Parenting

I went into the final days of my 42-week pregnancy armed with hopes and plans of what my experience as a new mom would be like. I arrived at the hospital on my induction date with a nervous smile and the naive expectations only first-time moms possess.

I remember the days of holding friends’ babies, while longing for children of my own. The one thing that didn’t cross my mind at the time, while smelling those sweet newborns and kissing those squishy cheeks, was how short a time period a baby is actually a baby.

Meet Karen DeBaker, a local mom whose mission is to spread good.  Take a moment to read how she is changing the world with one random act of kindness at a time and learn how you can become part of the movement!

These life lessons are ones I continue to value more and more with the passing of time.  As much as I wish they were here to teach these lessons to my kids, I need to remember they live on through me.

Many people mistakenly assume that a sexual predator looks a certain way, lives in a certain part of town, preys on the children of people we read about in the news, not the ones that we tuck into bed every night.

They have to feel some sense of ownership and power in what is happening, but I am still the parent in charge.  So giving them choices throughout their day is our solution.  It seems simple enough, and I know many others do this as well, but we really make a conscious effort to use them all the time.  

When I toured her daycare facility, I grilled the director, I brainstormed with her teachers, and vigorously highlighted the menu showing them exactly what she can eat. I know they are prepared for her.

Confession. On more than one occasion, I’ve been unsure if I’ve secured my daughter in her car seat properly. I’ve tightened and pulled and shrugged, all the while praying nothing bad happens as I drive from point A to point B.

I realized through this experience that it’s not the act of making the difficult decision — we knew what we needed to do for our family.  However, it is the fear of the unknown that is the difficult part.  That is where my self-taught guide comes in.

She has mannequins decorating her front yard, rides a Gator ATV, can use a shotgun just as well as a sewing machine, and would rather go dancing than sit in a rocking chair.