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When I was an adult before I had kids, I always bought my mom a card. It was nice, but now that I’m a mom, I know how much a handmade card from my kids means rather than a store-bought one.

All the moms in your life will smile when they see the little prints in this handmade card. It is inspired by an awesome book in our Usborne Store called Fingerprint Activities.

There are so many inspiring pictures to make with your fingerprints, and this book makes it easy to duplicate and experiment with a built-in stamp pad.

Fingerprint Mother’s Day Card

First, I made this printable with 2 different Mother’s Day cards. One says, “I made a flower with my finger and thumb. So you will have these memories for years to come.  I love you.” This could be for any Mother in your life.

The other says, “If I had a Flower for each time I thought of my Mother, I could walk in my Garden Forever…” Just click on the image below to download.

We made prints with the tips of our fingers for the flowers and then added details with a black pen. The butterfly is made by printing the whole finger for the front wings and the tips of the fingers for the back wings.

We tried a bird and a bee and some flowers of our own. It was a lot of fun, and now we have special cards for our Mothers!

If you’re looking for more Mother’s Day Card ideas, you might also like this hand and foot print Mother’s Day card!

More Book Activity Ideas!

Rebecca at Line Upon Line Learning

Lauren at Mama’s Learning Corner

The post Fingerprint Mother’s Day Card Kids Can Make first appeared on True Aim.

Free Mother’s Day Printables

This awesome 30-page freebie contains questions about mom and mom coupons that she can trade in with nice things to do for your mom! After they fill these out, treasure them until they are parents! What a fun keepsake and memories to make for mother’s day. Those are the best gifts in my opinion.

Some questions ask are:

If I could take my mom anywhere in the world, I would take her to?

What are 5 things I love about my mom?

If I could by my mom anything in the world, I would buy her?

Complete the form below if you’d like to get this Mother’s Day freebie!

Another fun thing I like to do with my kids, is READ to them! I get bored of reading the same things all the time so this fun Reading Bingo challenge for MayReading Bingo challenge for May keeps things interesting!

You can also win fun prizes for completing bingos and blackouts! Join my Reading Facebook group to participate and get this freebie too!

Mother’s day Giveaway!

Celebrate yourself and Motherhood this year! I’ve teamed up with a wonderful group of bloggers to help pamper 4 Amazing Moms! 
There will be ONE Grand Prize Winner and THREE $100 gift card winners – for a total of 4 winners!! The Grand Prize winner will choose between a combo Air Fryer/Toaster Oven or a Kitchen Aid Mixer (up to $300). It’s our hope and prayer that we will add to your blessing this Mother’s Day, and also show you just how much we appreciate you, our mom readers. 

To enter for your chance to win, simply use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Now I know that is quite a few entries for you, but each of these bloggers generously chipped in their own money to bring you this giveaway, so I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries. Don’t forget, the more entries you do, the better your odds are at winning!

Giveaway ends Friday, May 12th at 11:59pm EDT.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim the prize. By entering this giveaway you may be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers. Please be sure to read the Terms & Conditions upon entering the giveaway. By entering the giveaway, you agree and acknowledge your understanding of the terms & conditions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post All About My Mom Free Printable and Giveaway first appeared on True Aim.

There are lots of ways to show your affection for mom, but it’s the effort that counts. I’m a sucker for the nice things my kids do for me. I would rather have nice things said, handmade cards, and backrubs over chocolate any day! What about you?

Free Mother’s Day Printables

If you are looking for something that the kids can easily do for mom, here are some free printables for Mother’s Day! There is a page that the kids can write what they think about their mom and some coupons for mom to use to help her around the house and get some special pampering in. 

Which one do you think mom will like best? 

If you’d like to get more free printables each month, join my Book Club Group on Facebook here.

Personally the coupons are my favorite, but I can’t wait to see what the kids say about me. I will treasure looking back at that page and I’m sure having a couple laughs too. Kids are so fun and I’m so grateful to be a mom!

