"A mother's love is patient and forgiving when all others are foresaking, it never fails or falters, even though the heart is breaking." --Helen Steiner Rice
How To Be A Calm Mom When You Feel Anything But
"Imagine you love hiking. You make a habit of finding new trails and woods because you enjoy the thrill of exertion and exploring new terrain. Early Saturday morning you pack a bag with water, an anorak, lunch, and a camera. You put on thick socks with your best hiking books and drive out to your destination.
As you park the car and begin to set off, you wonder whether you need your compass or a map. Quickly you decide they aren’t necessary. You’ve got good instincts, after all. An hour into the hike you come to a fork, then another, then quite a few more. By lunchtime you are feeling that good tired. The satisfied physical kind. You sit down for a nice lunch, take a quick power nap, and decide to head back.
Soon you realize the way back isn’t all that clear. Your instinct tells you right, then left, then right again. But quickly you wander into unfamiliar territory and now you wonder… did I err at the first fork or the second? Should I retrace my steps all the way back to where I ate lunch, or try the other direction at the last fork?
Too often we do this in life. We rely on our feelings and instincts to guide us instead of just advise us.
If feelings are your compass, you will wander in circles." [read more]
As you park the car and begin to set off, you wonder whether you need your compass or a map. Quickly you decide they aren’t necessary. You’ve got good instincts, after all. An hour into the hike you come to a fork, then another, then quite a few more. By lunchtime you are feeling that good tired. The satisfied physical kind. You sit down for a nice lunch, take a quick power nap, and decide to head back.
Soon you realize the way back isn’t all that clear. Your instinct tells you right, then left, then right again. But quickly you wander into unfamiliar territory and now you wonder… did I err at the first fork or the second? Should I retrace my steps all the way back to where I ate lunch, or try the other direction at the last fork?
Too often we do this in life. We rely on our feelings and instincts to guide us instead of just advise us.
If feelings are your compass, you will wander in circles." [read more]
Reading Corner
Title: Buddhism for Mothers: A Calm Approach to Caring for Yourself and Your Children
By: Sarah Napthali
Stage: Any
"Addressing the often-overlooked spiritual needs of mothers, this book discusses Buddhist teachings as applied to the everyday challenges and stresses of raising children. Offered are ways for mothers to reconnect with their inner selves and become calmer and happier—with the recognition that a happier mother will be a better parent. This realistic look at motherhood acknowledges the sorrows as well as the joys of mothering and offers real and achievable coping strategies for mothers to renew their lives on a deep level." -- Publisher
By: Sarah Napthali
Stage: Any
"Addressing the often-overlooked spiritual needs of mothers, this book discusses Buddhist teachings as applied to the everyday challenges and stresses of raising children. Offered are ways for mothers to reconnect with their inner selves and become calmer and happier—with the recognition that a happier mother will be a better parent. This realistic look at motherhood acknowledges the sorrows as well as the joys of mothering and offers real and achievable coping strategies for mothers to renew their lives on a deep level." -- Publisher
Recommended by Cubs Editors
Be the Change
Take a deep breath and step away for a few moments. In most cases it’s okay not to resolve the entire problem right then. In the midst of an interaction, ask your children about their feelings and reply with empathy. Step into their shoes. Remember how it felt to be a kid, and out of control of so many things in life? We all lose our cool sometimes. But the beautiful thing about motherhood or parenthood is that tomorrow and the next day and the next we’ll get many more chances to jump in and try again.
