Mommy Plannerista

Planning. Passions. Parenthood.

How To Build & Strengthen Your Relationship With Your Child

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Although the media may have us believe otherwise, not all parents find it easy to bond with their children. This might just be a natural feeling, but it could also be through fear or inexperience, or perhaps just because their lives are busy and it’s hard to find the time. If you feel that your bond should be strengthened, here are some ways to get started.

Say I Love You
This is perhaps the simplest yet one of the most effective ways of having a great bond with your children – tell them that you love them as much as you can. It shouldn’t matter what gender or how old they are, you should tell them that you love them every day. This allows them to know that you love them unconditionally, and that you’ll always be there for them. Even when they are going through difficult times, hearing that their parent loves them can be enough to make them feel so much better. This is what is known as a cornerstone of attachment parenting.

Play With Them
Playing isn’t just a useful developmental tool for children; it’s also the ideal way to bond with them. Get down on the floor so you’re at their level and just enjoy the playtime whether it’s with dolls, board games, cars, or just playing make believe. Allow your children to see that you can be playful and silly and far from losing respect for you, you’ll find that their bond with you increases in strength.

Have Bedtime Rituals
Bedtime rituals are lovely ways to encourage bonding. These are the special kinds of memories that will stay with a child for a lifetime, and all it takes is 10 minutes to read a chapter of a book together, or make up a silly story, or say your prayers. Come up with a special way of saying goodnight that you do each evening, and this ritual will help your child go off to sleep happily and contentedly.

Have One On One Time
Whether you have one child or many, taking the time to be with them is important. It’s even better if you can schedule one on one time, so that each child gets your undivided attention. Because everyone is different, you may do different things with each child. One may like to check out captainhunter.com and go out into the woods to hunt, another may prefer a trip to the theater, or perhaps they want to learn how to ride a bike and they want you to teach them. Whatever it is, this one on one time is precious and you should really focus on it rather than being distracted by anything else that is going on in your life.

Eat Together
Eating together is a hugely important thing to do that offers an excellent way to bond with your children. When you’re all eating together around the table with no distractions such as TV or electronic devices, you can really talk and listen to one another. Discuss your day and enjoy one another’s successes. If there are problems, this is the time to air them and to work out solutions.

Philips Avent Celebrates Today’s Moms

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Today’s moms face many new challenges, which makes our lives as mothers even more difficult. Because of these challenges, we need solutions and partners that will help us make the right choices from pregnancy to playground and this is what Philips Avent aimed to accomplish through an activation dubbed as “Today’s Moms: The Joys and Challenges of Motherhood”.

The week-long celebration, in partnership with Baby Company, culminated in a free admission event at SM Makati featuring the Philips Avent Studio – a showcase of Philip’s diverse range of healthy lifestyle technologies for moms and their babies and toddlers. The aim was to equip moms with lifetime parenting tools and guidance with the use of healthy and innovative solutions from Philips Avent.

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True enough, I was able to find Philips Avent’s product range of baby bottles, breast pumps, and other baby feeding and health accessories in the various display booths. Some were even on sale!

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There was even an expression board where guests posted colorful sheets of paper sharing their fulfilling motherhood experiences.

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Aside from that, guests were also able to enjoy free hairstyling makeovers and healthy refreshments such as this delicious and refreshing banana shake that I got to try.

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The event was very educational too since Philips Avent invited speakers to educate guests regarding various topics on effective motherhood while promoting the wellness of their young children. The first speaker was Dang Arias, Chef Instructor at the Metropolitan Occupational Science and Technology Institute, who shared healthy homemade baby food cooking tips using the Avent Combined Steamer and Blender (not on the picture though). I just find the product so amazing because you can use it to steam fruit, vegetables, fish or meat and the simply lift and flip the jar over to blend it. Easy!

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Chef Dang also made these yummy carrots cake bites for us to try.

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The second speaker was the managing director of Baby Signs Philippines, Sharon Agoncillo, who talked about how parents can communicate with their babies even before they can talk. This was my second time listening to her presentation and I love that she’s always so animated!

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Lastly, one of my favorite bloggers, Frances Amper Sales of Topaz Horizon, shared tips on how moms can still stay chic and positively beautiful even as they go about their mundane daily tasks.