Click here to download your free Mother’s Day Printables!

Mother’s Day Giveaway!

Mother’s Day is coming up and I’ve partnered together with a great group of bloggers to bless some moms BIG TIME this Mother’s Day! 

We are giving away FOUR $100 gift cards to the place of the winner’s choice. The winner can choose a gift from Hobby Lobby, Christianbook.com, grocery store of choice, or restaurant of choice. 

Now I know that the Rafflecopter has quite a few entries, but each of these bloggers generously chipped in their own money to bring you this giveaway, so I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries.  And hey, the more entries you do, the better your odds are of winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends May 7th at 11:59pm EDT.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim the prize. By entering this giveaway you will be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers. Please be sure to read the Terms & Conditions upon entering the giveaway. By entering the giveaway, you agree and acknowledge your understanding of the terms & conditions.

The post Free Mother’s Day Printables – Mother’s Day Giveaway! first appeared on True Aim.

This is a sponsored review. However all my opinions are my own. Please read my FTC for more information.

5 Essential Items for Your Baby Registry!

As a mother of multiple, I know it’s tempting to just buy everything that seems helpful, but only a few items are really ‘must haves’ for the new baby. I’ve narrowed it down for you!

Baby Registry Must-Have #1: Diaper Bag

When looking for a diaper bag two things run through my mind: How functional is it? How fashionable is it?

EliteBaby makes an amazing diaper bag that is not only cute but super functional for any mom. It’s also so adorable! Something that stood out to me is the quality of the zippers. It is so frustrating dealing with broken zippers on other cheap bags. The zipper itself is metal with a leather loop riveted to it; I love it! 

Every time I unzip the big pocket to grab a diaper, it feels sturdy like it is going to last a long time.

Another thing is that it is not a fish mouth diaper bag. This was a big deal for me because my first bag had that feature and it ended up being such a nuisance because anytime I needed something I had to unzip it all of the way to open it.

This may seem like a trivial complaint but when your teething son needs his rattler and you only have one free hand it becomes very inconvenient. All that to say, I love that EliteBaby chose not to implement the fish-mouth opening. I have also enjoyed the cellphone pocket. However, I don’t keep my cell phone in there but my wallet! It is super handy for shopping and easy access! Make sure to put this item on your baby registry!

Baby Registry Must-Have #2: Crochet  Rattler | Baby Teether

Aside from being adorable, this teether/rattler was a godsend! Babies can start teething right away and it can feel overwhelming when your baby is inconsolable because their teeth hurt.

This little crochet rattler/baby teether has been perfect for soothing sore gums on my babe by having different textures. My little guy is currently teething like crazy, I don’t know what he loves more, the wooden handle in his mouth or sucking on the organic cotton ears! 

Baby Registry Must-Have #3: Pacifier Holder | Soothie Pacifier Holder

Keeping a pacifier or a soothie clean is tough work and it is hard not to lose the little things. In my house the pacifier seems to vanish DAILY! They are always falling on the ground, and slipping out of my baby’s hands even when I have a rock solid clip.

These ‘must have’ pacifier holders have helped me and my husband keep track of the pacifier and keep it clean, not to mention safe from my little toddler who likes to collect all the trinkets she finds in the house.

Must Have #4: Magnetic Child Safety Cabinet Locks | Baby Proofing Cabinet Latches

Once you become a mom, all you can think about is how to keep your baby safe! Just put your mind at rest and get some baby proofing done! Seriously, these are a MUST-HAVE item for your baby registry! If you want to prevent your baby from “reorganizing” your cabinets, put these on your list! My favorite place to put the cabinet locks are under my sinks where I keep cleaning supplies, an obvious danger to your lil’ crawler.

The hook, size, and color have also been a life saver for me on the go. The bright color helps it to stand out among the toys and books I keep in the car so it is always to find. I keep one in my car and one in my diaper bag, I’ve also been able to keep at least two pacifiers in one holder which is awesome! 

