HOME AND FAMILY

In my experience of both working with and being friends with mothers of young children, I find that most of them believe that their own wants and needs should come second to the wants and needs of their children.

Well, let me share with you that: nothing could be further from the truth!   It breaks my heart to see mothers feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled in their role due to them not paying enough attention to themselves and their own wants and needs. And the sad part about this is: both the mother and their children can get what they want and need and both feel totally fulfilled!   If you would like to avoid falling into this same pattern of being overwhelmed and unfulfilled (and I KNOW you do), here are 3 simple tips to help you avoid this challenge and to help you get what you need so that you can be even better in your role as a mom. 

Simple Tip #1 is to acknowledge your wants and needs. What I mean by this is to notice what they are and accept that it is normal for you to have wants and needs that don't necessarily have anything to do with being a mother to your children.   Begin by making a list of all of the things that you want and need that will make you more fulfilled in your role as a mother.  Don't be afraid to list whatever it is that you want.  Acknowledging what you want and need is the first step! 

Simple Tip #2 is to get the additional support that you need in order to take the time that is necessary for you to do whatever it is that will help you feel more fulfilled.  Now you may be wondering where you can get the support that you need so here are some ideas.   Begin by sharing your ideas on this topic with your husband or partner and enlist his additional support of taking care of the children for some of the time while you focus on you. Or perhaps other family members or friends could help you out.  Another option would be a babysitting network of other mothers or a "moms' time out" network at a local church. You will find that there are lots of support options available once you begin looking for them. 

Simple Tip #3 is to rid yourself of any guilt that you might feel for focusing this time on you and having your own wants and needs met!  Think about what it will mean for your children to have a mother who is more relaxed, more fulfilled and therefore happier.  Can you see how this will result in you having more patience for them, being able to focus more of your attention on them when you do spend time with them and setting the example of what it means to take care of ones self? 
No matter how much enjoyment and fulfillment you get in your role as a mother, you still deserve to have your own wants and needs met. You are missing a crucial part of the equation of being a great mother if you are not taking the time to focus on YOU! The good news is that you can begin by following these 3 Simple Tips outlined above to get your own wants and needs met so that you can be even better in your role as a mother.

Father's day is just around the corner. This is the day to celebrate and honour fathers and father like figures in our lives. Encourage students to understand the importance of their fathers' role in our lives. This can be achieved by making them take part in inspiring activities.

Share following facts from history with students so that students know why Father's Day is celebrated:

· The idea to celebrate Father day came from Sonora Dodd, who was raised by her father.

· The first Father's Day celebration was on June 17, 1910.

· American President Lyndon Johnson declared 3rd Sunday in June to be celebrated as Father's Day.

· A holiday honouring Fathers did not become official until 1966. In US, it is holiday on this day whereas in India, it is not so.

· Father's Day is celebrated annually since 1972.

Affectionate Letter for Father

For students in junior class, here is a great opportunity to honour their Dad, at the same time exercising their writing skills. Students should get together and hold a discussion to know the responsibilities a father or father like figure has. It can be working, taking care of the house, mowing the lawns, taking care of the children, paying bills, etc. Based on these ideas, students shall write a friendly letter to their father and sent it to him. Make sure that the students use their writing skills to the best of their ability by including heading, greeting, body, closing and signature in letter for their father.

Father's Day Poems

A fun and easy way for younger students to express their love for their Dad is to create a poem using the word "Father". Encourage students to think of words that describe their father. Then, have students come up to the front board one by one and write down the word that describes their father. For Example, B-Brave, D-Dynamic, H-Hero, L-Loving...

Older students can write sentences, such as A - And always loves me, N - Never lies to me, H - Handsome like a movie actor,

Another option is to use the birth name of the father he is writing about. For example, for the ANIL, student could write: A - Always inspires me, N - Never late to come home, I - I always miss my Dad, L - Loves his family

Honouring Father

The best way for students to honour their Dad is to make a collage they represents everything that they know and love about their father. A few days before this event ask students to bring in a few family pictures of their father. Then, have students search through magazines, newspapers and internet to find pictures that represent their Dad. Once students have collected all the photographs and pictures required to complete the project, have students arrange those photographs and pictures in a collage for their Dad.

Bring Your Father To School

It is beyond any doubt that Father's participation in in-school activities have significant impact on his child's education and personality development. Such students receive good grades, enjoy school more and are more likely to participate in extra curricular activities than students whose father don't participate.

"Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart." -- George Matthew Adams
"The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting." -- Louisa May Alcott
"Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with a melody that would last forever." -- Bess Streeter Aldrich
" The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect!" -- Charles N. Barnard
"Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas." -- Peg Bracken
"The earth has grown old with its burden of care But at Christmas it always is young, The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair And its soul full of music breaks the air, When the song of angels is sung." -- Phillips Brooks
"I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never aone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the word seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses." -- Taylor Caldwell
"Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a tree." -- Charlotte Carpenter
"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." -- Calvin Coolidge
"Christmas, in its final essence, is for grown people who have forgotten what children know. Christmas is for whoever is old enough to have denied the unquenchable spirit of man." -- Margaret Cousins
"Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'." -- Bing Crosby
"Whatever else be lost among the years, Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing: Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears, Let us hold close one day, remembering Its poignant meaning for the hearts of men. Let us get back our childlike faith again." -- Grace Noll Crowell
"It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one's fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit." -- Isabel Currier
"Something about an old-fashioned Christmas is hard to forget." -- Hugh Downs
"They err who thinks Santa Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters through the heart." -- Mrs. Paul M. Ell
"Christmas, my child, is love in action." -- Dale Evans
"Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal." -- Lenore Hershey
"My first copies of Treasure Island and Huckleberry Finn still have some blue-spruce needles scattered in the pages. They smell of Christmas still." -- Charlton Heston
"At Christmas, all roads lead home." -- Marjorie Holmes
"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" -- Bob Hope
"The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas." -- W. C. Jones
"A Christmas candle is a lovely thing; It makes no noise at all, But softly gives itself away; While quite unselfish, it grows small." -- Eva K. Logue
"Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive." -- Robert Lynd
"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." -- Hamilton Wright Mabi
"The merry family gatherings-- The old, the very young; The strangely lovely way they Harmonize in carols sung. For Christmas is tradition time-- Traditions that recall The precious memories down the years, The sameness of them all." -- Helen Lowrie Marshall
"There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions." -- Bill McKibben
"I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month." -- Harlan Miller
"Christmas is the keeping-place for memories of our innocence." -- Joan Mills
"Christmas is, of course, the time to be home - in heart as well as body." -- Garry Moore
"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." -- Agnes M. Pharo
"Mankind is a great, an immense family... This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas." -- Pope John XXIII
"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly." -- Andy Rooney
"Christmas--that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance--a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved." -- Augusta E. Rundel
"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." -- Charles Schulz
"As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is." -- Eric Sevareid
"Christmas is the day that holds time together." -- Alexander Smith
"Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion." -- Ralph Sockman
"Christmas ... is not an eternal event at all, but a piece of one's home that one carries in one's heart." -- Freya Stark
"Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends." -- Margaret Thatcher
"At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year." -- Thomas Tusser
"What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus? Claustrophobic." -- Unknown
"Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles." -- Unknown
"If there is no joyous way to give a festive gift, give love away." -- Unknown
"Until one feels the spirit of Christmas, there is no Christmas. All else is outward display--so much tinsel and decorations. For it isn't the holly, it isn't the snow. It isn't the tree not the firelight's glow. It's the warmth that comes to the hearts of men when the Christmas spirit returns again." -- Unknown
"Many banks have a new kind of Christmas club in operation. The new club helps you save money to pay for last year's gifts." -- Unknown
"Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world - stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death - and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas." -- Henry Van Dyke
"Christmas is for children. But it is for grownups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts." -- Lenora Mattingly Weber
"Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance - each beautiful, unique and too soon gone." -- Deborah Whipp
"Somehow, not only for Christmas, But all the long year through, The joy that you give to others, Is the joy that comes back to you. And the more you spend in blessing, The poor and lonely and sad, The more of your heart's possessing, Returns to you glad." -- John Greenleaf Whittier
"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall." -- Larry Wilde

Chill Out: how to keep your cool this summer

When the heat is on, life can become very hard when you are pregnant. Instead of looking forward to those long, hot August days, you may find yourself dreaming of igloos and frozen ice-caps, so try out these tricks to help you keep your cool when the temperature rises.

Clothes

o Wear loose fitting clothes that will let the air circulate - tight waistbands in particular will make you feel hot and bothered.

o Natural fabrics such as cotton are best, as they will allow your skin to breath.

o You may need to buy some larger shoes, particularly if your feet start to swell.

o Water

o Even if you are still suffering from morning sickness, it is vital that you drink 8 glasses of water a day as it is very easy for pregnant women to become dehydrated.

o Try to avoid coffee and fizzy drinks as they can act as diuretics.

Summer food

o Think carefully about your food hygiene - it is very easy to get food poisoning in the summer.

o Use commercially frozen barbecue foods as the freezing process kills the toxoplasmosis parasite and always make sure food is cooked right through.

o Check that mayonnaise is made with pasteurised eggs and always wash fruit and vegetables.

Shopping

o If you can, get your partner to take care of the big weekly shop.

o If not, why not try shopping over the internet or at a less busy time, maybe on a Friday evening?

