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If I Knew Then What I Know Now...

If I knew that parenting would set me back so far professionally, I would have been more cautious about bringing children into the world during my 20s.

If I knew that I would have been divorced, I would have never got married (twenty-something) in the first place.

If I knew that I would have to be more patient, kind, forgiving, loving, etc. to others, I would have gone to church sooner rather than later and attended bible studies in my youth rather than spend so much time joining clubs.

If I knew that family wasn't going to help me pay off college and that I wouldn't be unable to purchase a home due to bad credit, I would have ignored them and went to a trade school or better yet remained at the job I had back then and moved up.

If I knew that all it took was to look like a 10, live in a location near wealthy men, and be at the right place at the right time...well what was the since in dating losers?

So the takeaway is to explain to children why it is so important to value their youth.  There is no returning to it or do-overs.  As parents we have to be mindful of things we tell them now that might negatively impact their future.  Dating, college, marriage, children, home ownership and more doesn't have to be all done prior to reaching 30.  Encourage them to pursue interests and if they don't appear to have any, well then take them places so that they can find some!  Those lazy evenings and weekends will soon be gone and what will they have learned? 

Funny how you look at your kids and think, "If I were you, I wouldn't...."  Fast forward to the future and they most likely will have their share of regrets too if they so choose to ignore sound wisdom or no one is teaching much of anything outside of school hours.  Show and tell children life's truths and hopefully something will sink in.

Nicholl


What Do You Know About Your Family History that You Can Pass On to Children?

So many people just don't know the significance of collecting quality family relics and maintaining good records about ancestors. 

When offspring is brought into this world, it can help them immensely when they are older to know a thing or two about their family roots.  Sure its nice to know something about American and World History, but what about your family?  The blog owner has constructed this well-thought out timeless guide to help you stay motivated to learn more about your ancestry.  Check out the paperback version here: Genealogy X What to Expect When Researching Family History or get the eBook here.

Stay Home Mothers and Career Moms - Be Supportive


Teen Videos - Set Aside Time to Workout- Encourage Your Lazy Teen

Teen Videos - Set Aside Time to Workout

When Life Throws You a (Parenting) Curve Ball

I have heard my share of negative stories from parents about their children.  They talked as if they weren't responsible for anything concerning their children's behaviors.  Broken relationships, dysfunctional parenting, and lots of blame.  "I just don't know why my daughter acts like that...I can't believe my son did such a thing...My kids are just like their no-good daddy...I can't stand my children's mother!"

Life threw these parents unexpected curve balls and rather than work to catch them, they dropped their balls giving the devil an easy run to home base.  As effective parents we fight for what is right concerning our children, we go after those dropped balls and work to get that devil out!  Ineffective parents don't care and most often look for excuses to get out of playing the game.

http://parentsbabieschildren.blogspot.com
When one lays down with another and procreates he or she doesn't think too deeply prior to the love-making just how much his or her life might be affected if one becomes pregnant.  Before long, a newborn is being held in the arms of parents he or she trusts wholeheartedly that his or her emotional and physical needs might be met.  Yet, sometimes things happen, unexpected things that leave us heartbroken and stressed to the point that we feel like we are going to snap!  We don't anticipate family illnesses, job losses, major expenses, disabilities, depression, break-ups, death, or much else. All we choose to see is what we deem is beautiful, sweet, nice, and doesn't inconvenience us too much--oh that sweet little baby.  Then here comes yet another trial to throw us out of those blissful times that never seem to last as long as those troubling ones.

Parenting isn't easy, but it doesn't have to be too difficult.  Sometimes we manufacture our own challenges and downfalls simply by not being present, pro-active, and daring when it comes to raising children. For instance, we receive a phone call about our children misbehaving at school and the issues need our immediate attention. The bad news breaks our routine of having an ordinarily peaceful lunch at work.  It is at that moment the voice on the other end of the phone is waiting to see what we might do.  Leave a job, discipline the child in-person or via phone, or hurriedly excuse ourselves from the call, remain at work and wish the problem away.

Before children, we were primarily concerned about ourselves and when things suddenly happened we dealt with them without thinking too much.  But isn't it interesting how much we ponder once we have children and whether what they say or do is worth acting upon, "How much is it going to cost to fix, and what more might I have to do if I should say yes to something I am not completely convinced about?"  We carefully manage situations, talk with others (or vent) about our parental concerns, and other times we wonder, "Now why would the Creator of the universe pick me to be a parent?"

Nicholl

A Dream and Life Lesson on Spending and Saving Money - money tips, finances


Patience, Protection, and Purity

If there are three words that came up often during my parenting very young children, like under the age of 5 for instance, is the need for patience--they simply cry or whine at times too much, safety items for their protection (and for me too)--way too curious and purity, far too many people simply don't like or care for childhood innocence (sigh).

We can all agree that there are some things about the world that we live in that is quite unsafe, impatient and doesn't care at times for things like righteousness, love, truth, honor, etc.  As I look at my children, I see aspects of myself when I was their age and I cringe when I think about the things I was exposed to. 