Baby Registry Must Have #5: Adjustable Child Safety Locks | Child Proof Locks For Drawers

These go right along with what I said about #4 but these can be placed anywhere, not just cabinets. These safety locks can be applied to anything!

As soon as your child starts exploring you will be AMAZED at the things they can get into, for example, the TOILET! Yea.. I know.. Gross!!! That is why these locks are one of my ‘must have’ items. Let’s keep those little fingers out of places they might be eager to explore!

Even if it isn’t necessarily a place a baby wouldn’t explore, think of places where small fingers can get pinched like drawers and cat doors. Our son can’t help but put his fingers in the cat door to spy outside, and those tiny fingers have gotten stuck too many times. Keep those hands safe with these adjustable child safety locks. 

Make sure you visit Elite Baby for these must-have items for your baby registry! Trust me, they’ll make life easier for both you and your lovely new baby! Leave a comment below on your 5 Must Have Items to help all those new moms build their baby registries with more ideas!

The post 5 Must-Have Items for Your Baby Registry! first appeared on True Aim.

I thought that in the last five or so years, I’ve been making progress. And that my relationship with my mother has been improving.

Last spring, she was finally able to get a tourist visa, and my husband and I paid for her to come visit us for 10 days.

During the first 5 days of her visit, she put me through such an emotional roller-coaster that my husband insisted we send her back to Russia as soon as possible (and regardless of how expensive it was to exchange her ticket).

Those five days were enough to bring all of the bad stuff in our relationship to the surface with a vengeance. It’s been a year now, and I have barely written to my mother (and have not spoken to her at all).

5 Ways to Avoid Toxic Motherhood 

If you don’t want to find yourself in this kind of predicament as a mother, then make sure you don’t have these toxic qualities that have ruined my relationship with my mom.

1. Calling Your Kids Names

I remember many of the names my mother called me during the first 18 years of my life (before I left home to move to the United States). Some of the names were more hurtful than others; some were variations of Russian swear words that I would not be able to translate to English even if I wanted.

Each name called is like a brand, seared into my soul. Each name called glaring at me in the mirror… unshakable, reinforced by repetition.

Some name-calling is obvious—swear words, demeaning or degrading terms; but some name-calling is relatively mild and can easily slip off our tongues.

You might not flat-out call your kid “stupid,” but saying something like “What were you thinking?” in an accusing tone of voice might send the same message to your child.

Dear mother reading this, if you ever call your kid(s) names, please resolve right now to STOP this toxic habit!!!

2. Comparing with other kids

My mother often complained how so-and-so’s kid was so much better than me at school or sports or even at cleaning the house.

I don’t know if she thought it was some kind of weird motivation to get me to do better at those things… Maybe in a way, it even did.

I’m definitely an overachiever and very competitive. I ended up graduating from high school as a valedictorian and graduating from law school in the top 10% of my class.

However, I believe there are other more positive ways to cultivate the love of learning and pursuit of excellence in your kids that are not going to give your children unhealthy habits or make them resent you.

If you like to compare your kid(s) to other children who are better at doing something, please STOP this toxic habit!!!

3. Unfair with chores

I am all for teaching kids to help with various chores, but it has to be fair.

My mother would often expect me to clean the house. I usually did try to do my best. But she would inevitably come back to check my work after I was done and find something to complain about.

One day it might be that I did not wipe the tops of the baseboards… another day it might be that I did not dust the tops of the kitchen cabinets. Without asking me beforehand to do those things, I felt it was unfair to blame me for not doing them (after I generally did a decent job cleaning the house).

Another thing is that my mother loved parties. So, my parents would often have parties at our apartment. Unfortunately for me, those parties usually involved a lot of drinking, a huge mess in the kitchen, and all of the adults going to bed drunk without cleaning up.

In the mornings, my mother would get up hung-over and beyond cranky and yell at me for not cleaning up their party mess in the kitchen. I always felt that it was so unfair to be expected to clean up after their drunken parties.

