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  • To All Mamas With A Child In Hospital

    To all those parents that know..

    I’ve seen you in those hospital rooms. I’ve seen you hand your child off to surgeons, not knowing if you would ever get to hold them again with a beating heart. I’ve seen you pray, hope, and hold on to faith with a sheer will that would put most to shame. I’ve seen you hold your baby with tears streaming down your face because this kind of sickness isn’t the kind that just comes and goes, this is the kind where no one can assure you that your child is going to be okay.

    You fight for your child when they can’t fight for themselves. You hope for them and you stay positive for them, and then run to the bathroom just to cry where they can’t see. You research and talk to doctors and talk to other parents to find the best possible treatment plans and solutions to give the best life to your child. You take part in care for your child in ways even some in the medical field are intimidated by – dropping NG tubes, giving IV meds through a Broviac at home.

    You go to the places no one wants to go. You know a side of the world that most would like to pretend doesn’t exist.

    You call your child hospital your home away from home, and while the rest of the world may find that sad, you see the hope. It’s the place that gives your child a chance at life.

    I see you, mumma And you are loving that child unconditionally, just as you should. You are standing beside them come hell or high waters, and you are doing a good job. You are giving them the best.

    You are their cheerleader. You are their smile maker. You are the one that knows their favorite songs and favorite toys. You are the one that knows how to calm them down, how to hold them, how to love them best.

    While other parents know everything about their child’s sleep habits, you know everything about your child – where their normal sats should be, what their resting heart rate is, their normal pressures. While other parents can talk about their kid’s feeding schedules, you could talk all day about your kid’s anatomy, what surgeries are next, or what treatments are on the radar. While other parents are teaching their kids to crawl and to walk, you are teaching yours to drink from a bottle just to get rid of that dang NG tube, teaching them to bear weight on their legs and rebuild their core from weakness of lying in a hospital bed all day. While other parents look forward to going out on a date night without kids, you look forward to the moments when you can grab enough hands to shuffle around a bunch of machines and a hospital crib to just hold your baby.

    You would do anything for your child. And some of you have to brave the path that no parent should have go down. Instead of debating the best way to introduce solid foods to a baby, you are making decisions with doctors on quality of life for your child.

    To all of you, I see you. Hold on to hope.

    Keep on doing what you are doing, loving that kid no matter what.

    You are brave. You are strong.

    You are doing a good job.

    You are a good mom.

    Love,

    A Momma Who Knows

    written by Lexi Behrndt

    December 22, 2014

    #ShareYourWishes

     

  • How To Talk To Your Daughter About Her Body

    HOW TO TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER ABOUT HER BODY, A MUST READ!!!

    Step one: Don’t talk to your daughter about her body, except to teach her how it works.

    Don’t say anything if she’s lost weight.

    Don’t say anything if she’s gained weight.

    If you think your daughter’s body looks amazing, don’t say that. Here are some things you can say instead:

    “You look so healthy!” is a great one.

    Or how about, “You’re looking so strong.”

    “I can see how happy you are — you’re glowing.”

    Better yet, compliment her on something that has nothing to do with her body.

    Don’t comment on other women’s bodies either. Nope. Not a single comment, not a nice one or a mean one.

    Teach her about kindness towards others, but also kindness towards yourself.

    Don’t you dare talk about how much you hate your body in front of your daughter, or talk about your new diet. In fact, don’t go on a diet in front of your daughter. Buy healthy food. Cook healthy meals. But don’t say, “I’m not eating carbs right now.” Your daughter should never think that carbs are evil, because shame over what you eat only leads to shame about yourself.

    Encourage your daughter to run because it makes her feel less stressed. Encourage your daughter to climb mountains because there is nowhere better to explore your spirituality than the peak of the universe. Encourage your daughter to surf, or rock climb, or mountain bike because it scares her and that’s a good thing sometimes.

    Help your daughter love soccer or rowing or hockey because sports make her a better leader and a more confident woman. Explain that no matter how old you get, you’ll never stop needing good teamwork. Never make her play a sport she isn’t absolutely in love with.

    Prove to your daughter that women don’t need men to move their furniture.

    Teach your daughter how to cook kale.

    Teach your daughter how to bake chocolate cake made with six sticks of butter.

    Pass on your own mum’s recipe for Christmas morning coffee cake. Pass on your love of being outside.

    Maybe you and your daughter both have thick thighs or wide ribcages. It’s easy to hate these non-size zero body parts. Don’t. Tell your daughter that with her legs she can run a marathon if she wants to, and her ribcage is nothing but a carrying case for strong lungs. She can scream and she can sing and she can lift up the world, if she wants.