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It was indeed a fun and informative afternoon for us moms!

For more information about Philips Avent’s full range of products, log on to www. philips.com.ph.

 

 

Expo Mom 2016: The Motherhood Journey

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Right now, I’m a mom of two teenage girls and a preschool-aged boy. Plus, I’m also pregnant! So, you can say that I pretty much have parenting experience already in almost all stages of motherhood. That said, I can definitely tell you that each stage presents a lot of different and unique challenges. Journeying through all these stages of motherhood can definitely be hard but rewarding as well and this is exactly what this year’s Expo Mom is all about.

Now on its ninth year, Mommy Mundo brings you Expo Mom 2016, on April 29 and 30, Friday and Saturday, at the Glorietta Activity Center, Makati. Expo Mom 2016 is a celebration, not of motherhood but the journey of motherhood and the unique experience we go through on every stage. With this year’s theme, The Motherhood Journey, you’ll find both enlightenment and encouragement whether you’re an expectant mom or a new mom, a mom taking care of a toddler or a mom raising a child at Expo Mom.

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At Expo Mom 2016, moms will find answers and solutions to challenges and concerns of her particular stage of motherhood as the event feature mom groups and influencers who will share their experiences and learnings during the onstage talks. Expert resource persons will also be present to impart tips and tools that moms and dads can use to be better in their parenting. Finally, Expo Mom 2016 will also showcase practical and effective products and services for every stage of motherhood. The event hopes to be a sharing of stories, a coming together of moms and dads who strive to be active in their babies’ and children’s lives.

Expo Mom: The Motherhood Journey is co-presented by Caltrate Plus, Pampers, and Belo Baby and supported by Sun Life, Clearascar, Mott’s 100% Apple Juice, Downy Baby Gentle, Fuji/Instax, Waters Philippines, and Stanley Ong Photography with Celebrity Mom, Working Mom, Diva Universal and Crossover as media sponsors, Glorietta and Ayala Malls as venue sponsor, and Creative Juice Communications as logistics partner.

Expo Mom is also a most mom and baby friendly event with a mom lounge for breastfeeding and diaper changing area sponsored by Pampers and a play area for kids sponsored by Mott’s 100% Apple Juice. Entrance at Expo Mom is free of charge but a donation of any amount will be accepted for the Mommy Mundo MOMSHARE fund. Proceeds of the fund goes to literacy projects for the street children of Childhope Asia and public school kids under the Alpabasa programs. MomShare also supports needs of underprivileged moms and kids. Mommy Mundo Passport holders get an Expo Mom tote bag.

You’d be happy to know too that Expo Mom is hosting another awesome giveaway this year!

The Expo Mom: The Motherhood Journey Giveaway

Mommy Mundo knows that we moms love telling stories about our days, our birth, our kids, and they’d like to hear about them! Sharing our mom stories online helps us learn from each other, get inspired and just makes us realize how we are all on the same boat on this adventure called motherhood. That is why Mommy Mundo is asking moms to share their #themotherhoodjourney stories with them online and in return, Mommy Mundo will reward them with exciting prizes.

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Awesome prizes at stake:

  • Expectant moms can win a Snug-a-hug pillow, Blanqi supportwear, and Mother-K gift box worth P8,950. Snug-a-hug is a specially-designed support pillow used primarily by expecting moms, nursing mothers, recuperating patients and even kids. Blanqi supportwear eases the pains and strains of pregnancy, while creating a beautifully curved, smooth, silhouette. Blanqi is distributed by Urban Essentials. The Mother-K includes maternity pads, antibacterial zipper bags, milk storage bags, wipes,and detergent. The Mother-K brand ensures high quality products using organic and ecofriendly materials.
  • Moms with babies get a chance to win a Georgia Sleigh Cot worth P28,000. This crib is baby-safe and baby-proof. It is made of clear grade New Zealand Plantation Pine with a smooth single hand drop side, ideal for you and your baby’s growing needs. It is sturdy and standing even after years of sleep, play, and other activities. Crafted of hardwood, these cots are tested to the highest safety standards and are built to last. This Georgia Sleigh Cot is distributed by Baby and Beyond.
  • Moms with toddlers may win an Aprica Stroller Luxuna Light worth P24,999.75. The Aprica Luxuna Light comes in Fresh Aqua. It weighs a total of 4.9kg with a firm body. The seat has multi-positions and reclines from 120-170 degrees and has a high seat of 53cm of the ground. It has a full range hood to protect your child from the elements, and many more features. Aprica is distributed by Cannon Baby Safe Products, Inc.
  • Moms of kids get to win an ETL Learning Book Set worth P49,915. A Child’s first Library of Learning provides knowledge of all four key areas: Life, Nature, Science, and Our World. It also provides colorful photos and illustrations to attract and maintain the child’s attention and create interest. ETL Learning is distributed by Filway Marketing.

