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EARLY LEARNING / Teaching Your Child Math / Re: CMA Mental Arithmetic (Abacus)
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on: April 04, 2014, 03:26:59 AM
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If you are lucky enough to live near an abacus school, I highly recommend enrolling your child! As soon as we move this summer to a place where there is an abacus school near by, the kids will be enrolled in classes. When we were in Chicago visiting for 3-4 months or so, I enrolled my daughter and it was money well spent. It was expensive and we had to drive 45 minutes each way once a week, there and back, but I do not regret it in the slightest.
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54
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Parents' Lounge / Introduce Yourself / Re: Hi from Chicago
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on: March 31, 2014, 05:11:59 AM
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Hi Bala, are you familiar with Testing Mom? She runs seminars in Chicago from time to time and has a book out, Testing for Kindergarten, as well as a membership based website with sample test questions. Also, so you have an iPad?
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58
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Parents' Lounge / Coffee Corner - General Chat / Re: post natal depression
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on: March 30, 2014, 02:00:27 AM
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Absolutely! I can't tell you how many times I did the same thing when mine fell asleep in the car. Had I moved them, the opportunity would have been lost. I had a neighbor scare the heck out of me by knocking on the window once because she thought I was dead Or something . I was pissed she woke me up.
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59
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Parents' Lounge / Coffee Corner - General Chat / Re: post natal depression
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on: March 29, 2014, 02:52:42 PM
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Accepting your situation rather than trying to fight it is one approach (or is that just admitting defeat LOL), along with reducing as much stress as possible. What I mean is that focusing on "it's not fair" or constantly wishing things were different can drain your energy without any positive outcome. This kind of thinking can really keep you stuck in that mindset like quicksand. Like Manda, I struggled with reassessing my identity after giving up a career for motherhood. I was very conflicted, still am in many ways, but I tried to accept that this is just a season of life and I needed to make the best of it before I could formulate an exit strategy. "Fair" or not (living in a place no with family support and two little kids), my situation wasn't going to change anytime soon.
So, reduce stress as much as possible, identify your triggers, and aim for healthy routines. We all want to be the best mom/wife/friend/neighbor/human we can be, but when my husband goes away on business for extended periods, I am in survival mode. I use paper plates and get take out more than I should. I take more naps, usually alongside my youngest. I know that bedtime is one of the most challenging parts of the day because we are all tired, so I go in with eyes wide open prepared for battle if needed. Getting enough sleep is a huge trigger for most people, so try to maximize that whenever possible. I am guilty of staying up too late sometimes and I always regret it. Exercise is amazing for some people, but seems so unrealistic and I don't do it nearly as much as I should. If you can force yourself, it's highly beneficial. I drop my kids off at the local daycare sometimes (drop in hourly care) just so they can play and I can get a few hours to myself. Sometimes I use that time to just clean my house in peace! Sure, I have to pay a few bucks for it, but it's an investment in my sanity.
Try not to let pointless obligations, "stuff," or toxic people sap your energy. And learn to say no more than you say yes! Because every time you say no, you are saying YES to yourself. To build healthy routines, some people really like the flylady. I have an flylady style app that I use called "Home Routines," when I am lacking motivation it helps get me back on track. I know I can always look at my house and see how I am doing...if my house looks like a tornado hit, I need to get it in check because I am clearly feeling down and that's where it shows.
::hugs::
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