photo credit: sⓘndy°

I’m still recovering from Christmas weekend, and trying to get my foot in the door on my goals for 2011. Which means I might be scarce in my blogging this week and the next. To compensate, I’m going to put up a few guest posts that I thought everyone would enjoy. If you would like to send me one to publish, just hit the contact form and let me know. I hope you all have a happy New Year!
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All too often a lot of single moms feel that they have to be “super mom” and not expect or ask for any help. If you are among the super moms, you run a great risk of parenting burn out. We are all human and we all fall short of “doing it all” at some point. Hey, it’s tough enough raising kids as a 2-parent family. That goes double for single parents, especially single moms raising 2 or more children.

So, it is OK to ask for help or support when you’re trying to raise 2 or more kids? It’s not only OK, it is suggested. Remember as a single mom, you have to work hard to bring home the bacon without depending on any child support, whether you are receiving it or not. You never know when that money will run out.

You also have to raise your kids to be compassionate and responsible adults. That’s not an easy task in today’s world. For single moms it is quite the challenge. You are responsible for your child’s schooling, the clothes they wear, the food they eat, and also the air they breathe. Let’s face it, anyway you look at it, that’s a tall order for any single mom raising 2 or more kids.

For the moms out there that don’t think they are “super mom” and are not reluctant at seeking advice, there are a lot of practical things you can do for support in general, financially or otherwise.

Let’s take a look at 6 of those things

* Take good care of yourself - There is so much more to this than one might think. Pay attention to your body and mind. You have to first take care of yourself in order to take care of your kids. Exercise daily. Eat right and drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. Get plenty of sleep. Watch your stress levels and try to avoid it at all costs. Smile, try it! It helps relieve stress.

* Join parenting network support groups - These can be in the form of online message boards, support websites, online chat groups, offline support group centers, and your church community.

* Start a parenting journal - This will strictly be for you as a parent and should be kept private. Writing in a journal can be quite therapeutic for some people. You can write about specific goals about parenting, anger management, and even special goals for yourself.

* Consider a roommate - Save a considerable amount of money on living expenses and have companionship at the same time. You will also have someone to swap babysit dates with. Your roommate will watch all the kids for one day, and then you take your turn at it. Beautiful concept if you are all for having a roommate. Some people like living alone and is a preference.

* Always show your love - Of course it’s crucial to your child that they know you love them. But there are special ways of showing your love. Give plenty of hugs, kids love them! Write a special message on a piece of paper and hide it in their school bag or lunch box. Show positive praise. Positive comments and encouragement goes a long way with your child’s self esteem and confidence.

* Discipline - Most often discipline is the most sought after advice for single moms. One important thing I have learned personally is controlling anger. If your child sees you angry while trying to discipline them, this gives them leverage to push your buttons even further. If you don’t get a handle on controlling your anger, you are sunk before you even begin.

“Stick to your guns” is also a famous motto you should always practice. If you tell your child one thing and then back out on it, what good is discipline in the first place?

Use your gut instincts with parenting and stay true to what you believe is the right thing for your children.

Tammy Embrich is an Internet marketer, article marketer, and ghostwriter. You can find more parenting and grandparenting articles, tips, and more at Grandma’s Home Blogger Place

Tammy also offers work at home articles, free job leads, work at home tips, and more at Work At Home Jobs

A few weeks ago I was sent a gift certificate for Eden Home and told to spend it on whatever I want. But, since I’m a mom first, I spent it on the kids.

Specifically, they got the BPA Free Plastic Toy Recycling Truck and the BPA Free Plastic Eco Dump Truck, both of which are made from recycled materials. Which just made my little green heart even happier. Especially when you see our pitiful backyard. Those toys are about the only “green” things back there.

My followers on Twitter know I was a bit peeved when I first got the toys. The box came stuffed to the brim with packing peanuts, which I assumed to be styrofoam. Thankfully it was suggested I run the little pieces in water, and viola! They melted right away. Corn starch, who knew! So score one for fast and green shipping to go along with the toys!

The customer service also rocked. One toy I had originally wanted was out of stock, and a real life person called me the very next day to offer a replacement toy. At the same lower price as the toy I wanted even. A real person! Called me! Not a canned email! OMG! That is exciting! I may not stop talking this way!

The toys have taken a beating. They’ve been filled with mud, left in the rain, sat upon, thrown, and in one case almost ran over by a truck. And somehow they’re still plugging away, sitting there patiently waiting for the next beating playtime my kids have in mind. Am I saying my kids are rough. No, not at all. (Yes, yes I am).

We only have one planet and you only live once so why compromise on quality of life when health, safety and comfort are being considered. It’s a well known fact that thousands of chemicals are used every day in the growing and processing of cotton, never mind the toxins used in making conventional cotton clothing and bedding.

Especially when it comes to a newborn baby, why take a chance? Today as a result of increasing demand for safer and healthier products, more and more organic cotton is grown with the help of time-proven, non-toxic, chemical and pesticide-free agricultural techniques designed to sustain the land that yields the crop as well as the people who tend and harvest it. The result? Many of the common allergies that are a direct result of lingering chemicals in conventional cotton fibers are no longer an issue when organic cotton is next to your skin.

For the rest of June, Eden Home is doing a baby gift registry contest. Sign up, make a baby gift registry, tell your friends, and you’re entered to win over $2000 worth of baby goodies. Sadly, a sweet smelling baby is not included. That you’ve got to make on your own.

No Purchase Necessary. For a chance to win one (1) Grand Prize of “An Organic Baby Shower” worth $1,000* in Eden Home product from EdenHome.com, you must submit your entry (create an EdenHome.com account, create your gift registry & sign up for Email, add products that you would like for your organic baby shower and email your gift registry link to at least 10 friends), by 11:59 p.m. PST on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. EdenHome.com will randomly select the name of the grand prize winner by the end of the day on Friday, July 2, 2010. The winner will be notified via e-mail. If you are selected and meet the eligibility requirements set forth herein, the Prize will be delivered to the name and address (& email) that you provide with your entry.

The fine print: My gift card for $50 was provided to me through FuelMyBlog with the understanding that I would review the products I purchased. Everything I said in this post was true and factual to the best of my knowledge. If the toys had sucked I would have sent them back and complained about them all over Twitter. I promise, they really are a couple of awesome trucks.