings of enthusiasm--they're already there. And our kids pick up on it so quickly.

They love to watch us enjoy ourselves and be who we were meant to be.

When we play to our strengths, we are free to be ourselves. We pass the message on to our kids that discovering your passions is a joy--allowing them to find their passions, too.

So put the puzzles away in your house, or take them out--whatever brings you joy.

Play to your strengths.

It's a fun way to live.

Post Time - 25 minutes

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Thanks for participating in the Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge, held here each Tuesday. Please join us! You can read more about it here.

In the spirit of the challenge, take a little time to visit the links of fellow bloggers - but not too much time! Say it with me - "Only 30 Minutes!"

Do you have a 30-minute post you'd like to share? Link up below! Make sure your post links back to this post on Steady Mom, and that your link on MckLinky goes directly to your 30-minute post - no general home pages, please! Otherwise your link will be deleted, and I'll be sad.

Please note that the links will close at 11pm EST on Tuesday, in order to avoid any spammers.