Consolation prizes from sponsors are also up for grabs!!

Contest Mechanics:
1. Follow Mommy Mundo on FB, Twitter, and IG
2. (1 pt) Share what stage you are in your motherhood by reporting the (stage) icon or using it as your profile picture.

For all posts, use the appropriate hashtags as follows:
a. Stork: #bellyblessedmama #themotherhoodjourney #expomom2016 #mommymundo
b. Carriage: #momwithababy #themotherhoodjourney #expomom2016 #mommymundo
c. Sock: #momwithatot #themotherhoodjourney #expomom2016 #mommymundo
d. Pinwheel: #lovemykid #themotherhoodjourney #expomom2016#mommymundo
3. (1 pt) Share your motherhood story by posting a personal photo and telling usabout your motherhood journey. Tag @mommymundo and use these hashtags #themotherhoodjourney #expomom2016 #mommymundo. Make sure to tag @mommymundo and @expomom and set your account to public until April 30.
4. (1 pt) Share the Expo Mom 2016 official poster and say that you are going to @expomom.
5. Posts may be on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
6. Posts that are published until April 30 will be counted.
7. Posts will be monitored and counted manually and winner will be drawn based on accumulated points via Rafflecopter.

Full terms and conditions for this contest may be found on this link. For more information, visit www.mommymundo.com/expomom2016.

 

 

Effective Ways to Help Raise Your Child

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Being new parents can be quite frustrating. There are a lot of changes that can happen when one suddenly becomes a mother or father, and that includes considerably less time to rest.

Image source: Twinpossible.com
Image source: Twinpossible.com

One of the most important obligations of being a parent is disciplining a child. There are a lot of children, who don’t listen to their parents when they act up, and that can be attributed to mistakes that parents may be doing when and how they talk to them.

Choose the right time and place

For one, do not embarrass your child in public. Children don’t like to be embarrassed at an early age, and experiencing it from you may cause them emotional trauma. To effectively discipline them, a parent must think about the right time and place to get their message across. Doing it at home is good because you’re in a place where they can fully absorb what you’re trying to say, without them having to worry about strangers listening. If they do something wrong in public, try to maintain composure and discipline them when you’re in a private place like your car or at home.

Choose the right words

The words that you’re going to use are very important. Choosing the wrong words or explicit ones can be very traumatic to kids, and they can effectively destroy a child’s sense of decorum. Use words like, “This behavior is wrong and it can cause pain to others” or “Your behavior has caused harm to others and I don’t want you to do it again.”

Choose the right tone of voice

Sometimes, a calm but firm tone is way better than a condescending one. A calm and firm voice sends a clear message about the things you want to say, rather than a condescending tone, which sometimes implies stupidity and foolishness on the kid’s part. The right tone can help correct a child’s behavior so don’t forget to find which is the most effective for your child.

Being a parent to a nice child is an honor. Think about it. Not every parent has the luxury to attend to their child’s every need, and charities that provide aid to abandoned and suffering children in countries that are destroyed by war are proof of that. If you’re with your child in a country that allows you to be free, make sure to do everything to raise him or her properly.

On Motherhood and Heartaches

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I’ve always wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember. I think I knew going in that being a mom was going to be a physically tiring endeavor. However, I don’t think I was prepared for how emotionally draining it would also be and how easy it would be for me to set aside myself and prioritize my kids instead.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my three kids. They’re the best gifts God ever gave me. I also love being a mother. Motherhood, based on my experience, can be fun and is possibly the most fulfilling job ever. It has lots of good times, precious memories, proud mommy moments – all the things that we treasure.

