GottaLoveMom

Do you enjoy carpooling the kids to high school? One of the perks of being a parent is that you get to spend some time with your child and his friends. There is no school bus where we live so parents take turns to drive the kids to high school, which is about a mile away, but with the morning traffic, driving requires navigating through the various turns and streets to get to the school on time. Most high school kids have a hectic after-school schedule which makes getting together for dinner not consistent. So the car becomes an extension of where conversations are made. It's surprising to learn that the kids look forward to the daily morning anecdotes, discussions and the words of the day. Today's anecdote is about the date, November 13.  November 13 is the 317th day of the year. There are 48 days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Tuesday, Friday or Sunday (58 in 400 years each) than on Wednesday o...

By: Cyd Deserva Potian Since 1992, I have been practicing Yoga lifestyle. I studied the philosophy behind a vegetarian diet, and the benefits of eating vegetables and fruit. I made a decision to change the way my six-year-old daughter and I ate. Meat was out, veggies and fruit were in. My daughter made the transition easily because she was able to have her usual singang , menudo , and dinuguan without adding meat to the dishes. I substituted tofu and other meat alternatives. The meat cravings were gone - out the door! Four of my children were born into the vegetarian lifestyle. The challenge for them came once they started school. Sadly, there are no vegetarian choices at their school. I would get up early every morning and prepare their favorite dishes. My children did not mind taking their lunch to school, since there was no other choice. I made lunch for my youngest son, who was four at the time. Steamed corn and mushrooms with brown miso paste on the side. His cla...

Most school district's curriculum is focused on preparing the students for college and the workforce. I understand that to be competitive in this new global economy, the next generation needs to be trained and proficient in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), but what about "Good Manners and Right Conduct", or as my Mom would say, "G.M.R.C". When my children were in Grammar School, I had such conversation with one of their teachers on teaching "Character Education" in school. I asked, "Do you think the world will be more peaceful if we know how to be kind and grateful?" To have the possibility of world peace, shouldn't we start being kind at our own homes, our communities, our towns? Growing up, my parents reminded my brothers and I to be kind, not only through daily reminders but by how my parents dealt with other people - strangers and friends alike. Dad always emphasized to help ourselves so that...

Growing up in the Philippines, my mother raised me and my brothers to help with the household chores. Therefore, when I became a mother, I knew my children would be doing chores, too.  When my children were younger, they took turns vacuuming, mopping, folding the laundry, and dusting furniture. For some reason, dusting tchotchkes wasn't a popular task. They'd rather vacuum and mop than dust. My children weren't looking forward to doing the chores, but they all knew that they were all expected to help out. Getting my children to do their chores was easier when they were younger. Teenagers, I found out, love to negotiate. However, since my children were expected to participate and contribute around the house, getting them to help out wasn't as difficult. Together with my husband, we set some guidelines: Schedule a day when chores get done. Identify expectations. Be specific. Compromise, pick your battles. Express gratitude.  It is my hope th...

How do you describe yourself? What tickles your imagination? I am the proud mother of three beautiful children, the complementary half of my life partner/soulmate, and a nonprofit professional and philanthropist. I love travel, art, languages and people of other cultures.  I also like to keep busy, to continuously learn new things, to connect people, to find solutions, and to help others.  I also like the odd and peculiar, and things that are rare and hard to find. What’s your morning routine?   I am a morning person.  I’m usually awake around 4 AM -5 AM.  I use this time to just lie in bed, and reflect and mediate.  This is when I thank God and the Universe for all that I have and have gone through, and for what the current day will hold for me.  I also plan out my day and figure out which things need to be done, when and in what order. What is your everyday “go-to” outfit? I’m usually simple.  If it’s fall/winter, I wear...

You heard this before: Collect moments not things. Bonding time with your child doesn’t stop when your child starts driving, or when he goes away to college. A child, from infancy to adulthood need quality time with their parents. Experts say… Wait, forget about the studies. Just ask your grandma or your mom.  There’s no need to do an extensive research.  You just have to listen to the wisdom of the elders: a  parent’s goal is to raise a happy and well-adjusted child. As my mantra goes, “a happy simple life.”

"Faith can move mountains".  Several times in my life I've proven this, especially when there were trials. I always felt that God was with me all the time! ~  Carmina Huet

"I believe most people don’t understand that individuals with autism are still people. Individuals with autism learn differently and develop at a slower pace, but they are still unique individuals with varied interests and personalities, just like everyone else." Cheryl Ocampo, 40, is the founder of the non-profit organization,  Queens County Parents Coalition (QCPAC).   QCPAC is a support network for families who have children with autism. Cheryl is the mother of three: Joshua (22), Isaiah (18), and Zariah (13).  Her daughter, her youngest child, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  As a Behavior Intervention Specialist, Cheryl works with adults who have autism and developmental disabilities.

   My little guy and I used to walk to school together, hand in hand. It's another delayed opening so the morning rush allowed me to have a longer conversation with my almost 13 year old son, my youngest of 4.

Early morning, the sun shining, the birds chirping and the wind whispers as the  leaves dance to the rhythm. It's the first day of school. I don't know why but I was restless last night. I couldn't condition myself to sleep.  It's that transition from summer schedule that was difficult to adjust to. As I prepare the day's breakfast, I was reminded that "every  day is a milestone, every moment is a chance to make lasting memories."

