Grateful. Baby Noutin. My Nouaire. Nishantha. Family. Friends. My word for 2019 was “balance.” At the time I had no idea that it would be more like the year of “brother.” Now I’m happily balancing two babies. If you’re thinking of a word for 2020, be prepared for the results to be even better than you can even imagine.
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Time is running out to enroll in my new course!
I know you’re thinking about starting 2020 off right. If you are ready to bring better work-life balance back into your life, I would love for you to join You Before School! In 4 weeks, you will: •Reprogram your teacher brain to say goodbye to guilt •Identify what you really need to take care of yourself and your loved ones •Create a weekly routine that aligns your priorities with your time •Build boundaries to stick to your plan Self-care is so much more than pockets of time set aside for pedicures. I want to help you build a life that ensures your needs are consistently met, so things like #selfcaresunday and #teachertired don’t even need to cross your mind. I know. I know. You don’t have time. I get it. I used to be you, busy friend. It’s okay. I’m ready for you anyway! •The course will take only around an hour per week •You can work at your own pace •Everything will be recorded •You’ll have access to the course for a year •It’s not grad school: no reading, no discussion boards, no tests •There’s even an app so you can listen on your commute Teachers, I’m seriously so excited to share You Before School with you! And excited to bring you together! Did I mention there’s a mastermind group to connect with other teachers? And weekly live Q & A webinar calls? It’s going to fun! The course starts on January 1st! Here's the link. Please message me with any questions! Thank you in advance for sharing this with your busy teacher friends! “Our [American] cultural belief around infant sleep is that it should be solitary, scheduled, independent, and fuss-free.” I disagree with this cultural belief. Reading about how babies are cared for in most of the world made me begin to challenge many mainstream American beliefs around what babies really need. Quite a few of our practices stem from outdated advice from non-moms and/or align with our value of independence. They feel wrong to loving mamas and they are scientifically wrong. Sleep is a very, very sensitive topic for parents and a huge challenge for moms, especially working moms. Waking up at night to care for a tiny human is hard. Through many, many private conversations, I’ve learned that most American moms I know actually DO NOT follow the mainstream cultural beliefs. Instead, most of us follow our gut and secretly snuggle our babies in our arms as much as they need — including in our beds. We just don’t talk about it because we’re told it’s wrong. If you’re a mama struggling for follow the American sleep expectations, I suggest you zoom out a little in your research. The mamas and babies I know whose families break the rules are happier, healthier, and sleep better. If you’re a mama who breaks/broke the rules, share your wisdom. You are doing/did the right thing. Quote: Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us by Christine Gross-Loh I know you’re already thinking about starting 2020 off right. If you are ready to bring better work-life balance back into your life, I would love for you to join my new course!
In 4 weeks, you will: •Reprogram your teacher brain to say goodbye to guilt •Identify what you really need to take care of yourself and your loved ones •Create a weekly routine that aligns your priorities with your time •Build boundaries to stick to your plan Self-care is so much more than pockets of time set aside for pedicures. I want to help you build a life that ensures your needs are consistently met, so things like #selfcaresunday and #teachertired don’t even need to cross your mind. I know. I know. You don’t have time. I get it. I used to be you, busy friend. It’s okay. I’m ready for you anyway! •The course will take only around an hour per week •You can work at your own pace •Everything will be recorded •You’ll have access to the course for a year •It’s not grad school: no reading, no discussion boards, no tests •There’s even an app so you can listen on your commute Teachers, I’m seriously so excited to share You Before School with you! And excited to bring you together! Did I mention there’s a mastermind group to connect with other teachers? And weekly live Q & A webinar calls? It’s going to fun! The course starts on January 1st. Here's the link. Feel free to message me with any questions! Tag your favorite busy teacher friends below! “Creating a happy home is a conscious choice, as is creating a happy marriage.” Well, we're not married but Nishantha and I have been really focused on creating a happy home lately. In order to do this, we both need to take care of ourselves, take care of the babies, and take care of each other. If we don't take care of our own most basic needs, like sleep, it's harder to make sure everyone else's needs are met, and it becomes easier to become unhappy. Lately when little stressors come up, we've been saying "Happy family" to each other as a reminder of what we want. It's really helpful. Intentionally reminding ourselves of what we both want helps to make it happen. We let little things go, focus on the positive, and try to steer clear of negativity. PS This picture is from Thanksgiving Day when we could not steer our way out of four hours of traffic. “Happy family!” Friends, what do you do to create a happy home? Happy marriage? Quote: I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time by Laura Vanderkam I teared up Christmas morning.
