Barbie I Can Be - what will you dream?

It is a great time to be a girl!

I am a Mom to two very strong, smart and inspiring little girls. When I look at them I see all that is possible for them and for the world. They can be anything they want to be and because they are young they still believe that they can be anything. Children see all the possibilities of the world. Just today I had a conversation with my 6 year old daughter about this very topic. We were in the car and a Justin Bieber song came on the radio. My daughter said to me "You know Mom lots of people make fun of Justin Bieber. Why do they do that?" I told her sometimes people are jealous of all he has accomplished and the success he has had. My daughter then said to me "You know Mom they don't have to be that way. If they worked hard they could be anything they want to be. It just takes hard work and practice. Anything is possible if they just put their minds to it" Wow wise words for someone so young. It left me feeling so proud of my daughter. That is one of the many special things about childhood, children see the possibilities in life. Anything is possible for a child and you know they are right. It is only when we grow up and start to let other people tell us what is possible and not possible we start to believe that we can not dream of being anything we want to be.

I try every day to show my girls - not just tell them - you can do or be anything you want or dream. I am a journalist, a writer. It is something I have wanted to do and be for a long time. As a child I remember spending hours writing short stories and poems on sheets of lined paper. I loved writing essays, loved doing it so much I would spend spare periods and lunch breaks in the cafeteria helping my friends write their essays. I not only work in news but I also write freelance magazine articles. I am doing something I love. I want my girls to see anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

I want my girls to know that they can do anything and everything they want to do. It might take hard work and perseverance but they can live their dreams. I want them to love what they do, no matter what it is.

I was lucky to have grown up with the best parents in the world. My Mom was always there for me... is still there for me no matter what I need. She was the best role model a little girl could have. She taught me about patience, love, understanding, strength, joy, and about being the best you can be. My Dad was also a great support. He raised me to be strong and smart and to believe I could do anything I wanted. He never treated me like I couldn't do anything. He supported me in school and in sports. Both my parents still support me and are my biggest cheerleaders. They taught me how to be a good parent. It is the lessons I learned from them that I am passing on to my girls. The love and support of family is the most important thing for girls. Family anchors us, it supports us, it holds us up, it pushes us on, it cheers us on, it drives us, it tells us we can dream and loves us enough so that we can be anything we want to be.

 It is important for all of us to support girls and show them anything is possible. Barbie I Can Be is a great campaign helping to support girls and all they are dreaming to be. Check out the new website www.bethevoice.ca ( I love this name...we need to be the voice and give our girls a voice and help them to use their voice to be heard). It is dedicated to helping moms raise smarter, stronger, happier, and more fulfilled daughters. Join the conversation on the site. Leading Canadian parenting coach, Terry Carson, www.theparentingcoach.ca, will provide perspectives, wisdom, and experiences.


  Disclosure – I am participating in the Barbie I Can Be campaign by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Mattel Canada. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Morning Mayhem

OK. Come on you have done it too. You had one of those mornings, you know exactly what I am talking about, and you rushed the kids off to school still wearing you P.J's. Or forgot to brush your hair. Just remember hats are your friends. I have done it way too often. Actually, I can admit it I do it every day. There I said it.  Admitting it is half the battle... right?


So tell me your stories. How do you dress for school drop off? Would love to hear all your great stories.

ps... I promise to be brave enough to take a video of me in the morning, during school drop off. Are you brave enough to do the same?

Three Things I Learned About Parenting Today

Everyday I realise that being a parent is a learning process. I learn something new from my children everyday. I think of these as life's lessons of an awesome life. Sometimes I think we let the junk of life, of everyday life, get in the way of seeing these lessons of an awesome life. I have been thinking a lot about this lately. So I wanted to start writing down the awesome things I learn from my kids each and every day. Children are great teachers.... they see the beauty in life, life is fun and exciting for them and everything is new for them

So I reached out to some of my twitter friends and asked them what 3 things they learned from their kids today or things they learned as a parent ( Friday). Here are their answers

@SmittySmiles  ... as a parent...listen...listen...listen

@susanotkids 1.rainy mornings are difficult for kids (and parents) to get up 2. make a plan but always in pencil 3. it would be dull without kids :)

@Mumitude there's a moment when you can see that your hard work is paying off, it's ok to let them go, and they're always your baby (*to put it in context, dd16 had first driving lesson 2night. Then I dropped her at the mall with her friends, then we snuggled)

My (@Imfreckles) three things were laugh, relax and have fun no matter what

I think as we grow up we forget the beauty of being a child and living life with the outlook of a child. They see the beauty and fun of everyday, they truly know how to have fun, to dream with an abundant amount of imagination and think that life is never ending and full of limitless possibilities. Every day I am going to work to living a life with those childlike possibilities. We can learn so much from our children and part of that is learning to let children be children and learning to live in, around and with the beauty of our children

KIDS ASK THE FUNNIEST QUESTIONS!

It is true what they say about kids...they do say the funniest things. Case in point.

I went to the grocery story with "M" today before picking up my oldest daughter from school. We just had a couple of things to pick up. You should know that in the past weeks, "M" has become very curious about everything. She wants to know about everything, why and how. You get the picture.

So feeling rather chatty today, "M" decides the toilet paper isle is a great place to ask this..." Mommy, how do babies come out? Do they come out of your pee-pee?" It is important to remember "M" is only 3 years old. I laugh and say that maybe we could talk about in the car. To which she says "Do they come from here? ( pointing up her skirt) I answered yes and that seemed to appease her curiosity for the time being.

The lady grabbing a package of toilet paper was practically rolling over in the isle. I'm sure half the people waiting at the check out lines heard "M" as well.

Kids do say the funniest things. Do you have a funny parenting moment?