If you’re unfair with your kids’ chores (expectations beyond kids’ age, arbitrary and changing standards), please stop and set the expectations and work together as a team to avoid breeding resentment.

4. Be a Better Mother – Avoid Projecting

As mothers, I think many of us get caught up thinking that our kids are a direct reflection of how good of parents we are.

When and where I grew up, the parent-teacher conferences were done in a public forum. Even though I was an A-student most of the time, my mother would always come home from these parent-teacher conferences unhappy. Her main complaint usually would be how embarrassed *she* was about something that the teacher mentioned about me.

It even got worse. After I graduated high school as a valedictorian, I applied to the Moscow State University. It was a weird deal in Russia that you could only apply to one university and only for a fall semester admission. The system was also very corrupt.

I’m smart, but I’m no genius. And unless you knew who to bribe, you had to be a genius to get admitted to a university the caliber of the Moscow State University. And so, I failed the admissions.

Picture from http://www.themoscowtimes.com

At the time, my dreams were crushed (and my ego too). We were in Moscow still when the rejection was made. We were staying with my great aunt. My mom had a fit. She was upset and yelling at me. She called me names, but the worst thing that stuck in my mind all these years was her saying: “How could I go back home and look people in the eye?”

Instead of recognizing my distress, instead of comforting my crushed spirit, she was concerned with her image. I did not get admitted to the Moscow State University, but it was her dreams and her ego that were really crushed that day.

Dear mama, please don’t base your dreams and your ego on your children’s accomplishments. Don’t worry about what people might think or say about you as a mother. Focus on supporting your children and comforting them when things don’t go their way. Show them you love them NO. MATTER. WHAT.

5. Guilt-Tripping

My mother is a travel agent for guilt trips! I know this is supposed to make you chuckle, but guilt-tripping is so toxic. And at times, I think all of us have been guilty of doing it to our loved ones.

My mother did a lot for me and sacrificed a lot; I have no doubt about that. But she would always love to remind me just how much she sacrificed, while trying to get me to do something. She loved, still loves, playing a martyr to get what she wants.

And that is the crux of guilt-tripping, making people you love feel guilty in order to get them to do something for you. Basically, it’s a form of psychological manipulation.

One of the worst examples of her guilt-tripping was a few years after I left Russia for the United States. My family has always been poor, so I would send them whatever money I could when they asked.

Often, these money requests came with some kind of a guilt-trip from my mother. She just loved painting pictures of horrible diseases and death to get me to send them money. One time, she wrote to me that my dad was ready to go dumpster-diving if I did not send the money. This was the worst image to me for some reason (more so than diseases and deaths).

In reality, all she had to do was ask. Not just for money, for anything else in my life that she got from me through guilt-tripping.

Dear mamas, your children most likely would be willing to do whatever you ask for without you having to guilt-trip them. If you get what you want by guilt-tripping, they will resent you in the end for it.

It’s hard to be a Better Mother

Since I grew up with all of these toxic behaviors, unfortunately, they are such familiar patters for me. So I have to work twice as hard to shake them off and not to repeat them as I mother my own children.

Are there other toxic behaviors that are threatening your motherhood? Leave a comment so we can brainstorm ways of how to overcome them.

Tatyana Gray is a homeschooling mother of two. She has walked away from a career as a lawyer to be a full-time wife and mother and has never looked back. She now writes about family, motherhood, and home education at her blog, TatyanaGray.com.

Check out 30 More Ways to be a Better Parent!

The post Be a Better Mother – 5 Ways to Avoid Toxic Motherhood first appeared on True Aim.

It’s that time of year again when the weather is warming up and people are heading outside to enjoy the fresh air! This means fun outdoor games, playing on the beach, and sipping ice cold lemonade in the sun. It’s also the time of year that we end up with sunburns.

How to Treat Sunburns Naturally

It’s hard for some of us to avoid and it can be even harder finding something that actually works to treat it. I’ve put together a list of three all-natural remedies that you can use to treat your sunburn right away. No need to suffer through it when these three easy steps will help offer immediate relief. Let’s get to it!