Keep cool

o Pregnant women have up to a third extra blood in their system, which means they feel the heat more, so keep out of the sun as much as possible, especially between 11am and 3pm.

o Make sure you use a high factor sun screen - some women find their skin is extra sensitive when they are pregnant.

In the swim

o Swimming is an excellent way of exercising when you are pregnant and will help to cool you down.

o Don't forget to check with your doctor or midwife if you are worried about your fitness levels.

Take it easy

o Try not to get worked up about things - this will only make you feel hotter. If things do get on top of you, sit down and take a few deep breaths.

o If you can, put your feet up and have a rest during the hottest part of the day.

o As you near the end of your term, you may need to think about cutting down on the amount of walking and standing that you do. If in doubt, talk to your midwife or HR department.

Older children

o You may find it harder to relax if you are busy all day with older children, perhaps you could ask a friend to baby sit for a couple of hours to give you a rest.

o Invite friends round to your house, instead of going to the park. They will probably keep you supplied with cool drinks if you ask them nicely!

o Paddling pools are a great way to keep your feet cool - sit in the shade and dip your toes in, your toddler will love this!

Work

o If you are still working, make sure your office is kept cool and your working conditions are suitable to your stage of pregnancy. If in doubt, call the Maternity Alliance on 020 7490 7639.

o If you use public transport, perhaps you could change your working hours to avoid the rush hour crush.

o Ask if you could work from home one day a week - that extra hour in bed can make all the difference.

Feet treats

o When you can, sit with your feet up and try not to cross your legs as this can reduce blood flow.

o Pamper your feet at the end of a long day. Soak them in a basin of cool water before using a foot scrub and finishing with a massage of you feet and legs - absolutely divine if you can get your partner to do it for you!

EXERCISE SAFELY

The first thing to understand when you exercise during your pregnancy is to take extra care. This doesn't mean exercise less, rather be sure to know and understand your body limits. Even though exercising during your pregnancy can be beneficial, there are certain risks involved that may be detrimental. Be sure to check in with your doctor or midwife to ensure that you are able to exercise during pregnancy.

Once you have the go-ahead from your physician, keep them updated with how you are doing. Are you experiencing fatigue or pain while you are exercising during your pregnancy? Be sure to let them know if that's the case. It's important to have caution while exercising, and if you're in doubt, check in with your physician. It is also very important to remember that exercising while pregnant isn't mean to improve your physical fitness, rather maintain your physical condition.

While choosing an exercise to do during your pregnancy, be sure to consider ones that involve a partner - be it your spouse, or a friend. Pick pregnancy exercises that you enjoy, as that will help you to stay motivated to exercise during pregnancy Stay away from pregnancy exercises where you might be in danger of falling, losing your balance or getting hit in the abdomen, as these might increase the chance of something going wrong during your pregnancy.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD WORKOUT?

Finding a pregnancy exercise that you enjoy and being able to fit into your schedule is important. You'll soon notice that once you start to experience the benefits of exercising during pregnancy, you'll want to ensure that you exercise regularly. Keep in mind that the best resource for exercise while pregnant will be your healthcare provider.

Two stages of exercising that are important are warming up and cooling down. Even with an exercise such as walking, this will help you to avoid and prevent muscle soreness and stiffness. Try to include 5 to 15 minute sessions of warming up and cooling down while you exercise during your pregnancy.

The best warm up activity is one that is kept at a low-intensity, rhythmic activity, such as walking, or riding a stationary bike. Follow that up with slow, controlled stretches, before proceeding with a higher level of activity. A gentle cool down is also important as you exercise during pregnancy. In order to have an effective cool down, stretch each muscle, one at a time. Gentle toning pregnancy exercises are safe if you keep them to a moderate level. You might also try to include relaxation or deep-breathing exercises as well.

Below is a short list of signs that you should stop exercising:

1) Bloody discharge or any gush of fluid from the vagina

2) Unexplained pain in the abdomen

3) Persistent headaches, changes in vision, faintness or dizziness

4) Marked fatigue, heart palpitations or chest pains

5) Sudden swelling of ankles, face or your hands

HOW MUCH EXERCISE SHOULD I DO?

The best way to decide how much and how often you should exercise during your pregnancy is to follow the FITT principle - Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

FREQUENCY

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, women who are pregnant should not exercise for longer than 30 minutes. Even though you may feel good, and that you can keep going, your pregnant body can only handle so much. A good workout program at the beginning of your pregnancy is one that is performed three times a week.

INTENSITY

Throughout your pregnancy, you should aim to exercise moderately. Again, the idea is not to improve your physical fitness, rather to maintain. Overtraining can be damaging to you and your body, as well as your baby's. Learn how to take your pulse, and do not exceed 15 to 20 beats per minute more than normal. If you find it difficult to talk while you are exercising, you might be exercising to heavily while you are pregnant.

