No islands here…

Advice can be a tricky thing…to give and accept.

I try to be so careful when giving advice…waiting until it is solicited and avoiding sounding like a “know-it-all”…unfortunately, I don’t think I do the greatest job with that all the time. Sometimes I just get excited to tell what I did in a situation, especially if it was successful. But the problem is that there are SO many different ways to do things. Ask 20 different Moms how they potty-trained their child, and you will get 20 different answers. If they have more than one kid, the story will change each time!

Accepting advice can be sticky too…it is so easy to get defensive when it seems like you are being told that what you are currently doing is wrong, which can translate into feelings of guilt and frustration that you are a horrible mother, because you don’t know the best way to get stains out of clothing…or whatever. My Mom and I had several “differences of opinion” about child rearing, especially when Madi was a newborn. She had all the practical experience and I had read plenty of books…and well, she was usually right. Yes, I should have stayed away from spicy foods while I was breastfeeding, and yes, it helped to keep her swaddled…

But I have found that to survive, you have to be willing to seek out your own “Mom network”, whether that includes family or friends. And I truly mean “seek out”, because it won’t always come knocking at your door. I feel very blessed to have a Mom, Mother-in-law, and friends that I can ask for suggestions, advice, and support. It has also been a tremendous encouragement to be involved in MOPS, because everyone is able to share their unique perspective on the issues we all struggle with as Moms of small children. Even starting this blog has started conversations with friends about things I have discussed.

Actually, here are a couple great ideas that I have been given just recently…

• For all of those kids transitioning out of their afternoon nap? Try the Nap Box
• Struggle with meal planning? Try the book Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely
• Looking for a magazine/website that addresses the many roles that Moms play, from stay at home to home business to working mom? Hybrid Mom is fantastic!
• Want a Bible storybook with brilliant illustrations that always comes back to the story of Jesus? The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones is a keeper.
• Love chips, but want them to be a manageable size? Mini Pringles are perfect and are sold at Wal-Mart, I’m told!
• Want to spend time with your kids on a “topic”, but don’t have the time to create one? The Yankee Clipper library in GR (on Leonard) has “Exploration Packs” you can check out.

All of these ideas, except for Hybrid Mom (that’s from me), came courtesy of friends (Melissa, Amos, and Tiffany), mentor Moms (Gini) and family (Ade). Thanks for being part of my support network…and if any of you Moms out there needs an addition to your own network…I’m always willing to share or point you towards someone who might know better than I!