• “My favorite and most used gift was a 64 oz formula pitcher.”
• “A rubber bib.”
• “A vaporizer…so grateful to have one the first time I needed it!”
• “I loved my Boppy for breast feeding and to help the babies sit up when they couldn’t do it themselves. Also, the little clips that attach one end to the pacifier and the other end to the baby’s clothes.”
• “I did like having a car seat blanket with the holes cut out for the straps. Also, I liked the thicker heavy duty flannel type material that was cut to the size of the changing pad. Having several made it easy and quick to change.”
• “As a mom I loved gift cards and I like to give them too. I received a ton at my shower and used some of them to purchase items not received at the showers but continued to use them to buy diapers, formula, etc. for months later.”
• “The best gift I received was my baby carrier. I loved having my little ones close so often.”
• “An ointment that basically cured all the little skin ailments – baby acne, dry skin, little abrasions etc., dry scalp, etc.”

What other practical baby shower gifts do you like?

In my next post I’ll list ideas for the mommy-to-be.

• Bring your favorite children’s book, and be sure to sign a note inside the book for mom and baby. Years later they’ll still remember that book came from you.
• Donate a book to the library honoring the birth of the child (maybe a book about being a big brother/sister or a book about mommy/daddy).
• Books on how to use the potty are fun for when the child gets to potty training age.
• A copy of Ditch the Joneses for the new mom and dad to be. I wrote this book for new families.
• What To Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel

What other books do you recommend for baby shower gifts?

In my next post the baby shower gift ideas will continue.

Make a Diaper cake for the mommy-to-be

• You can make a cake out of diapers and onesies. You put diapers into rolls and make a layered “cake”. Put a cute little stuffed animal or rubber duckie on top. This could even be used as a centerpiece for the shower, and then the mommy-to-be takes it home.

Fun to open

• Another idea is to attach baby clothes with baby pins to a clothes line. Put them into a nice white wicker hamper. The expectant mother can then pull the line out of the hamper with the clothes attached.

What other creative baby shower gifts have you seen?

In my next post I’ll list more ideas for baby shower gifts.

In the next few posts I’ll share ideas for baby shower gifts. I asked other moms what they really loved that they received for their baby showers, and I’ll share those as well.

Stay tuned for baby shower gift ideas!!

I expected parenting to be challenging at times. I had these idealized scenes in my head of myself heroically handling those moments: lovingly stroking the hair of my daughter when someone hurt her feelings, or valiantly advocating for my son when I felt he was being mistreated at school. What I didn’t expect was how exhausting and un-heroic the day-to-day moments can be.

I spend my days leading my children everywhere – to the potty, to the crib, to the breakfast table, to preschool, to Target, to music classes, to playdates, around the block, away from the street. I spend a lot of time answering questions and trying to figure out how to pass on wisdom and values. While none of these moments are particularly challenging, it’s tedious, and I frequently find myself worn down and worn out. Then, I get annoyed with myself for not enjoying the opportunities I have with my children more. I love being a parent, but sometimes I am just so weary.

One of the best resources for me as a parent has been connecting with a group of moms. I found a local MOPS chapter shortly after my daughter was born, and it has been so encouraging to talk with other moms and realize that these challenges aren’t uncommon. Recently, a mom shared this verse from Isaiah 40:11 with me:

 ”He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”

The idea of Jesus as a shepherd is not new to me, but as a parent, this verse takes on new meaning. I’m not alone here. Jesus is carrying my little ones close to his heart. And God specifically addresses parents of young ones, too – he is leading me. Purposefully. Gracefully. Gently.

I think sometimes I get so weary because I forget that I don’t always have to lead. I forget that sometimes, I have a chance to rest, listen, and follow – and to trust that the God who holds my little ones in his arms has an arm around me, too.

“ The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28b-31

Jaime is a former teacher and a stay-at-home mom of two who blogs her thoughts at lovegrowoverflow.com

Recently in church we were reminded of the laws God handed to Moses. The Ten Commandments are a list of what we should NOT do. Jesus so beautifully summarized these ten laws into two things that we SHOULD do. He flipped it around and focused on the positive.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” Matthew 22:37 and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” Matthew 22:39.