It’s just that it’s also a roller coaster ride of emotions and oftentimes those ugly ones that drive us to cry, get depressed and go crazy are the ones that don’t get talked about often.

I say it’s emotionally draining because, as a mom, we go through so many different emotions all in one day. We think of and worry about a multitude of issues involving our children, some real and some imagined, that causes us not just headaches but heartaches as well. Elizabeth Stone got it right when she said…

Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous.

It is to decide forever to have your heart

go walking around outside your body.

It’s so true. We oftentimes try our hardest to give the best that we can to our kids and at the same time control the situation so as to protect them from the harsh realities of life. We want them to explore the world and yet try to let them do so without them getting hurt. We do what we can to protect them and in the process we forget to protect ourselves too.

The thing is, by having kids, we open up ourselves to the possibility of being hurt, ridiculed, disappointed, worried, scared, mad and heartbroken. Oftentimes, our sacrifices and efforts go unnoticed. Once in a while, like on Mother’s Day for example, we get showered with thanks and adoration for all that we do. But sometimes, we wonder, “Do they really get it?”. Do they really know how much of ourselves we give to them?

Until when should the protecting and the worrying for our kids last? When do we say stop? Does motherhood ever end?

I asked myself those questions about a week ago when my girls made their final decision to move out of our house and move in with their dad. It was an agreement that their dad and I made years ago when we first separated. We agreed that the girls will move in with him once they hit high school and now that time has come.

It was inevitable, yes. Therefore, I should have already prepared myself for this. I thought I did. But as a mother, when are we ever 100% prepared to let go of the kids we bore and took care of for years? Until the last few days I had hope that it wouldn’t push through. That the girls would make good with their earlier decision not to transfer anymore. But they changed their minds and my heart broke in a million pieces.

The logical part of me knows that this a great opportunity for them to get to know their dad and his new family. I know it would also give them a chance to enjoy the life he can give them and enjoy going to a better school too. Of course, I KNOW that. It’s the emotional part of me that finds it hard to accept and to let go.

The “mommy” part of me was fighting to hold on, always worried that my kids will not grow up the way I want them to. It also hurt to think that they chose him over me. But again, the logical part of my brain reasons out that they don’t love me any less. They did not do this out of spite. It wasn’t because they weren’t happy here. They just want this chance to be with him.What’s so bad about that, right?

No matter how logical it is though, it hurt so bad. I’ve experienced failed relationships and heartbreaks in the past but none of them compares to how much this hurts. Nothing can possibly hurt this bad.

However, I knew that if I didn’t get hold of my emotions that they will end up getting the best of me and put my relationship with my son and hubby at risk. The two of them are still here. I didn’t want to be so depressed that I forgot about them. They’re just as important. They deserve the best of me too.

I can now understand what Christina Romo meant when she said…

If there is one thing motherhood has taught me,

it is the fact that part of being a parent is experiencing heartache

and knowing that you would endure it a million times over

because your child is worth it.

And so, because I now expect to have more heartaches in the future, I resolved to have a stronger heart, one that isn’t so vulnerable that it breaks so easily. Sure I would still worry about them, sure I would still feel scared. I can still feel all those things. But at the same time, I can control what I do with those feelings. I can control myself.

I actually expected to be depressed about the situation for weeks, possibly months. But I surprised myself. It has only been a week and I’m proud to say that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I stopped crying on Day 2. I made good on my promise to myself that I will not bother them with non stop text messages and calls. I was pretty chill. I AM pretty chill. I survived the first week. I can survive the next few years.

So in the end, I was able to answer my own questions. The worrying will never stop. We just learn how to deal with it, maturely. We just learn to trust the process and have faith.

Motherhood also doesn’t end. It just evolves. I’m a long distance parent now. I now have to mother my girls from afar. But only the circumstances have changed. I am still their mother. Forever and always. I’d still be their mother when they’re all grown up and have kids of their own. I just have to mother them differently then.

Letting go is not easy but we have to do so if we want our kids to live their life and for us to live our own too. We just have to toughen up and this mothering job is helping me do just that.

It is within the journey of motherhood

that a woman will discover how strong she really is. – Anonymous

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