Dee: (The) Mama Blog

It has been a hectic few weeks! Usually I'm very ahead with my blogs, but I found that because of my kids catching colds..  I, too getting their cold, then having to be off for a week and literally just be in the house, I fell behind on my blogs! I'm usually weeks ahead but I've found that I'm literally a couple days before my blogs finish! Life really can get in the way sometimes but that's ok! Having that week off was a blessing in disguise.. we all caught up on rest and allowed our bodies to readjust to the entire nursery routine again.  Randomly we bumped into one of Jerry's nursery teachers and she said he caught a 'back to school' cold. Well put! Because literally after that week-- he was spic and span--- he was coughing and sneezing but he for the most part was ok within himself.  I was a bit annoyed he had to have a week off-- but he seems more refreshed. Sometimes having to 'fall off' is needed

"Juice, mummy?" "No juice today, we'll have some tomorrow, ok?" "Juice!" "Tomorrow, ok? "No, juice! juice!" He runs ahead of his mother to the shop.

I yell. I scream. I get frustrated, irritated, angry.. All of the above. What actually is the picture of a 'perfect' mom? I make mistakes. Sometimes I'll already be yelling at my boys, not realizing they're actually trying to help me-- and then I have to apologize. There are days where I find myself so irritated where I don't want to even be in the same room as my kids because I sound like a broken record-- and they're not listening. One thing I have learned and I am implementing is to remain calm when there is a power struggle. A power struggle is pretty much where you and the child clash: So you tell your child to do something, they say no, and emotions set in. Because they aren't doing as you have told them, we start to get angry, and they start to get riled up and... as you know frustration sets in. But honestly.. a lot of the time I just feel like I'm doing it all wrong.. but when my boys come and hug me and give me a kiss.. that is enough reassuran

I never encountered eczema full on until I had my second baby, Matthew. It's such a stressful skin condition and it's a condition that doesn't go away. The flare ups may calm down.. but it can appear at anytime if any of the triggers pop up. Triggers include: Soap (Detergent, especially fragranced) Weather conditions (Too hot or too cold.. either way..) Fabrics (Synthetic fabrics irritate eczema prone skin) Fragrances (sprays, perfumes etc) I fully got booked onto an Eczema Education workshop at the hospital because of Matthew-- and it basically outlined everything eczema related; from the textbook definition of it, to the fact that having allergies, hay fever and the like can cause eczema etc. To literally how to apply creams, moisturizers and emollients... To the point where sometimes there is actually no cause to why you get flare ups! My goodness me-- it's a doozy, but it was very informative.  The eczema flare ups with Matthew were a lot when he was younger.. he wa

"We're going to nursery, you remember?" "Mummy!" "Yes we're going to school!" "No school" "Are you sure? I'm sure that's going to change!" "Look it's your teacher!" He waves "Hello!" "Ok mummy has to go now but I will be back to pick you up ok?" "Bye bye mummy!"

So.. this motherhood journey never ceases to amaze me. Everyday I learn something about my children... what triggers them off.. .what gets them calm.. their little tricks... their little bouts of cheekiness and moodiness... It's all very entertaining really. Like I've just recently encountered this face that my 2 year old does.. it's not a pouty face.. but more of a like 'I don't want to listen to you, but I know I have to" face LOL. Whew Lawd… it makes me laugh so much. Usually they do those faces to try and get out of things.. but for ME.. it's the opposite. I can't allow that. If they've done something that they need to learn from.. they must learn their lesson! ...but deep down sometimes my heart is breaking but I must do the right thing! waaah! And the most interesting part of the journey is that as they are growing.. they are going to change once again; and then that will be another interesting sight to see how their personalities enfold!

Guys! It's official. Admissions for my boy's school year for primary school is now open! I am literally crying. Ok, not crying but I just can't believe it. I've gone on my local council's website and already started reading the whole admissions process. This is my first time doing this so I don't want to make a mistake! I'm aware of deadlines.. but I think I will need to speak to Jerry's nursery; in regards to the fact he's doing speech and language and as much as he has caught up, he's still a little behind so I want to know what would be the best thing to do in his situation-- I've got a couple of months before the deadline; so I need to enquire and obtain information quickly. I won't lie and say I'm not anxious-- and I'm unsure. What if I need to put Jerry's name down for a specialist school? Because of the speech delay? Do mainstream schools provide support in that area? And then if I do need to put him down for a speciali

"Happy Birthday to you" "Who's birthday?" He giggles and points to his brother. "Noo! Your birthday's coming very soon and you're going to be 4!" "4!"

So... Even before lockdown; I made a conscious decision to understand how my kids learn. I know there are 4 types of learners: Visual Kinesthetic (Physical-- the doers) Verbal/Auditory Reading/Writing Both of my boys are very visual in learning; my youngest also is a little Kinesthetic, he likes to touch things and copies when I do something. But I'll keep a close eye. But I know for sure they are both visual, they love pictures, colours, flashcards etc. And they do retain information really well with visual aids. So when I'm doing activities with them at home, I make sure I've got a lot of visual aids.  I wonder how they accommodate the different ways children learn in schools? Do you know how your child retains information; and what do you do to enhance this?

There's one thing that being a mother has taught me: We have to be clear and concise when dealing with our kids, whether it's during the time of punishment, play or learning. Being an adult I've noticed it is so much more complicated because we tend not to be as straightforward; especially when we're not ready to tell the truth. But being around kids, you literally have to say it like it is or they will not understand. "Do not do that, you can hurt yourself" I could of left it at "Do not do that!" But they will continue as they are. And that's where I believe their innocence comes from; they're still learning and developing, so in order to gain full understanding of something we must tell them in all its entirety. Obviously.. not in very descriptive detail but enough for them to get the main idea of what we are trying to tell them. On watching my boys play with each other, the way they communicate to each other is exactly the same. If they do

"Sit down" He points to the chair. His little brother plops on the chair. "Sit down" "Well done"

Is it too early to instil faith in your young children? I've started incorporating prayer at bedtime-- a very short prayer that they can both say before we go to bed. It's something very new I only started about a month ago. I feel like it's my duty to let my children know about God. My family were not really church goers or very into the Christian faith, but from 2009, my mother started to go to church and we all got baptised in 2009 and gave our lives to Christ. In that same year, my mother died. And I really felt that was her duty to lead me back to God before she died-- and I feel like I need to do the same for my kids-- the earlier the better. When they get older-- they will have their own choice to what they want to follow but I pray as I have sown the seed of faith at this early age, it will continue to grow with them. I hope as well that they will be familiar with faith, prayer and everything else when they get to an age where they won't need as much of my input

So.. the time for Jeremiah to go back to nursery is steadily approaching.. and I am still in a very indifferent mind frame in regards to him actually going back. The date is set, the time is set.. everything is already in place... it's just to wait for the day for him to go back. I have some worries. Jeremiah started nursery at the beginning of this year. It took him a little extra time to settle in because of the new surrounding and not having me around. Just when lockdown was about to go into full throttle, this is when Jeremiah was just getting into the swing of nursery and grasping onto the routine. I was actually HURT. Because now as he will be going back.. I'm thinking will he just go back like normal? He has a pretty good memory so I'm just hoping once he sees the park we walk past and the roads that we have to cross.. he will immediately remember that this is his nursery and just jump right back in. What I am a little worried about as well is that they have changed