Motherhood recommendations by Marissa Anastasi: Just being there for the tears, talking about feelings, letting them feel and express what they’re experiencing. What a big world to learn and navigate! Strong legs. I can bounce a grumpy baby for hours! Learning to communicate with my daughter through her tantrums. I can work out what’s wrong instead of getting frustrated with her attitude. I’ve found talking to her quietly and calmly like an adult, she responds better than if I get upset too.
Understand That the Parent-Child Bond Is a Relationship like All Others. “It takes work. Lots of it, so expect that there will be times when it feels hard to connect [with your child] or that you need to work through some issues,” says Kelly and Perren. “Meditation and reflection are really helpful tools for this, as is leaning on your mom friends as all mothers go through this with their kids,” they advise. “Sometimes, although you have it in you, you just need a little guidance to get back on track,” the founders add. Expect that there will be times when it feels hard to connect [with your child] or that you need to work through some issues.
Listen. Yeah, yeah, everyone says to listen. But you need to REALLY listen. Listen to the point that you can ask intelligent questions. Listen to the point that you know when your daughter has a certain smile on her face that she has a crush on a boy and you can discern from your conversations with her just who that boy is. Listen to what your child says and ask questions ON THEIR LEVEL, not “parental” questions. A question on their level would be, “What is the name of Seether’s new song again? I keep forgetting.” A parental question would be, “That boy in that band dresses all in black and wears eyeliner, you need to find someone else to like.” Discover a few more info at Motherhood advices.
Spreading myself out evenly between everyone without running myself into the ground. Sometimes that means the washing has to wait so I can sit and spend time with my eldest while the two younger ones are napping. Sometimes I get up earlier than everyone else to go for a walk alone before they wake up, or to sit and enjoy a cup of tea while watching the sunrise. When I find myself getting flustered or things are getting out of control, I take five or ten minutes to just sit and regroup – it really helps!
Since Kenny was born, I had been a stay at home mummy until Isabella was 4 which is when I started teaching younger kids. I done that for 2 years but after my 3rd pregnancy, I never went back and decided to become a stay at home mummy once again. Now my youngest is 5 and 6, I decided I could maybe begin something new again. And so, in Late November 2018, I opened the doors to a kid’s concept store in Larnaca town centre. It’s difficult combining family and work, and sometimes the guilt is immense, but I have a lot of support from my husband when it comes to the children. Read more details at www.marissaanastasi.com.