Chatty Patty's Place

You want to be a happy parent—but your countless responsibilities make this goal challenging! Don’t lose hope just yet. I have a list of 15 things that keep you from happy parenting. Read through them. Be honest with yourself. Then let them go. Allow yourself to be a happy parent for your child—and yourself! ( source ) By Carol Tuttle,  author of  The Child Whisperer *Here’s a list of 15 things you should give up—and then watch your happiness take off: 1. Give up “supposed to” We were conditioned by our own early family experiences to believe that parenthood or childhood are supposed to look a certain way. But if you hold onto the way things are “supposed” to be, you may miss enjoying how they actually are. Be willing to question what you prioritize as a parent and why. 2. Give up keeping score What does your mental score-card keep track of: which parent does more? Who’s most consistent? Which mom contributes most in your child’s class? Who’s most involved i...

What exactly is an expert parent?  I think the fact that my child has survived to the age of 24 must mean I did something right.  Do I consider myself an expert?  By no means.  But I do know one thing.  I always made my child my priority in every aspect of his life. When I decided to become a mom, I made the decision that my life would be dedicated to my child, until he was old enough to make it on his own.  I wish I could sit here and say I didn't make any mistakes along the way, but I can't.  Of course I made stupid decisions at times or gave in to whining at times.  I even may have missed a meal or two or fed my son donuts for breakfast.  It happens. Being a parent is not an easy task by any means.  It is time consuming, exhausting, frustrating, exhilarating, comical, fulfilling and everything in between.  I often found myself scratching my head and thinking to myself, what do I do now?  Have you ever w...

(this post contains affiliate links) Sponsored By: Beth Brykman Hosted By:  Love, Mrs. Mommy *3 Winners Will Receive*  A Copy of Beth Brykman's New Book Titled:  The Best of Both Worlds: How Mothers Can Find Full-time Satisfaction in Part-time Work Book Synopsis:  How can mothers bridge the gap between the worlds of "mom" and "career woman" to find work-life balance? By working part-time. This informative guide tells both stay-at-home and full-time working mothers how they can reengage or redefine their careers while still having time to care for their children. The author--a mother and a former business executive, entrepreneur, and self-employed writer--provides all the information moms need to find the ideal employment solution in today's job market. For some women that means returning to the job market, while for others that means reducing hours with a current employer or changing jobs to obtain part-time work. The aut...