Two of my four sons aren't babies and toddlers anymore, but they had been back when I started this blog--so glad those tough times are behind us!  The boys are school-aged, one will be in the sixth grade in August 2017, the other will be in the fourth grade, another in the 11th grade and the eldest of the four sons graduates this year, Class of 2017--time sure flies when you are finally able to appreciate the time with your children!  I admit during the early days I didn't but I got through due to prayer and reaching out to others for mental, physical and spiritual assistance i.e.) my blog When Mothers Cry which was created for therapeutic reasons during the early days of my motherhood journey of two more boys (sigh).

These days one of my sons is practically obsessed with recording his findings wherever he goes.  He mastered his digital camera something like this within days of receiving it and his brother spent more than enough time shooting us with a similar one. So weeks later both were curious about my camcorder the Sony HDRCX455/B Full HD 8GB Camcorder which my third son broke shooting his version of the most recent Jurassic Park movie (I was fuming--my camera was less than two years old!) 

After over a year of my third son not having a camcorder but really wanting one, I decided to get he and his brothers a well-recommended and reasonably priced  Besteker Portable 1080P this past Black Friday. No, you never heard of it, but can I say it works and the reviews on it weren't false.  I wasn't the least bit interested in paying almost $400 for a brand name camcorder no matter how badly he wanted it--especially when nowadays most people use their phones to record.  Besides my children have a couple out of service camera phones that they tinker with every now and again too.

Anyway back to patience, which I ran out of after the repeated requests to buy this and that.   Then the thought that I didn't bother to buy insurance protection for any of the cameras comes to mind.  As for purity, they are strongly cautioned to watch what they record and no offensive uploads are acceptable otherwise they lose their electronics for an undetermined amount of time.

We are still praying like we did when I started this blog, still growing, and excited about the future! Subscribe for periodic updates on our lives and other useful practical information about the basics of all things related to parents and children on this blog.  Thanks much to all those who have been with us for years, most appreciate your continued support!  Please share blog link, blessings to you and your family!

Nicholl

Yeah, I know, my fourth son was unavailable like Sasha was for her dad's fairwell address--lol.  If kids aren't busy taking exams, they are playing sports, video games or making money like my eldest son.  We miss you, love you, Dom!  Check out his YouTube channel for amusement. Dom Kemp

14 Things Needed for Successful Family

This is a short-list of the most essential things needed to insure that you have a quality life with your family.  There will be those highs and lows and sometimes they are brought on because we don't bother to think about our personal and family needs.  Check out the resources and improve especially if you are a new parent.

1)  Be Open to Taking Quality Parenting Advice

Parenting Advice

Nine Steps to More Effective Parenting

10 Bad Parenting Habits | HowStuffWorks

Traits of a Good Parent - Father


2)  Patience

20 Good Character Traits That Will Help ... - A Fine Parent

How to Be a More Patient Parent | Tips on Parenting Patience


3)  Money Management

10 Easy Tips to Help Manage Your Money - The Dough Roller

Money Management for the Family: Some Truly Timeless Tips


4)  Employment

CareerBuilder - Official Site

Indeed.com - Official Site

Simply Hired - Official Site

ZipRecruiter - Official Site

Snagajob - Official Site

Monster.com - Official Site


5)  Flexibility

13 Benefits of Flexible Parenting - One Time Through

Flexible Parenting Lessens Kids’ Anxiety, Depression ...


6)  Health Check-Up/Mental Stability

Quiz: How Healthy Are You? | The Dr. Oz Show

The 10 Personality Disorders | Psychology Today

Types of Doctors | MD-Health.com

10 Stress-Related Health Problems That You Can Fix

6 Inherited Health Conditions | Parenting


7)  Time with Spouse

7 Relationship Problems and How to Solve Them - WebMD

50 Date Ideas for Couples - Lifehack


8)  Time with Children

Fun things to do with kids | FamilyDaysOut.com

20 Activities To Do with Your Family This Weekend - Parents


9)  Support System

Build a Personal Support System - Life skills

Support Systems – www.loveisrespect.org


10)  Education

General Educational Development Test (GED®)

Going Back to College - Frequently Asked Questions

Trade Schools Guide | Find a College or Vocational School

7 Tips for Choosing the Best School for Your Child - TIME

Choosing a School . Going to School . Education | PBS Parents

Choosing a school for kids in grades K-12 - Bankrate.com

How to Choose the Best High School for Your Child | High ...


11)  Bigger Place to Stay

How to Buy a House: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

How to Buy a House - 6 Must-Dos Before Buying A Home

How to Buy a House -- A guide for first-time home buyers


12)  Reliable Transportation

Buying a Family Car | DMV.org

How to Buy a New Car - Consumer Reports

10 Steps To Buying A New Car - Kelley Blue Book


13)  Insurance (all kinds)

HealthCare.gov - Official Site

Compare Cheap Life Insurance Quotes | MoneySuperMarket

Insurance Quotes and Comparison - Car, Life, Home & Health


14)  Faith

Search out your denomination and find out what services you can attend locally to elevate you spiritually.  As the struggles of life increase, you will find yourself wanting something more than what appeases your flesh.  Take out the Holy Word and read it.


BONUS:

You will definitely need to know how to manage your time.

15 Time-Management Tips - Pregnancy, Birth, Babies, Parenting

10 Time Management Tips For Parents | Planning With Kids

Imagine If Gifts Shop

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