A Wise Grandmother's Advice
Grandmothers always give the best advice & love to bestow their grandmotherly advice when asked. So, I recently asked my grandmother (grandma Dionne) what her top pieces of advice were; she gave 11 of her best!
1. Have cousin sleepovers so they can get to know each other well. I have 5 other cousins & we’re all very close in age! I remember being lined up on the floor in a pile of blankets, each with our own bowl of popcorn to eat while we watched Land Before Time or Free Willy after a day in the pool & playing on the swings. We’re still all super close now! We basically grew up like siblings & I'm so fortunate for these relationships.
2. While they’re napping, rest up, it’s most important. I know, I know: easier said than done. But recently, I’ve really tried to put this into more perspective. Your little one needs you rested, not burnt out from taking on the world. Society puts so much pressure on us moms to do it all, then when we do it, we're shamed for not solely tending to our children. It's a lose-lose. But, look at your child & you'll see what they need most - YOU to love them the best you can.
3. Unless you put presents under the Christmas tree wrapped, then skip the nap! They’ll get opened. To my knowledge, I’ve never been a snooper (I'm sure my dad or husband would say differently). However, I can only hope my kid doesn’t become one (although I'm pretty sure it's just in their nature).
4. Give them chores - start small. My grandmother had 4 children, & when the girls would say their inside chores were harder than the boys’ outside chores, they’d switch! Perspective. Same can apply to only children, too. As for where to start it all depends on where you feel your little one is at. Jackson LOVES (I mean, LOVES) his play vacuum, so hopefully he’ll be ready to vacuum in no time…
5. Go to church & get your donuts.1. Have cousin sleepovers so they can get to know each other well. I have 5 other cousins & we’re all very close in age! I remember being lined up on the floor in a pile of blankets, each with our own bowl of popcorn to eat while we watched Land Before Time or Free Willy after a day in the pool & playing on the swings. We’re still all super close now! We basically grew up like siblings & I'm so fortunate for these relationships.
2. While they’re napping, you nap - rest up, it’s most important. I know, I know: easier said than done. But recently, I’ve really tried to put this into more perspective. Your little one needs you rested, not burnt out from taking on the world.
3. Unless you put presents under the Christmas tree wrapped, then skip the nap! They’ll get opened. To my knowledge, I’ve never been a snooper (I'm sure my dad or husband would say differently). However, I can only hope my kid doesn’t become one (although I'm pretty sure it's just in their nature).
4. Give them chores - start small. My grandmother had 4 children, & when the girls would say their inside chores were harder than the boys’ outside chores, they’d switch! Perspective. Same can apply to only children, too. As for where to start it all depends on where you feel your little one is at. Jackson LOVES (I mean, LOVES) his play vacuum, so hopefully he’ll be ready to vacuum in no time…
5. Go to church & get your donuts. We all (aunts, uncles, cousins) grew up relatively religious. Church on Sunday’ mornings & if we behaved, we got our donuts. Moral here, donuts make wonderful bribes.
6. Follow the rules & teach your children to do the same. Rules are here for clarity, consistency so we can avoid conflict. Children especially tend to thrive on the consistency aspect & some adults do, too (guilty!). Make them, follow them yourselves & your children will do the same.
7. Say please & thank you; then teach your children to do the same. Same as before! Also, common courtesy will get you a long way.
8. Keep your space tidy. Cluttered space, cluttered mind! My mind is cluttered enough as it is & my space is (98% of the time) pretty tidy. I like to say no thank you to extra clutter & mess.
9. Get out with your friends. Even in this parenthood stage, it’s still important for us all to step away from the day-to-day. What a better way to do that than to have some time out with friends!
10. Have someone you can talk to. It’s so important to have an outlet, someone you can rant to, share wins & losses with & to lean on when things get hard.
11. Most of all, love them - good days & bad. Self explanatory. There will always be bad days to your good days. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent or you have a bad kid.. It was just a bad day. You can try again tomorrow.
6. Follow the rules & teach your children to do the same. Rules are here for clarity & consistency. Children tend to thrive on that & some adults do, too. Make them, follow them yourselves & your children will do the same.
7. Say please & thank you; then teach your children to do the same. Same as before! Also, common courtesy will get you a long way. It’s a small & simple gesture & shows so much appreciation & respect for those around you.
8. Keep your space tidy. Cluttered space, cluttered mind! My mind is cluttered enough as it is & my space is (98% of the time) pretty tidy. I like to say no thank you to extra clutter & mess. A today space will improve your focus & brings you a sense of control & order
9. Get out with your friends. Even in this parenthood stage, it’s still important for us all to step away from the day-to-day: get out of your space, get out of your head. What a better way to do that than to have some time out with friends!
10. Have someone you can talk to. It’s so important to have an outlet, someone you can rant to, share wins & losses with & to lean on when things get hard.
11. Most of all, love them - good days & bad. Self explanatory. There will always be bad days to your good days. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent or you have a bad kid.. It was just a bad day. You can try again tomorrow.