    Remind your daughter that the best thing she can do with her body is to use it to mobilize her beautiful soul.

    Written by:Sarah Koppelkam

    Image: Shanea Gaiger

     

  • Confessions Of A Sadist 101

    Confessions of a Sadist 101-

    Life has a way of humbling you. Of bringing you down a few step off your pedestal. One minute you’re the reigning king, on top of the world. “I got this shit!”

    Then in the blink of an eye, one wrong move, one stupid thing you didn’t mean say, and you lose it all. To make a geek quote most of you may not get..” with great power comes great responsibility!” Absolute power corrupts even those with the best of intentions.

    We may not fuck up on purpose but that doesn’t make the damage any less severe. All it takes is one bad move, to cause the deck of card to come tumbling down. To make you lose everything you worked so fucking hard for.

    Our slaves depends on us, on a level most could never understand. They give us this power because they trust us. We’re supposed to be a super hero, mentally, emotionally and physically stronger than the average person.

    Yet, we’re still human. We’re not infallible. The difference is, are you big enough to admit it? To make up for it? To continue to prove you’re worthy of weilding such power over another person’s life? What would you do to rectify your mistakes? To show humility, to admit you’re not bulletproof nor above screwing up just like everyone else?

    Take a moment to think about it. I know, you a bad ass Dom or Master, ruler of the universe. But even the mightiest of us can fall. Are you willing to lose your throne, or take the lesson for what it is…pull your damn had outta your ass and do something about it?!

    Life has a funny way of putting us in our place when we get too cocky. When we start taking for granted a lot for, a relationship, bond or love…that most could only dream of. That they would happily kill for.

    It’s quite easy to get get comfortable, complacent. So you start slacking off. And that’s when you WILL lose the thing that matters most. That you fought so hard to earn. Are you willing to just throw it all away or do whatever it takes to keep it?

    That’s all for now. Thanks

  • When I’m Down, I Call Mum

    When I’m down, I call my mum.

    When I’m sad, I call my mum.

    When something good has happened, I call my mum.

    Sometimes I even call her when I’m feeling absolutely fine, I just would quite like a chat.

    I depend on her.

    I depend on her because she has always been there.

    I regularly hear “you need to stop holding your daughter now, or she will become too dependent”, or

    “break that habit of her crying for you, or she will become dependent”, or “you need to leave your daughter so she can learn to be away from you or she will become dependent”….

    People use the word ‘dependent’ so regularly when it comes to parents and their children.

    But being a parent MEANS being depended on.

    I would be far more concerned if my children grew up to feel as though they COULDN’T depend on me.

    When all else seems wrong with the world, I don’t want them to feel as though they have nowhere to turn.

    I want them to know that they can turn to me, no matter the circumstances.

    I WANT THEM TO DEPEND ON ME.

    We become so focused on FORCING INDEPENDENCE in those early years, that we forget about the importance of BEING DEPENDED ON.

    It starts in childhood, and goes right the way through.

    Being depended on isn’t a failing as a parent.

    It’s a massive success.

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️

    Credit https://www.facebook.com/mrsmombastic/

     

  • Here Is Why Babies Shouldn’t Drink Water

     

    I just wanted to make a Public Service Announcement!!

    Water intoxication is very real and can happen so easily!! Please only offer babies 6-12 months no more than 2oz of water in a 24 hour period!! Babies younger than 6 months cannot have any at all! Currently dealing with my 11mo having water intoxication!

    I only ever offer 2oz a day and usually she doesn’t finish it. Yesterday she discovered she could drink the bath water. I didn’t think much of it at the time and later ended up rushing her to the ER. She became lethargic, started vomiting, and then was struggling to breath! She had so much water in her it was compressing her lungs!

    She is doing a lot better now with breathing but we are still vomiting very often! I just wanted to put this out there for those who don’t believe it matters and give their baby as much as they want. Breastmilk/formula is plenty!! And just because baby is close to a year does not mean they can have more than 2oz!! My daughter is a year in 3 weeks and here we are! Thanks for reading my rant lol

    Elly is doing really good today! We are at 6 hours without puking so far!! She’s even playing again! I also wanted to add, she did not have any water in her lungs, they were clear! It was the first thing the physician checked for! She did not aspirate nay water and did not have dry drowning! Purely only water intoxication! Also once the child is one year of age it is 8oz of water per year of age up to 8 years old!

    Credit https://www.facebook.com/kate.dq.7

     

  • One Of The Saddest Chapters In History

    One of the saddest chapters in history.

