Showing posts with label parenting teens

Parenting our girls Then and Now

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, October 09, 2018
This post is sponsored by the Center for Parent and Teen Communication.  All opinions and total Mom moments are my own.


My laptop has been acting up the last few weeks, which forced me to work on the family desktop computer. She may be a bit of a dinosaur, but she is as reliable as the day is long. As soon as I sat down to work and started downloading needed photos for a campaign, I was swept up in nostalgia and found myself going back down memory lane. My girls have grown and changed so much from the early years of parenting, but their bond remains strong. 

Then: 



#ad after school playtime then


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ADORED 365-day devotional for young women book review & giveaway

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, November 17, 2017
Happy Friday! If you’ve been reading my blog for long, you know I love posting giveaways on Friday’s. It just feels like the perfect way to end the week. Today, I’ve partnered with Flyby, to share a beautiful book with you; ADORED 365-day devotional for young women book. If you are raising a teen daughter like I am, this Christian based devotional book may be a perfect Christmas gift, so please enter my giveaway after reading my review. 


#AdoredByGod #Flyby book review and giveaway #ad


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Organize your closet in an afternoon with simple accessories

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, May 18, 2017

Spring cleaning continues this month at Casa Kinsman and while I feel like I’m making headway in some areas (hello recycling bins filled to the brim!), I’ve just started on closets. Oh, closet organization, how I avoid you, until now. When my friends over at Tidy Living ask if I would like to work with them on their May Madness spring cleaning sale, I happily said yes because I knew I couldn’t let my closets stay messy. With the help of two cool clothing accessories I received from today’s sponsor, I was able to organize the messiest closet in one afternoon. Here’s how I did it. 
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Tidy Living. I received information/product to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.



Organize your closet in an afternoon with a garment rack from TidyLiving.com #ad
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Connecting with teens: Take a walk then sit and Sip

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, September 24, 2015
Even though we officially kicked off fall this week, the temperatures here in the south remain summer like. My teen daughters and I have started taking afternoon walks again and we usually wind up on the front porch to cool off. That’s when we enjoy big flavorful glasses of home brewed iced tea. I love connecting with my teens as we sit and sip together. Sometimes we talk, sometimes we just rock and listen to the busy birds- either way it’s the time spent together that matters. 

My WAHM Plan: Connecting with my teen daughter

Recently I received a box full of Tulsi flavored teas from Organic India as part of the Moms Meet program. While I did receive these items free of charge, I only share products I believe in and feel will be of value to you, my readers.  

Some of you may remember the first time I wrote about this wonderful company and their story and mission remain relevant and important enough for me to share them again today. 

One of Organic India’s main missions is to create a sustainable global environment by working with thousands of family farmers in India on tens of thousands of acres of organic farmland. These are causes I very much believe in and want to champion. 

My WAHM Plan: Organic India flavored teas

Tulsi is considered India’s Queen of herbs for more than 5,000 years and has been revered as one of the most sacred herbs in India, infused with healing power because of its abundance in antioxidants. I can’t speak to this teas healing power, but I can speak to its flavor.

My WAHM Plan: Raspberry Peach Iced Tea

This week we are enjoying a special blend of home brewed iced tea using a mix of Tulsi Original tea and Tulsi Raspberry Peach tea. It is a delightful, flavorful blend my whole family loves. You can also purchase Tulsi in: Sweet Rose, Lemon Ginger, Honey Chamomile, Peppermint, Jasmine and many more by visiting their website.

Each box of Tulsi tea retails for $5.99 and is certified USDA organic.  You can save 20% on your Organic India products by using code kiwi20 for your online purchases. Also, be sure to visit Organic India on Facebook and Twitter where you can learn more about their humanitarian causes.

I invite you to enjoy the beautiful fall weather and get outside! Go for a walk; enjoy the view as the seasons slowly blend and change; or just sit and sip some iced tea together. It’s a perfect way to connect with your teens, your husband, your dog, even yourself.

From our home to yours- we wish you a Happy Fall!


Please share in comments: Which tea flavor listed above you would you like to try?