1. Apply tea to the sunburn for 5-10 minutes.

I’m talking about regular tea with the dark brown color. Simply brew up 4 large tea bags (or 6-8 small ones). Allow it to cool for 15 minutes and add 2 cups of ice. Now grab an old wash cloth (it will stain) and dip it into the mixture of tea and ice.

Wring out the washcloth and place it on top of the sunburn until the washcloth gets warm. Once the cloth is warm, put it back into the mixture and re-apply. Keep doing this for 5-10 minutes until the pain stops. Tea will also help to speed up the healing of your sunburn.

2. Apply aloe vera ice cubes to the sunburn several times a day.

To make the aloe vera ice cubes you will need a bottle of aloe vera gel and a silicone ice cube tray. Simply fill the ice cube trays up with the aloe vera gel and allow to freeze. Once they are completely frozen, pop the frozen cube out and gently rub the aloe vera cube onto the sunburn.

Aloe is a great remedy for sunburn because it soothes the skin while adding in much-needed moisture. This will also help to speed up the healing of your sunburn. Personally, this is my favorite way to treat sunburns naturally. Plain aloe vera gel works great if you’re in a pinch, but the coldness of it feels great to your skin.

3. Apply apple cider vinegar to the sunburn several times a day.

Be sure to use the RAW apple cider vinegar for this treatment. This remedy will help take the burning sensation away almost immediately. Be sure to shake the bottle well before each use. Simply use a cotton ball to apply the vinegar to the sunburn several times during the day.

I also like to follow up this treatment with a little coconut oil to help hydrate the skin. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature so you can gently apply it easily to your sunburn.

You can use any one of these steps above or you can also use a combination of the three.

Try them all and see which one works best for relieving your sunburn. It’s great to keep these remedies on hand throughout the summer for quick and easy treatment.

The post How to Treat Sunburn Naturally first appeared on True Aim.

Hand prints are so telling.  It reminds us how quickly time goes by and how precious these moments we have really are.

I’m excited to see my little ones grow, but at the same, I want them to stay little forever.  I like to make some sort of hand and foot print card with their picture every year so I can remember their cuteness.

Mother’s Day Hand and Foot Print Card

First, print off this free Mother’s Day poem printable on card stock.  That way, if you use school glue it doesn’t get all wrinkly like regular printer paper.

Have the children trace their hands and a foot on construction paper or help them do it.  For the foot use green and for the hands a different color.  Cut the prints out as well as another long green strip of construction paper for the stem of the flower.  Next, place the stem on the card and arrange the hands into a flower shape with the palms overlapping on top of the stem.  Use the foot print as a leaf at the bottom of the stem.  Print off a picture of the children and place it in the middle of the flower hands.

One year, I didn’t have as many children in my preschool class so we used paint to make our hand and foot prints.

I really like paint, but the construction paper method is nice because older children can do it all by themselves.

I will definitely be doing the construction paper flower card again for my new preschool class at church.

Do you have any Mother’s Day gift ideas that you like to make with kids?

For more posts on Faith and Family, like us on Facebook or follow us on Pinterest.

Mother’s Day Giveaway!

Instant Pots are all the rage these days.  They seem to be on the top of most mom’s wish lists.  They are quick, convenient, and help to make delicious meals; why wouldn’t every mom or homemaker want (or need) one?  Well, if you still haven’t jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon and bought yourself one, you have the chance to win one right here!  I’m partnering with 24 of my blogging friends to give away FOUR Instant Pots!  Yup, FOUR!!  Just in time for Mother’s Day.  What an amazing gift that would be, right?!

To enter for your chance to win, simply use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  Now I know that is quite a few entries for you, but each of these bloggers generously chipped in their own money to bring you this giveaway, so I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries.  And hey, the more entries you do, the better your odds are at winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends May 10th at 11:59pm EDT.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim prize.  Please be sure to read the Terms & Conditions upon entering the giveaway.

