This Q and A is with Kali Wendorf editor of Kindred Magazine (http://www.kindredmagazine.com.au)

Ashley: How society is set up now, do you think it’s optimal for raising children?

Kali: Absolutely not. Not at all. Again, we live in a globalised culture—meaning, we must work harder and harder to earn the same dollar. And with corporations wielding so much power and influence, it means they have a direct hand in almost every, if not every, aspect of our lives – what we are taught at school, how births are treated, how much we must work, what we are allowed to know, what we are allowed to talk about, what we do with our free time, our sense of ourselves as human beings…

And governments serve the corporations (because corporations fund their elections), and the corporations serve the economy, and the economy only looks good when money is made. Money doesn’t get made when a mother chooses to breastfeed over bottle-feed. Money doesn’t get made when a family chooses to home-school. Money doesn’t get made when a mother or father chooses to stay home with the baby and not work, and not put the baby in daycare. Read more »

This Q and A is with Kali Wendorf editor of Kindred Magazine (http://www.kindredmagazine.com.au)

Ashley: I have heard you talk about the nuclear family, could you in your own words define that term and what it means to you? Are there any downsides to this (in your opinion)?

Kali: The nuclear family, as I define it, is the basic father, mother and 2.5 kids model. It’s based on an insular mindset, whereby community and larger extended family have very little to do with the day to day existence of its members. The nuclear family model is mostly a product of a globalised economy, whereby family members move away from each other in search of work and people spend a majority of their time at work and at school, or in their cars commuting to those two places. Read more »

This is part 7 of a 10 part parenting series, you can read the previous post Top 10 things you can do for yourself to be a better parent. #6 Have Passion! by clicking here.

#7 Heal The Past.

I have to say, this is the biggest and most difficult thing preventing me from being as close as I can with my son. Sometimes I feel shrouded and taken over by the past. And in those moments, I’m not in the present, and I’m definitely not the best parent I can be.
Read more »

This is part 6 of a 10 part parenting series, you can read the previous post : Top 10 things you can do for yourself to be a better parent #5 Spend Time Alone, by clicking here.

Everyone deserves to have a passion for something!  Whether its a hobby or career, there needs to be some degree of passion in your life.  Many, many people go through life with zero passion, and it shows.  But you don’t have to be one of those people.  The art of finding ones passion isn’t always easy, and its a numbers game.  So try a few different things and you’ll know when you hit on something you love.  When you do find something you love keep doing it!!!

Having a passion will automatically transfer to your home and family life.  It will seep into every cranny and nook, making things more magical and beautiful than ever before!

I know as a mom its often difficult to find the time to do the things you love.  But this one is a MUST if you want to live a fulfilled life.  And parents beware: don’t feel guilty if your family isn’t your sole passion.  They don’t have to be, moms and dads can have many, many passions.

What’s yours?

If you need help finding your passion, I would recommend reading The Passion Test or visiting Inspiration Point, finding your passion and doing any of the programs available.

Good luck!

Ashley

This is part 5 of a 10 part parenting series, you can read the previous post : Top 10 things you can do for yourself to be a better parent. #4 Talk to a friend

At least once a week you need to have time to spend a few uninterrupted  hours by yourself.  To read, take a bath, whatever.  As a parent, you need AND deserve this time.  So ask your partner, family member or hire a babysitter.  To locate a babysitter in your area online try one of these: Kijiji, Craigslilst, Care babysitting finder.  Or just Google “babysitting and nanny service.”

After spending a few hours by yourself you’ll feel refreshed and restored; better able to be a GREAT parent.  Don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself.

This is part 4 of a 10 part parenting series, you can read the previous post : Top 10 things you can do for yourself to be a better parent. #4 Talk to a friend, here.

Parent Series: Top 10 things you can do for yourself to be a better parent. #4 Talk to a friend….

Its critical to have someone to talk to about your feelings and parental stresses.

Research shows that parents that release emotion regularly have significantly less stress than parents that don’t.  A way that you can do this is by trading “listening time” with a trusted friend.  Otherwise known as “co-councelling,”

This is a free and effective way to offload intense feelings that arise from being a parent.  You can find out more about this on the re-evaluation councelling website.

Re-evaluation Counseling (co-councelling) is a process whereby people of all ages and of all backgrounds can learn how to exchange effective help with each other in order to free themselves from the effects of past distress experiences.

Re-evaluation Counseling theory provides a model of what a human being can be like in the area of his/her interaction with other human beings and his/her environment. The theory assumes that everyone is born with tremendous intellectual potential, natural zest, and lovingness, but that these qualities have become blocked and obscured in adults as the result of accumulated distress experiences (fear, hurt, loss, pain, anger, embarrassment, etc.) which begin early in our lives.

When adequate emotional discharge can take place, the person is freed from the rigid pattern of behavior and feeling left by the hurt. The basic loving, cooperative, intelligent, and zestful nature is then free to operate. Such a person will tend to be more effective in looking out for his or her own interests and the interests of others, and will be more capable of acting successfully against injustice.

The biggest difference in my own parenting comes from having my feelings listened to.  If I had to choose 1 out of the 10 things to be a better parent, this one would be it.

Its important when you trade time with another friend or parent that you just listen to each other, you don’t interject.  There needs to be room for feelings and crying, to discharge the intensity of the heavy demands of parenting.  So find a friend or fellow parent that’s comfortable with crying.  If you have any questions about this process email me or check out the websites above.

Talk to you soon!

Ashley