Christine with her four "pearls"
Christine is a home-schooling Californian mama who blogs over at The Aums Mama. She is one of the Moms I Admire for several reasons, including the fact that she’s been raising her kids from day one in a TV-free zone.
No small feat!
I only killed our TV last June, and as you may know, our family I went through some pretty serious withdrawals – but Christine has never even had a TV in her home. In this age of increasing reliance on electronic devices from the iPod to the iPad to the Wii to the TV, where our children have become a target-demographic of powerful marketeers, it takes some doing for a mom to “Just Say No.”
And that’s what Christine has done.
She also home schools her four children. This is something I could never do (because frankly, I’m math-challenged, inconsistent, and prone to crabbiness). Christine’s desire to home-school her kids isn’t born from an insular need to shelter them from all outside influences, but from the way her own parents raised her. They nurtured her intellectual curiosity, instilling in her a love of learning that she’s passing on to her children.
So I admire her for her hand’s on parenting and her ability to follow her own mantra: Keep Calm, Carry Aum.
How cute is this wedding photo?!
Go check out her blog if you haven’t already, follow her on Twitter, and go Like her Facebook page! She’s one beautifully inspirational mama, and her blog is a pleasure to read. (-:
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Ado, thank you so much for the opportunity to guest post, reflect, share, and be a part of your “Moms I Admire” series…Wow! When you asked me to write about how I parent my children, the first thing that popped into my mind was how my kids teach me so much rather than the other way around.
So I present to you: RAISING MY FAMILY: WHO’S RAISING WHO?
I often receive compliments from folks who admire how I’m raising my children. Usually, they’re along the lines of, “Wow, you are so brave to homeschool/not have a TV/fill in the blank…I could never do that!”
I understand that my parenting choices will shape my children’s futures but seriously, who is raising who?
My children raise my capacity to love. Each time I gave birth, my heart grew bigger and it hasn’t stopped since! They are my greatest teachers on lessons of the heart.
They raise my standards and make me want to live up to them. There’s no greater motivation to give my best at everything I do than having children follow my example.
Of course, they raise my stress levels too, not to mention my temper and voice. But at the end of they day, they raise my ability to forgive…them and myself.
Now this might be a stretch, but they raise me from the dead. At least that’s what it feels like when a child comes to me covered in puke in the middle of the night and I jump up from the deepest slumber to clean and care for them, rubbing their back until the sun comes up.
Indeed, they raise my spirits like no one else can because just one smile, after a slew of sleepless nights, melts my heart, makes me laugh, and helps me face whatever the day may bring.
My children raise the bar on the kind of person I want to be and the life I want to lead.
In my Twitter bio, I describe myself as “a SAHM (Sometimes At Home Mom) being raised by my four children.
And now you know why.
“Keep Calm, Carry Aum.”
I asked Christine 5 questions, and here are her answers.
1. What are your top 3 beliefs about parenting?
Three sayings come to mind:
1. Everything in moderation, even moderation.
2. Parent in private like you do in public.
3. “Keep calm. Carry Aum.”
2. Your best parenting moment?
My best parenting moments happen everyday, when I overhear my kids’ kind and loving conversations with each other, or the way they help each other out when they’re not aware I’m looking. Even a day full of sibling squabbles has some of these precious moments thrown in which confirms the loving foundation I hope they carry with them for the rest of their lives.
3.Your worst parenting moment?
My worst parenting moments happen everyday because my life is full of obligations and distractions and I don’t always maneuver around them in the way I’d like. Ok, maybe they don’t happen everyday but it’s never fun to not put my children first.
4. Good things you learned from your own parents?
My parents helped shape me into a life-long learner. It had nothing to do with school, but more of a feeding my curiosity through quality family time. When I asked questions, they looked into encyclopedias with me, or asked me questions to get me to think. They took me out into nature and were great examples of courteous, helpful, hardworking people. My desire to homeschool stems from such a positive upbringing.
5. Bad things you don’t want to repeat?
What I don’t want to repeat is that feeling of certain subjects as taboo and not being able to talk openly and honestly with my parents out of fear or embarrassment. I practice positive communication frequently with my kids so that hopefully it just remains a normal part of our relationship as they grow up…not something I have to figure out how to do when they’re teenagers.
So far, it’s been working great. I can even say penis and vagina with the straightest of faces!