The post Mother’s Day Craft: Flower Hand and Foot Print Card first appeared on True Aim.

Whether you’re a college student or a busy mom, tackle life’s busy moments with the help of Dixie® To Go!

Crushing it with Dixie® To Go

Managing a blog, work, and a full time coursework in college can be tough! Studying, keeping social, making sure you’re eating right, and getting enough sleep are all important. With everyone’s busy schedules, it’s important to take a step back and enjoy the things that matter. Embrace life’s simple joys with Dixie® To Go, the official cup for crushing it!

You know those days when you’d rather stay in bed all day, but know you have a mountain of a to-do list to accomplish? Today definitely felt like one of those days.

I’ve been doing some research on decision making, and I’ve found out (and noticed) that the less decisions you have to make, the better off you are, and the more energized you feel. To start things off, I try to plan what I’m wearing the night before, since that is one less decision I have to make in the morning!

After getting up and getting ready for the day, the next decision to make is breakfast. Typically, for me, breakfast consists of a protein bar, since it is easy to shove in my backpack before rushing to class on time!

Save time, money, and an extra decision by skipping your trip to the coffee shop and using Dixie® To Go!

As a college student, Dixie® to Go is convenient for quickly making a cup of coffee before starting your morning routine. Afterwards, simply grab your cup and go! Those extra pockets of time can be used for studying to ace your next test, getting a few extra winks of sleep, or spending a few extra minutes getting ready to help you crush your day.

The cups are insulated, keeping your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks go. There’s no washing or cleanup, allowing for more time to do what you love. The cups are also microwave safe, which is convenient for reheating it at work or during a classroom break.

Formerly known as PerfecTouch, Dixie® to Go cups are BPA free, an extra plus! The cups also have a leak-resistant lid that is great for busy mornings. So if you are on the clumsier side like I am, you don’t have to worry so much about spilling your drink everywhere.

I was selected for this paid opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The post Simple Fall Morning Routine with Dixie to Go first appeared on True Aim.

What does having a degree mean?
Today, having a degree does not necessarily make you more qualified to teach than someone who doesn’t have one.  The skills you actually possess are the defining factor.  The completion of a list of classes and the required tasks associated with them is not a good measurement.

First, some people can take a class without learning or remembering anything significant.  Remember that French class you took in highschool?  The fact that I took one is the extent of what I can recall.  And did I really need to learn how to speak French?

That leads me to my next question; who decided what essential knowledge is needed to teach?  In most secular institutions, a degree in education starts with child psychology and the study of how children learn.  Again you could question the integrity of the origins of these topics, but that is a whole other story.

In short, most institutions are guided by the notion that there is no God and people have no spirit.  That is how experts look at our children; as animals or biological machines.  They try to put them in a box, categorize them, and label them.

Today, having a degree in education usually means two things; teachers have preconceived notions about the learning process, and two, the prestige a degree carries today may be misleading to both society, and the teacher who holds it.

The Prestige
They have just completed 17+ years of schooling.  They should be confident!  But a lot of the time, they take themselves too seriously.  Because the knowledge and techniques that teachers have gained through their degree is seen as essential, the logical conclusion is that it is the best.

What if the assumptions about how our children learn are wrong?  That means, the techniques and systems used to teach our children would miss their mark.

Parents’ esteem for a degree is also detrimental.  Parents believe “experts” are teaching their children and so, they pass the buck to the “more qualified” individual.  When their child slowly starts to fall behind, they start to point fingers.  They trusted the reputation of a piece of paper signed off by a stranger whom they know nothing of their motive or character.

Even society on the whole believes that the “highly qualified” institutions can do no wrong and instead of trying something different, they insist that funding is the problem.  “The experts just don’t have enough resources,” they say.

Dedication, Care, and Love
Who taught your child to crawl?  Who taught them to walk, speak, and use the toilet?  Who cried the first time they said, “I love you mommy?”