I know that I respond very well to constructive criticism when it is framed with recognition of something positive that I do. I am totally motivated to make myself even better! Not only do I know this importance through my own reflection, but I also hold a masters degree in education, where this lesson was reinforced each semester.

Yet, when it comes to my own children, this knowledge sometimes is forgotten or ignored. I hear myself yelling to “motivate” them to get ready in the morning. When I hear them bickering, I reinforce their behavior by adding one more voice in the room yelling. I’m not yelling about what reward they will get if their behavior improves. No, I am yelling to take away a privilege. “No Wii for the rest of the day”. (sigh)

How can I keep falling down on this when I know better? I feel so grateful to be reminded again of the importance of focusing on the positive. How lucky are we that God loved us so much He sent His only son to save us from our sins?

I invite you to notice one positive thing today about each person in your family. Does this small action make your day better?

Teresa Parsons lives with her family in Victor, NY.  She is the mother of a first grader and third grader.

If I could share one gem of advice with parents it would be: You have been entrusted with a precious eternal life from the hands of Father God. Be aware of what that entails.

 1. Parenting is hard work. As the mother of four children who came in rapid succession over a 7 period I know first hand:  the exhaustion, the sleepless nights, the work (physical, mental, and spiritual) involved in everything from changing diapers to helping move into college dorms and everything in between and beyond.

2. Parenting means you’ve been given a child with a unique set of needs and an instruction manual that is only revealed day by day as you pray and listen. No two children (even twins) will have the same needs or journey to accomplish. Remember that though they look like you, they are God’s. Check in daily with their Maker for the wisdom needed and the strength to finish the day.

3. Parenting is a humbling experience. Throughout our years of parenting there have been times when we have definitely failed our kids and disappointed Father God. There are times when they embarrassed us. We have needed to ask for forgiveness, give forgiveness and ask God to heal and restore us all with never failing unconditional love! The good news is that He does!

4. Parenting is the greatest job you’ll ever be given. What a privilege to be the most important source of tangible love, protection, comfort and encouragement your child will ever know. When these are not given by their parents, children will seek them elsewhere…often with disastrous results. Please be there for them. At the end of your days there will be no greater joy than to know you did your best, and to have your children loving you in return.

5. Parenting has rewards that last a lifetime and beyond. Our middle son (25) was recently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. It has been an unsettling time. Yet when I asked him how he was doing…he replied, “Mom, I know God, and worst case scenario, heaven is a great place, my hope is not in this body or this life.” Wow. Eternal life, eternal rewards. As his parents and we couldn’t be happier than to know he understands his purpose here and for eternity. What a privilege to be his parents!

You may want to pray this prayer with me today: Thank you Lord for the incredible gift of children….given to us here yet destined for eternity. Help me be a good parent today. Amen!

Annie McCune is a praying mom and Co-Executive Director of the Franklin Graham “Rock the Lakes Buffalo Festival”… www.billygraham.org/buffalo and www.facebook.com/RocktheLakes

I came down the stairs, surveyed the littering of toys, papers, uncollected snacks from the day and coats strewn across the chair in the living room. I did not even consider picking them up, there was no energy left for that. I merely stepped over the toys, thought about how I would pick everything up tomorrow (maybe!), found my way to the couch, sat down and closed my eyes.

I was tired. Not dog-tired, no that is a silly turn of speech…mother tired is more like it.

I had gotten up at 6:30 that morning in an attempt to find some time to read, write and pray. My 3- year old got up at 6:40. I saw her peek her curious eyes down the stairs to see if I would greet her with a smile or a growl.

She never gets up that early…The growl I kept inside, the arms opened wide and I greeted her with a hug.

“Wow, it’s early. Do you want to go back to bed sweetie?”

“Nope!” She quickly retorted.

Of course not.