TIME

Be advised that you should begin your exercising in short workouts. Pushing yourself to quickly might result in soreness of the muscles, as well as exhaustion. During the first few weeks of your pregnancy, you should exercise no more than 15 minute sessions. Once you feel comfortable with that duration, exercising for up to 30 minutes during your pregnancy should benefit you greatly. This increase in time shouldn't occur until you are into your second trimester, however. It is important that you listen to your body if you exercise while being pregnant. If you find yourself tired and sore after a workout, cut back until you can feel comfortable with the amount.

TYPE

Whether you prefer to exercise during your pregnancy alone, or with a friend or group of friends, it's important to decide which type of activity you will perform. Some activities that women who are pregnant find helpful are swimming, walking, stair-climbing, stationary cycling, and special prenatal aerobics and aquatic classes. Some of these activities such as walking and swimming, can be done in moderation even up until the day you deliver.

Mom... When I decided to write about you my pen is stopped on the pulse, and my hands are frozen, not for nothing but because my mind and my heart have not been able to express even a word about your soul pure. I begged for my memory so much to help and provide me with words which express what lies in me, but they were powerless compared with the greatness of your soul. O compassionate; My heart is filled with tons of love and gratitude, and of your standing as bells of your situations and education are still ringing in my ears. You educated me and I thanked you by crying, you taught me how to go my first step and I thanked you by escaping, you gave me delicious food and I thanked you by throwing you with dishes, you give me a pen and I drew on the walls. All these situations were in the last periods of childhood, and what remains is your compassion, you are the only person who bore my affliction.

Mother's Day is intended for honoring your immaculate inquiry, reminding of what you created, but this day is much less than what you gave us; what you gave humanity; what you gave life. Specifying one day to honor your achievements, to say what the agony you suffered to grow up generations who are building nations, is not enough for your pure position. You are the peace of the universe, Mom.

Whenever we tried to say the achievements of this great human, we can not give her what she actually deserves, even we can not give her simple parts of her right, you are the great person who rocked the cradle with your right and are able to shake the world with your left. She studied with us, overpassed the difficulties of life with us and graduated from schools and universities with us. She is happy for our successes and she blesses our days, thanks to all of this.

On the other hand, How we have provided for Motherhood, what we have done for her since childhood and what we did after her old age, we got married and neglect her because of our work. We could not coordinate our days with her, although we know that she has dedicated all her life to us. We should acknowledge that all what we have and all what we achieve is thanks to her, even the blood that is flowing in our veins is from her spirit. We should return to our senses, cherish the role of our mothers, respect them, have pity on them as they do with us and smile to them as they instilled love in our souls. In the end the mother is priceless and we should pray for God to protect her.

In honor of Father's Day on June 15, 2014, my hat is off to all fathers who have chosen to actively participate in the lives of their children. One of the most endearing moments I see, when in public, is fathers that are interacting with their children. It always seems, to me, that the child or children are always happy and engaged when with their fathers. My comment is not at all to say that children are not happy with their mothers, but to acknowledge that when fathers are involved in their children lives, children have the best of both worlds. Firsthand, I am blessed that I have two fathers that have done a tremendous job of assisting me raising our two boys; kudos to them both.

It is amazing that we must glorify fathers. Reason, so many fathers are not actively involved in their children lives. Millions of fathers are absent parents and evade their responsibilities financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Therefore, fathers who step up to their responsibilities are making a profound difference in our children lives. More and more fathers are custodial parents and are the primary residential parents of their children. It is reported that over 15% of fathers are custodial parents in the United States. It is also reported that more and more fathers are staying home to take care of their children while the other spouse works. Actually, there are over one million fathers that have selected this path. I applaud men who embrace parenting and acknowledge that parenting is one of the hardest responsibilities we encounter throughout our lives. However, our society has not 100% accepted fathers raising their children, but thinks that mothers should be the primary parent. This thought process has not stopped fathers from seek custody and breaking forging the footprint for more fathers to follow suit. While not everyone has embraced and supported this concept, fathers are well on our way to breaking the barriers they once endured.

Dennis has had custody of his now 13 year old son for ten years. Even though Dennis works full-time and his ex-wife lives out of state, being the primary parent has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences he has had. "As the residential parent, I never realized what a single mother, for instance, goes through on a daily base. From the time we wake up until it's time for bed, I'm constantly thinking about my role and responsibility as a parent." When asked why he chose to be a single dad, Dennis said that he wanted to be a constant positive influence in his son's life. It was amazing speaking with Dennis and to see the love, adoration and joy he exuded when speaking about his son and being a single parent.

Dennis is just an example of the many fathers who play the most important role in our children lives. The trend is fastly growing when men are becoming the primary parent. No longer are the courtrooms frowning down on the male gender as parents; but considering the best interest of our most precious investments, our children.

On Father's Day, I salute all fathers for making a difference.