After the presents were opened and the waffles were eaten, I was bouncing Noutin on my shoulder when I realized I was newly pregnant with him last Christmas. Last year, I remember crying as I headed up to bed after filling the stockings. I thought my life couldn’t get any better. Then my little smiley boy came into our family. This morning, Nouarie opened all of Noutin's gifts for him. She was so excited to show him the doll she got him. He just sat right in the middle of the fun in his little bouncing chair chewing on his gifts. Guys, I was so unsure about having a second child. Then last winter, I realized I wanted Nouarie to have someone to experience life with besides just Nishantha and me. From now on Nouarie will always have a little friend to share the holidays with. The two of them will grow up with shared memories and experiences. And someday, my two babies will be like my mom and her only brother were this Christmas. At dinner, I told my uncle to grab a plate. He said he was waiting for his sister. After she got her food, she sat down next to him. From across the room, I heard them updating each other about relatives they had heard from as they ate. My grandparents left us more than ten years ago, but my mom and uncle still have each other. As Nishantha often reminds me, Nouarie's little brother is the best gift I will ever give her. My dear friends who are on the fence about having a second baby (there are quite a few of you), it's a hard adjustment. But, you guys, it is definitely worth considering. Everyone, I hope you all had/are having holidays filled with love and happy memories. Insert quote + sappy or hopefully inspirational thoughts
I’ll come back and caption later. I’m sleepy.
“Anticipation can be as much fun as the tradition itself.”
Christmas is so close. Nouarie is mostly excited to see her cousins at Grammy and Papa’s. Tonight she told me Santa can mail her a present. She doesn’t want him coming to the house. Her fear of Santa has made me rethink some of my own childhood Christmas traditions I had happily anticipated sharing with my kids. Santa was so exciting I couldn’t sleep on Christmas Eve. I loved him and dreaming of the elves working in the North Pole. Nouarie wants none of this. In fact, she began shaking and her heart raced when she just saw Santa from afar a few weeks ago. It’s okay. Santa just may not be a big thing in our house. Her childhood is not mine. Instead we’re focusing the gifts she’s picked out for others. I want her to look forward to Christmas instead of worrying. On a more positive note, what holiday tradition do you anticipate every year? Quote: No Regrets Parenting: Turning Long Days and Short Years Into Cherished Moments with Your Kids by Harley A. Rotbart M.D.
“Myth: Children somehow find their own happiness.
Truth:The greatest predictor is happiness is having friends.” Getting everyone out the door with homemade cookies in hand and arriving to the party somewhat near the scheduled start time is not an easy feat, but getting all the kids together to play is fun and helps everyone involved maintain friendships, moms and dads included. Messaging and watching each other’s kids through social media is fun but it’s so much better in person. When we meet up, we get a shared experience that helps us to bond. Thank you for hosting us, @michelle_allen . I’m so glad you made it @southcalimom ! Our kids are so stinking cute together. I am so grateful for the friends our family has made over the last few years. I’m also loving seeing my friends become friends. Friends, I wish many of your lived closer so our kids could play as we sat around and talked, too. If your family wants more face-to-face friends near you, I encourage you to •Host a get together •Accept invites •Start talking to neighbors and people you routinely see •Give people a chance Growing from the awkward getting-to-know you phase to the accepting, trusting, and caring friend phase is easier and faster than it seems — especially when you have goofy kids to talk about! Quote: Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five by John Medina |
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February 2020
CategoriesNatalie PriesterI'm a teacher, mama, and mentor. I created the You Before School e-course and more. I'm here to encourage and share self-efficacy skills for women. |