Raising my child (and me)

Oh no, another mom blog? *Insert eye roll*

Yes, but... this one’s not just Pinterest DIY’s or tips and tricks on how to survive the terrible 2’s and a ‘threenager’, it’s a supportive guide on how to raise your child and you, honestly.

Navigating parenthood can be daunting and treacherous at times. No ultimate perfect parent’s rule book, sometimes you have absolutely no help or even support at times. It's a lot.

I personally have a 2-year-old daughter, a daughter I’ve raised solely by myself since she’s been born. Once she came into this world, I knew I wanted more for my life and hers. After being out of school for 3 years, thus began my journey of finishing my bachelor’s degree, all online, at home, no job, no car... it's been a wild and stressful ride to say the least, yet it has raised me into a smarter and stronger mother. 

Through my parenting journey so far, I’ve gained useful knowledge and hope with this blog I will be able to lend advice, perspective and support to other fellow single parents who are experiencing the day to day stresses and anxieties of being a parent, going to school, childcare, balancing your mental and physical health, as well as your child’s, and any other curve ball life decides to toss your way. Because just like it is your child’s first time being 2 or 5 or even 8 years old, this is your first time too. Whether that be being a parent, single parent, 20-something years old, 30 something years old etc. You are raising them and yourself. It’s a big task, but together through support and love we can all grow and thrive.

Speaking of growing and thriving, some of my first few suggestions to help your kiddos grow is reading! Reading creates such a great bonding time between you and your kids. Reading also helps tremendously with children’s speech, language, and imagination. A useful resource I discovered early on was Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a wonderful book gifting program that mails free books, yes free books, to your children from birth until they begin school.

I signed my daughter up right away when I stumbled across this!

Another great learning tool for at home that helps with reading, math, art, phonics and critical thinking is ABCmouse. It is subscription based, but you get to try it out for free for 30 days and then decide whether you want to go ahead with the subscription or not. Occasionally they even provide subscription deals as well so if you are money conscious, which makes perfect sense if you are a parent, this would be a wonderful option!

ABCmouse is a must at my house. My daughter can access it easily through my phone. What I also find great about it is the age specification feature. Based on your child's age the app will only allow them to play appropriate and  educational games for their specific age year.

Parenthood doesn't have to be scary all the time, it's just a learning experience. Just like your child is learning, so are you. Be gentle with you and be gentle with them. Together we can raise them, and you. :)