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[...] head over to the Momalog to read my post Raising My Family: Who’s Raising Who? And be sure to leave Ado plenty of comments telling her what a nice job she did putting the post [...]
It’s always such a pleasure to read your blog, but to be featured! Thank you!!!
It’s a pleasure to feature you and your four little pearls! (-:
what a wonderful piece – by TWO moms I admire. I think that yes, our children raise us (and yes, frequently from the dead): I’ve learned more about myself (for good & ill) in the eleven years I’ve been a mom than in the previous decades of life. Kids throw everything into sharp relief: unflinching mirrors. So your advice to parent in private as you do in public cuts to the heart: in either case, you’re going to see yourself reflected back…
I agree Deborah – I love Christine’s advice to parent in public as you do in private…and you’re right – eloquently put – kids are unflinching mirrors.
Thank you, Deborah! You speak the truth about our children reflecting us.
What a fabulous post! In this day and age, people think you are strange enough when you homeschool (altho thankfully its becoming way more mainsteam) but when I say we do family movie nights or watch things from the library … I get THAT look.
Love this, just love it!
Nicole, I’m so grateful you left a comment and brought your homeschooling to my attention. Until tonight I had you on a twitter list of folks who love Dumb and Dumber….am now adding you to my homeschooling list which cracks me up!
I love this! And such sage advice.
Thanks so much for coming over to visit Stacy!
They look so cute in the photo! Mind you Christine, you don’t like their mom.. you look like their eldest sister! You are so pretty as well as your kids.
I agree – Christine you look more like their older sister or babysitter than their mom! (-:
DOUBLE LIKE button!
Where is the LIKE button when you need one? Thank you!
oops forgot the link earlier. http://t.co/WiRiHLVm Raising My Family: Who’s Raising Who? #guestpost #momsIadmire
I love this! You two have lots in common. And reading about your parenting always washes Aum over me.
Kinda like what your photography does to me! Aummmm….
Keep Calm, Carry Aum – that’s awesome. Parenting in public as you do in private is spot on. I always say this too. Anything else is just plain confusing for your kids. What a great idea you have here Ado!
I keep that parenting in public/private quote at the forefront of my mind, especially when I’m experiencing some very Dr. Jeckyll/Mr. Hyde moments
Ado is definitely full of great ideas!
Such a great post….. I love hearing that your worst parenting moments happen every day (well maybe not EVERY day)…. just as mine do. Life is busy- we all juggle a lot of things…. and sometimes we can’t be the ideal parent that we want to be. As long as we continue to pick ourselves up, apologize, and keep on parenting! Right?
Agreed Sharon. I may have to add ‘Keep on keeping on’ to my parenting philosophies.
Christine always makes me think about the type of parent that I am and the one I aspire to be. Her blog is such a non-judgemental zone of calm and acceptance. Even now I was getting ready to write a scathing blog post, read this, and felt such a zen calm I might not get angry again. I’m so happy to have found her and to call her friend. So I definitely get the admire part. I do too!
Wow. Just wow. Kleenex please.
I admire the @TheAumsMama too. She makes me rant less. Even today: http://t.co/pCp8tFZO
Christine is definitely an inspirational mama. I need to plagiarize a few pages of her parenting book!
Thank you, Greta. And seriously, right back at you! #Momsof4
What a happy family. Christine is serves as an inspiration to all Moms or parents out there who are family loving. I love the pictures above it shows how happy are your family and I really appreciate you.
Awww….RT @sixyearitch: I admire the @TheAumsMama too. She makes me rant less. Even today: http://t.co/jkaccCjg
Awww….RT @sixyearitch: I admire the @TheAumsMama too. She makes me rant less. Even today: http://t.co/jkaccCjg
I LOVE Christine. I did not know they have NO T.V.! That is impressive. I think my kids would be fine with this, it’s me who would have the problem
This is a great post, you two!
xo
“My kids raise my capacity to love” ,@theaumsmama <—THIS. Wow. Tears. http://t.co/5Rq3HxrW (via @AdoTheMomalog )
I just love Christine’s blog and I find that her joy and calm show through in her writing. Great post!
Thanks for stopping by! I love Christine’s blog too. In fact I think it should be called a blaum instead of a blog. Get it? (-:
This is a great article to read and i really love all the advice’s you have here.I really admire Christine’s blog and i’m so excited to read more from you. Thanks for the post and keep the good work.