I turned on the television for her and read a few pages in my Bible, looking for a bit of encouragement for the day. Looking for a reminder that there is a bigger picture…that even though I am in the midst of days where life is busy, and kids wake early, that God has a plan for my life that includes my being a great mother, but also time for my passions for writing, teaching and encouraging others.

You see this is how it goes— being a mother while striving to pursue artistic, professional or personal passions— you plan to do things and your kids get up early or you’re too tired at the end of the day. You try to schedule blocks of time and then somehow the planning of birthday parties, the grocery shopping, the family gatherings, gymnastics and ski club soon cobble away at weeks of time and before you know it you’re not sure you can even remember your phone number, much less construct a sentence that would encourage or inspire a potential reader.

Does that mean it is not worthwhile, the thinking about, the pursuing, the placing some time and energy into your passions? There have been days when I look at my husband and say that…

“That’s it! I quit.”

“Quit what babe? Being a mom? The house? Me? I don’t blame you.”

“No. I’m done. I’m done writing, thinking about writing, trying to be a writer. I’m done. I’m done. I’m done!”

He gets a grin on his face. He knows I’m not done.

“Ok babe.”

There are days when I think it would be easier to quit following my heart, my dreams, the things that tap inside my soul to be pursued…that it would be easier to not have expectations for those things then to live day to day in situations in which they seem impossible to reach?

It’s a tempting thought. Some days.

I read a book last year that I seem to reference quite often lately. The book was called Tender Mercy for a Mother’s Soul, the author Angela Thomas.

Chapter 9 in the book is called “Passionate Contentment”. It’s about living life, our very busy lives with our families, while also carving out times for the things you are passionate about—the things some of us forget about (or want to quit!) once we have children.

In that chapter Thomas says,

“Energy and skill, practice and perseverance, aspiring, training, becoming—these traits perk up my spirit and call me toward an intentional life.

But just about the time I get inspired, thinking that God has put something passionate inside of me, the world marches in and screams, “Wait a cotton-pickin’ minute! What is all this aspiring, gifted, intentional stuff? You are a mother. You have four small children, for goodness’ sake. You do not have time to be passionate about anything that does not involve a home and kids.

…For me, the question is not how to get more time away from my family. I want them to have the whole 95 percent. The question I ask myself is, “How can I bring glory to God with the remaining 5 percent? Will I squander that time and energy, or will I use that small portion to pursue my passions?”

That is the question I want to be asking. How can I be a good steward with the few moments and spaces of time that I have left over at the end of the day?

Now, this doesn’t happen all the time. I don’t want anyone to read this and walk away feeling guilty, or as if they have to add something else to their to-do list. Some days I’m just too darned tired. I read a magazine. I watch television. I simply go to bed.

But then, perhaps the next day or the day after I read a trade journal (on writing in my case), journal for a bit, set some goals, or send a query letter to a magazine. It’s nothing major, but it keeps me moving forward.

It’s small things…baby steps, but that’s the point. We may only have time to take baby steps towards our passions while our babies our small. Those steps, over time though, will allow for us to stay strong on our feet, keep our passions ignited and keep us connected to the outside world.

When I get weary and feel discouraged about finding a way to balance it “all” I am encouraged by the words in Proverbs 16:9 that say, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” or Paul’s words in Philippians 1:6 “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.”

It is then that I can really let out a sigh of relief that I am, fortunately, not the one in charge. And then I take one more baby step, a step towards choosing to have passionate contentment right where I am.

Lisa Littlewood is the mother of two girls, ages 3 and (almost) 5 who lives in Lancaster, N.Y.  She attempts to write in her “free” time and has published articles in Thrive! magazine, Forever Young, Buffalo Spree ancillaries, Buffalo Rising online, MomSense and FullFill’s online blog.  She also writes about her day to day life as a mother and wife and what it means to be a messy Christian in the midst of it all at:  www.littlewritermomma.com

As a mother it took me quite a few years to finally understand that there was no such thing as a no-fail recipe for parenting, and no such thing as a perfect parent. You do the best you can with the information and maturity you have at that particular moment in time and do a whole lot of praying –trusting that God will give you wisdom for the moment. Such was the case one night when my 7-year-old daughter couldn’t (or wouldn’t) go to sleep. She stayed in her bed but repeatedly called for the requisite glass of water, an extra story, more time with the light on, and a plea to “tuck me in just one more time PLEEEEASE!”

