“My God! How Did She Get Herself Into That Mess?”

I am conundrum. A rather outmoded sort of woman, ridiculed by modern career women, vilified by the earth’s prophets of doom and sanctified by the religious right. I was the least likely candidate to have a lot of children.I mean, I had never even held a baby before my first born.You would think having nine……

My Ceiling is My Children’s Floor

funzug.com Whimsical, philosophical thoughts from a mother of nine. The only thing that could kill a mother of a large family is trying to pair all the socks. Raising children is not a default chore for women who were not successful in the world of power and wealth. The existence of a joyful mother of……

Bonding Before Birth

An unborn child hears and reacts emotionally , not only to his parents but also to all the other people and activity whirling around him. Prenatal babies have personalities before they are born. As any mother can tell you, some babies move around energetically both in and out of the womb, while other infants are……

Top Ten Tips For Parents

My Philosophy : Advice from a relatively sane, joyful mother of nine children. 1.Focus on the joy of parenting, not on the activities you are giving up to raise a family. 2.Treat little children like people, albeit little people, with respect for their feelings, likes, dislikes and personalities.Listen to your children, even as babies. Read……

Family Creativity Birthed in Boredom

I learned that children need down time.  They need time just to be and relax, even time to be bored because that is when creativity and ingenuity are born.Surrounded by babies and toddlers, I was not free to entertain my children nor did we have enough money to keep them in an endless round of paid activities. At……

Is a Mother’s Life Her Own?

Is it true that once you have a child, you life is not your own? A child’s whole world revolves around his mother for at least 3 years. In fact infants have no sense of an identity separate from their mother till after the “terrible two” are over. The bonding  between mother and baby is……

Temper Tantrum?

babies are completely dependent on their caregiver My first thought is to pity the child, not the mother. As a mother of nine kids, people often ask me, “How on earth did you manage without any help? ” If I had to divulge one secret that I was fortunate enough to discover early in my……

Nature Not Nurture. Trust Me.

This picture is a great symbol for how I very often feel as I watch my offspring. Sometimes I think, “Are you really my kid?Where did that talent, personality or characteristic come from?” All my children have the same parents and  have lived in the same environment but each child inherited not only different physical genes but……