    George stinney Jr, the youngest person to be sentenced to death in the United States

    He was 14 years old when he was executed in an electric chair. During his trial he always carried a Bible in his hands claiming his innocence. He was accused of killing two white girls, 11 year old Betty and Mary of 7 whose bodies were found near the house the boy and his parents lived. At that time, all members of the jury were whites. The trial lasted 2 hours only and the sentence was dictated 10 minutes later.

    The boy’s parents were not allowed in the court room, and subsequently expelled from that city after the trial.

    Before the execution George spent 81 days in prison without being able to see his parents, he was held in solitary 80 miles from his city, he was held alone without anybody to talk to. He was electrocuted with 5380 VOLTS IN HIS HEAD.

    70 years later, in 2014, his innocence was finally proven by a judge in South Carolina. )

    MAY HIS INNOCENT SOUL REST IN Peace

     

  • Dear Sainsburys Your Embarrassing Me

    Dear Sainsbury’s,

    I just wanted to tell you the trouble I have had with your nappies. Firstly, your nappies have been brilliant, I have had no leaks and they fit my baby really well. They also are reasonably priced compared to leading brands.

    BUT, why put the animal crabs on your nappies? I am now faced with embarrassment when I change my baby’s nappy especially in public changing rooms. My toddler thinks it’s great you have chosen the animal crabs, and finds it great to go around saying “Violet got crabs”, “Violet got crabs in her nappy” and also “Mummy gave Violet crabs in nappy”. (Direct quotes from my 2 and a half year old) You can only begin to imagine the funny looks I have received 🙄. You could have chosen any cute fluffy animal to put on your nappy, but you chose the crab 🦀. Have you thought about changing the animal for future nappies?

    Thank you for the embarrassment and I look forward to hearing a response,

    An embarrassed crab hating Mum of 2.

    Credit. https://www.facebook.com/frananneharvey

  • Dear Primary Schools Listen Up

    For parents of primary school children:

    Dear School.

    Firstly, is there any chance that you could send out a list of the costumes, coloured t-shirts & random other stuff requests in September when we actually have our shit together? You know, that hallowed time when we can all be perfect parents? When we can put together a nutritionally balanced, home-made packed lunch, rather than it being sponsored by Greggs.

    When we arrive at the school gates before they open with pristine children, rather than participating in a family run before shoving toothpaste smeared kids through the partially closed gates before exclaiming loudly “Shit! I forgot the swimming kit AGAIN!” When we’re able to receive, comprehend and action the letters sent home rather than relying on still functioning parents posting in Facebook groups stuff like “Don’t forget to send in your root vegetables for carving tomorrow!”

    This period lasts approximately 2 weeks from the start of the year in my house but can apparently vary from household to household. By July most of us are hanging onto sanity by a thread with the Summer Holidays glimmering in the distance like a mirage in the desert. By the Facebook memes depicting levels of alcohol consumption of teachers at the beginning and end of term, which appear around this time of year it seems that most of the staff could well be in the same boat too!

    As much as your requests always finish with the phrase “Please don’t go to any expense, just use what you have at home.” which is lovely, but I seriously don’t have costumes from every historical era within the past 3000 years, or depicting characters from the 100 bestselling children’s books of all time, just hanging about at home! And the women in my family have not been able to “put together” something wearable since 1986!

    I have had to join Amazon Prime purely for the purpose of clothing my child appropriately at these times as apparently an 8 year old in China is more capable at fulfilling your requests than me. (BTW can you check your computers for spyware as the prices of said items seem to triple the minute you print the letter.) The only request that doesn’t send me into a blind panic is an impromptu pyjama day – we have lots of those at home! In fact, if you could make July “Pyjama Month” that would be amazing and totally solve the aforementioned lateness issue!

    Anyhow, I digress. We don’t appear to own any yellow t-shirts. My child neglected to tell me until 6pm on Sunday that said t-shirt needed to be in school by Monday and I’m on the 5.20 to London Monday morning. Damn you Sunday trading laws! There isn’t any yellow fabric in the house apart from a pair of Thomas the Tank Engine underpants which, I think, even Kirsty Allsopp would struggle to transform into a top. We do however have a white t-shirt which I wonder, could you get the school kitchen to pop it in some curry sauce. My child has already done some patch testing and it is surprisingly colourfast!

    Also FYI a 10 year old is not a reliable form of communication. I appreciate this is quite surprising as you seem to be able to make them remember how to do long multiplication and the finer points of the structure of the English language but their heads are so full of this stuff that the message that we need to send in Mexican food on Tuesday does not get relayed! The same thing happens at home, I mean they have memorised the inventory of the treat cupboard down to the last Smartie but the whereabouts of their shoes from last night remains a mystery until we’ve moved every piece of furniture in the house. (It’s summer – do they really need shoes anyway?)