In desperation I finally asked through gritted teeth, “What is the problem?”

“I’m scared.” she said. “I keep thinking of all these terrible things.”

“Like what?” I questioned.

“I don’t know” she answered, “Terrible things like what if you got in a car crash, or the house burns down, or the big tree in front falls through my window.”

“You don’t have to worry about those things.” I reassured, an easy platitude rolling off my lips as I switched off the light for the umpteenth time and tried to casually slip out of the room. “God will be with you no matter what.”

But she was not buying it. “I know that!” she wailed. “but I just can’t stop thinking about it!”

“Well you need to try.” I shot back, and suddenly God’s wisdom was there, just when I needed it. “God doesn’t want you to think about those things.”

“How do you know?” she challenged.

Just by chance, (which of course wasn’t chance at all but God’s perfect timing) I had been studying the book of Philippians in my devotions that week and God’s wisdom was suddenly right there when I needed it. “Because God tells us in the Bible what he wants us to think about. Would you like me to read it to you?”

I sat on the edge of her bed and read Philippians 4:8 and then we said a prayer together. She smiled as I kissed her goodnight and her face shone with loving gratitude in one of those rare and wonderful parent-child moments. “Thanks Mom” she murmured, and looked up at me as though I were the smartest Mom alive.

Little did she know that I felt nothing but humility. I knew it was not me, but God who had supplied the parenting wisdom for that moment and God who deserved the thanks and praise. Once again I faced facts –I am not the “perfect parent” and there is no recipe for perfect parenting, but when you stay close to God by spending time in His word, the wisdom will be there when you need it the most.

Philippians 4:8 “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, –if anything is excellent or praiseworthy –think about such things.”

Karen Cassidy is a Speech-Language Pathologist and mother of two.  She also has a blog called Karen’s Two Sentence Book Club Reviews

Research has shown that the keys to success in school are tied to the following abilities:

• Ability to focus attention
• Respond to another’s concern (empathy)
• Communicate needs and desires in a pro-social way
• Problem solve
• Form supportive relationships with peers and other adults
• Interest, motivation and persistence

With that in mind, here are some specific ways to help your child learn right at home:

 Talk to children and listen to them. Expand on what they are telling you. Explain things to them by using proper language as you model correct speech and language.

 Do little projects with your children such as reading to them, having them help set the table, make an art project, etc. Encourage them to finish a short project and follow the directions as you model for them.

 When a problem occurs, have your child tell what it is, then brainstorm ways with him/her that the problem may be able to be solved. Encourage your child to try one of the possible solutions. The targeted problem can be as simple as opening a juice box.

 Join a library story time, a play group, or form a group of your own so children get a chance to bond with others in positive relationships. Model positive ways to interact as they happen.

 Praise your child for attempts at tasks. If he/she cannot do something, talk them through how to do better next time. One way you can model how to persist when something doesn’t work out is to say “Oh well! We just try again!” When you make a mistake, model persistence yourself.

Yes, it is a huge adjustment for both parents and children when a child starts school. The most important thing a parent should remember is to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in how to teach and model important concepts and life skills. Your child’s teachers are counting on you to do that. They are also counting on you to partner with them in educating your child. Parents and teachers are an unbeatable team when it comes to molding young minds. If this happens under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a child WILL succeed!

Kathy Goforth is a National Board certified Early Childhood Generalist. She works in a North Carolina public school teaching young children. Kathy is also the creator of a CD called Jolly Good Spellers, which teaches young children to spell required words quickly and easily by singing them to familiar tunes. Proceeds from the CD fund Teacher scholarships and projects benefitting young children. Look for her website at www.jollygoodspellers.com or like Jolly Good Spellers on Facebook.