You know your child best.  You should not discount your methods or parenting style simply because you don’t have a certificate.

The stranger who has one is not ordained by God for the job.

God has put the responsibility on you and although everyone is accountable for their own wrong doings, you have to be sure you have done your best.  I am, by no means, discounting the dedication, patience, and love that teachers across this nation give to others’ children.  I am, however, questioning the efficiency and merit of the system and encouraging you to remember; you are your child’s first and best teacher.

Just to boost your confidence here are 10 successful people who don’t have a degree:
1. Micheal Dell – dropped out of college
2. Henry Ford – never graduated high school
3. Bill Gates – dropped out of Harvard, then 30 years later they just gave him a degree.
4. John D. Rockefeller Sr. – no formal college
5. Mark Zuckerburg – college drop out
6. Mary Kay – college drop out
7. Walt Disney – high school drop out
8. Steve Jobs – college drop out
9. Jane Austen – formal schooling until age 11, homeschooled, never attended college
10. Richard Branson – high school dropout

You won’t be able to put this book down!

The post I Could NEVER Homeschool My Children first appeared on True Aim.

Then I became a mom…at the young age of 19. Each day my baby boy made a new face or cute noise I’d never heard. I found myself actually trying to slow down time. I wanted my baby boy to grow up slowly so that I could ensure that I took it all in.

My baby boy is now 13 years old and in his final middle school year. My daughter is 11 and in her first middle school year. I never was able to slow down time, it didn’t work for either of my children no matter how hard I tried. So, now I’m faced with the reality of having two children in middle school, which means they are over halfway grown up! In less than half the time I’ve held them in my arms they’ll be adults, ready to be out on their own. Just like I used to be what seems to have been so very long ago.

Being the mother of two middle schoolers is not always easy. In fact, this may be the most difficult part of my motherhood journey yet. No longer are they in need of my help to complete most tasks, make meals or even do their school. Yet, I’m still their mother.

Each new stage of motherhood requires mothers to find their new role as a parent. A mother of middle schoolers takes some of the biggest steps required of a mom.

• Learning to let go

Middle school aged kids are ready to spread their wings and fly. While we know they truly aren’t ready for life in the real world, we have to let them have a taste of it now and then. Try letting your kids grab a few groceries alone, attend a birthday party or sleepover without you sticking around or even walking downtown to grab a few candies or ice cream on their own.

• Let them make their own decisions

Sometimes our kids need to see what happens when they make their own decisions without our help or input. They need to understand there are consequences to bad decisions and we may be surprised to see blessings from good decisions they make. Consider allowing your kids to decide what to do with their allowance, whether or not to attend a friend’s party or choose to stop an activity they previously enjoyed.

• Explain the why

It isn’t just good enough to say “Because I said so” anymore. Middle schoolers need to have an explanation as to why they can or cannot do something. When we don’t give them a specific answer we’re creating a divide between us and it could cause them to hide activities or thoughts from us and breakdown our relationship.

• Deepen your conversations

After you explain the why or when you need to talk to your middle schooler heart to heart take the time to have a deeper conversation. Don’t just lay it all out for them and run off. We need to encourage our children to talk with us by asking how they feel, what they think and giving them the time and undivided attention they need to share their hears and minds with us. If we find ourselves not understand our kids its probably time to sit down and have a heart to heart chat.

• Teach by example

Our kids aren’t little anymore. We can’t live out, “Do what I say, not what I do” with middle schoolers. If we want our kids to do or not do something, we have to ensure that we are being a good example and doing (or not) doing what we’re telling them.

Middle school moms have to start taking steps that can hurt in more ways than we’re prepared for, but it is essential that we begin allowing our children to become the young man and young lade we’ve been raising them to be. We’ve spent years pouring our heart, soul and energy into raising them well, now it is time to watch them begin to fly!

What are your best tips for the motherhood journey through middle school?

The post 5 Tips for Middle School Moms first appeared on True Aim.