    I would really appreciate consideration of any of my points.

    Yours sincerely

    Stressed Mom

    Credit. https://www.facebook.com/sarah.cotgrove.7

  • This Is Such A Hard Thing To Do

    This is such a hard thing to do. To publically air my “dirty laundry”. But today I sat in a court room, waiting to hear how long the father of my 1 year old child would get for ABH. ABH, because no bones were broken (unbelievable) he used the excuse he had too much to drink, even though there were other times and he was sober. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison, but due to our legal system and reductions he’s apparently “entitled” to , on good behaviour he will be out in just 6 months and this for me just isn’t good enough.

    This isn’t a pity post, I already feel stronger than I have ever felt but I will not be silenced by this man another second of my life and I honestly couldn’t forgive myself if he ever did this to someone else (he has history and previously assaulted his ex girlfriend) . He is the most manipulative , controlling, possesive person. And in just 6 months time he could be walking the streets looking for his next target.

    This Is Such A Hard Thing To Do
    This Is Such A Hard Thing To Do

    And please, If you are with someone who is controlling you, making you feel scared, trying to stop you having friends or working. I know it’s hard but LEAVE. Take the kids, leave the material stuff. So many times I wanted to go and tell someone what was going on. But I realise now there is so much help out there. Tell someone. Anyone. My two children could have ended up losing their mother.

    Ladies & gents …. The handiwork of Mark Whiteside …

    Credit https://www.facebook.com/jenna.p.hurley

     

  • Old Age Pention Is Not An Entitlement

    PLEASE PASS THIS AROUND, UNTIL EVERY ONE HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT… THIS IS SURELY SOMETHING WE ALL NEED TO THINK ABOUT!!!!

    THE ONLY THING WRONG WITH THE GOVERNMENT’S CALCULATION OF AVAILABLE PENSION IS THAT THEY FORGOT TO FIGURE IN ALL THE PEOPLE WHO DIED BEFORE THEY EVER COLLECTED OLD AGE PENSION.

    WHERE DID ALL THAT MONEY GO?

    Remember, not only did you and I contribute to our Pension, our employer did, too. It totalled 15% of your income before taxes.

    If you averaged only £15 000 over your working life, that’s close to £220,500. Read that again. Did you see anywhere that the Government paid in one single penny?

    We are talking about the money you and your employer put in a Government bank to ensure that you and I would have a

    retirement pension from the money we put in, it was not money that the Government had any right to spend elsewhere.

    Now they’ve started to call the money we paid in an

    ‘entitlement’ when we reach the age to take it back.

    If you calculate the future invested value of £2500 per year

    (yours & your employer’s contribution) at a simple 5%

    interest (that’s less than what the govt. pays on the money that it borrows from overseas), after 49 years of working you’d have

    £892,919.98.

    If you took out only 3% per year, you’d receive £26,787.60 per

    year and it would last better than 30 years (that means until you’re 95 if you retire at age 65) and that’s with no interest paid on that final amount on deposit!

    If you bought an annuity with the money and it paid 4% per year, you’d have a lifetime income of £1976.40 per month.

    THE CROOKS IN GOVERNMENT HAVE PULLED OFF A BIGGER ROBBERY THAN THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERS EVER DID.

    Entitlement!!??

    My foot !! IT’S MY MONEY!! I paid IN cash for my pension.

    Just because they borrowed the money to spend on other things, that doesn’t make my pension some kind of charity or handout!!

    Remember MP’s benefits? —

    free healthcare,

    outrageous retirement packages,

    67 days paid holidays,

    three weeks paid holidays,

    unlimited paid sick days.

    Now that really should be called welfare entitlements, yet they have the nerve to call my O A P retirement payments entitlements?

    We’re “broke” and the government can’t help our own OAPs, our ex-service personnel, our orphans or our homeless

    Yet in the past few years we have provided aid to Haiti, Chile, Turkey, India, Pakistan, etc., etc., etc. Literally, BILLIONS of Pounds !!!

    But they can’t help our own citizens!

    Our retired seniors living on a ‘fixed old age pension have to beg social services to receive additional aid, while our government and religious organizations pour hundreds of billions of £££ tons of food to foreign countries!

    They call the old age pension an entitlement even though most of us have been paying for it all our working lives, and now, when it’s time for us to collect, the government is running out of money.

    Why did the government borrow from it in the first place?

    It was supposed to be in a securely locked box, not to be used as part of the Government’s general funds.

    Sad, isn’t it, that some people won’t have the guts to forward

    this. I’m in the category with guts enough to do it – – – and I just did.

    I hope some of you will do the same.

    Credit https://www.facebook.com/ian.hawkins.1690