Can we have it all? What exactly “having it all” means? Is it a sacrifice to be a stay-at-home mom? Last month, in an interview with BabyBableRadio.com , I was asked, “What is your biggest personal sacrifice when you decided to be a stay-at-home mom?   Did you regret not having it all?” What exactly “having it all” means? My “all” is definitely not the same as another person’s “all”. Maybe mine sounds simple because my “all” is making sure that my family is together, happy, healthy and loved. So is it possible to have it all? Maybe you can eventually have all that you sought out to have – in the course of your lifetime, but to have it all in every moment of the day? There are only 24 hours in a day. If you’re fortunate, 7 hours are spent sleeping, which leaves 17 hours of awake time. Let’s say it takes about 1 hour to get yourself ready in the morning, and another hour to get ready for bed. So you’re left with 15 hours. 15 hours seem a lot but ...

My youngest (nicknamed FOUR) has been the shortest in his class - ever since Pre-K. I don't really notice how tall his peers are until I see them at school events. For years we've consulted with an endocrinologist, monitored his bone age, weight and height growth. Everything’s normal. He’s growing as God intended him to grow. My son, THREE, was the shortest in his class until his junior year in High School. He said that it might seem that height doesn’t matter, but for teenage boys – it does – especially when girls in your class are a lot taller than you.

Kind of  a silly title, but recently, that seemed to be my goal. There were times I wished video games weren't invented. Don't get me wrong, I, too, benefited from having my kid played video games. He learned a few techniques, some I wished he never discovered. The past few days had been challenging in terms of finding something to do that we both enjoyed. Earlier this week, I drove him and his friends to the skateboard park. He was concerned at first that I would be worried that him and his friends would get hurt that he suggested that I just drop them off and come back. Of course, that would never happen. I stayed at the parking lot looking over them while they skateboarded. I experienced a few pins and needles as they fell off their boards, but I tried not to make a scene -- I didn't want my son to revoke my invitation to sort of hang-out with him. Today, we were supposed to head to the City, but I just found out that my 13 year-old son didn't l...

"Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?" "Who says I want to grow up?"

Like many mothers, 12 months ago around this time, I was reminding my college-bound son to finalize his list of colleges to apply to. Even though this was the third time I was sending my child to college, the process was different and nerve wracking. There were a lot of what if's.   So in order to narrow down our choices and make the process not as stressful as it could have been, we did: 1) Start Early. Our college selection process started when my son was a freshman in High School. We documented every extra curricular activities and community service. We had a spreadsheet of how many hours he spent on each organization and how many hours he spent giving back to the community. This spreadsheet helped in filling in the college applications. It was my son's responsibility to spend time going over the colleges' websites, identifying admission requirements, deadlines and academic curriculum. We visited various universities. Our list consisted of...

by Veronica Cleofe-Alejar (Nikka with her husband and children) Hello everyone! I am Veronica Cleofe-Alejar, Nikka for short, 37 years old. I am a broadcaster by profession; a mother of four, all spaced roughly three years apart, by vocation; and a baker by passion. Our eldest, Therese, is pretty and demure and turns 9 this December; followed by mischievous yet sweet Andre who turns six this October; then chubby and charming Reuben who had just turned three this May; and lastly, lovely and smiley Isabelle who is eight weeks old. Quite a handful, eh? Being the elder of two girls, I never thought that I would outnumber my parents in terms of how many children I would or could pop out. The magic number for them, as my Papa revealed to me one time, would have been FOUR, but due to Mama’s health problems and Papa’s perceived budgetary constraints, they only had TWO – me and my sister, Erica. Mama was never able to see any of her grandchildren, having passe...

“I hope you find true meaning, contentment, and passion in your life. I hope you navigate the difficult times and come out with greater strength and resolve. I hope you find whatever balance you seek with your eyes wide open. And I hope that you - yes, you - have the ambition to lean in to your career and run the world. Because the world needs you to change it.” ~ Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead That's a quote from Sheryl Sandberg but when I read it, I heard my Mom's voice. Those words of wisdom were something my Mom kept reminding me, my 5 brothers and her 17 grandchildren.

 Mom has been through a lot, more than I can quantify...and yet, she continues to give so much more. Whenever I speak to her on the phone (she lives in the Philippines ), she starts our conversation with a cheerful "Good morning, Good evening". She then lists the usual inconveniences of taking care of a very sick loved one, and being so far away from her children and grandchildren. I occasionally insert my usual simple complains in life, but then I picture what she's been going through, and I feel so totally guilty of even complaining about the cold rainy day when she one day longs to escape the sometimes gruesome heat wave in the Philippines.   No matter what time of the day, our telephone conversations usually happen when she's either cleaning the backyard or while I am washing the dishes. I guess her and I are always busy attending to the needs of our families.  This weekend, the kids and I went to church   -- to say praise and than...

- by Carmina Villanueva-Huet A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need. From Guada, an angel indeed! A gift from heaven, That God has given. A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need, Even if she cannot say, "I love you, Mommy!" or "Thank you for taking care of me.". A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need. To overcome my fears, or to wipe my tears. Even when no one sees or hears. A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need. To go on living, To keep on trying, And continue on loving. A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need. You are always bubbly, As I cuddle you fondly. Or how you make me happy. (Ms. Carmina Villanueva-Huet, is one of my college friends. She's one of the new contributors for GottaLoveMom.)

We cannot help how we are predisposed to being. But this coming home to ourselves can sometimes be painful. I strongly believed I am a full-fledged, 100% loner by nature. My motto was the less people in my life, the happier am I. There was an odd thing going on though. A strange unexplainable pattern I kept seeing. My closest friends would have ridiculously large families. Their families would even be the kind that ‘adopts’ friends (that would be me) into their life and treats them exactly like family. I’ve been in three relationships. All three, without exception, had large families and also had enormous circle of friends. It gets worse, this pattern. Of all the gurus to become a devotee to, I chose (fell in love with) one who is the epitome of ‘large group of people’. She’s the only Guru in the history of the planet who hugs everyone around the world and calls them all Her children! Still, I paid no mind to all that repetitive, consistent, what I call, anomaly. I was obs...