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What a Girl Needs from her Mom by Cheri Fuller is helpful

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, April 16, 2015
As part of the Family Christian bloggers network, I was recently asked if I would like to review this book and since I love working with Family Christian and I love my daughter’s I said yes. I received a free copy of What a Girl Needs from her Mom and a thank you item for my time. Thoughts shared today are my own. 


book, helpful, Mom, Daughter
Source


I’ve read many books on general parenting and a few exclusively for the often lovely, yet often trying relationship between Moms and Daughters.  I didn’t want another hard hitting, just the facts style parenting book- I wanted a parenting book that spoke to the Mom I’m learning to be now- a guide book of sorts. 

That’s exactly what I found in the pages of What a girl needs from her Mom. I’ll share more of my thoughts in a moment, but first let me share with you the details of the book from Family Christian’s website where you can purchase this and other helpful books and learn more about the author, Cheri Fuller if you'd like to.

What a Girl Needs from her Mom by Cheri Fuller:

“Mystified by the situations girls face today? There's a good reason, Mom. Our girls are growing up in a completely different world than we did. But whether your daughter is very young or a teenager, you can equip yourself with the wisdom and practical help she needs for the pressures and decisions ahead. With keen insight and warm encouragement, Cheri Fuller shares how you can become a more welcome influence at every stage in your daughter's life. Drawing from her own experiences and the expertise of others, Cheri answers all the top questions, including: 
  • "How can I help my girl avoid the dangers of social media and navigate the digital world?"
  • "How can I counter society's unhealthy messages about body image and sexuality?
  • "How can I help my daughter (and me!?) deal with her emotional ups and downs?"
  • "What are the best ways to instill good values?"
  • "How can I help her grow a firm faith in God?"


Filled with trustworthy suggestions, this book will help you steer your daughter toward becoming a healthy, confident young woman.


My Thoughts:
quotes, books, parenting, girls, Moms
Very early on in the book (page 16), I read a simple message that I shared immediately. Cheri said there are No perfect Moms. There is no magic formula. No doing this will equal a perfect daughter, or a perfect Mom. After reading that,  I knew I was going to really like this book!

What a girl needs from her Mom covers all ages and stages, so I found myself flipping to relevant chapters depending on the day and what was on my heart for my relationship with my teen and tween daughters. 

One particularly helpful chapter for me was A Mom who listens with her Heart and specifically the Roadblocks to Communication section.

Cheri’s Communication Roadblocks are:

  • Giving advice before hearing her out.
  • Finishing her sentences.
  • Jumping in with positive thoughts to cheer her up when she’s expressing sadness or anger (I raise my hand on this one!)
  • Tossing orders and giving little lectures. (I must raise my hand on this one too)
  • Criticizing her.


Here I revisited a few problems with communication in my relationship with my Mom when I was a tween and teen. I spent time each day unpacking each point, or roadblock;  to see if I needed to work on these areas to better communicate with my daughters.

While I do give myself an overall good grade on this Mom thing- I do have areas I need to improve upon. Just like our kids do, so in my humble opinion, we should cut each other some slack here. I have been intentional in my parenting since reading this chapter and found it has helped me slow down and be present and mindful in the moment. 

Both Mom and daughters (and sons for that matter) are growing up in a different time than we did! Our kids have it tougher than ever! But you Moms already know that. 

If you need help understanding where your daughters are now, I offer you some tips I've learned along the way. 

Spend an afternoon volunteering at their school if possible and watch how their peers talk, dress etc. Go to the mall with them and actively listen to kids their age, get in touch with what goes on around them. Host a sleep-over with one or two of your daughters closest friends and let them be themselves. You would be amazed at what these kids share if they feel comfortable and safe. Be that safe place, please. 

And then read this book.  It will not only help you be a better equipped, more understanding Mom, it just may help you be a better adult as well. 


With Mother's Day rapidly approaching, I would like to take a moment to wish you all a very Happy Mother's Day! 
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Enough #10things we should be telling our teenage girls book giveaway

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, August 08, 2014

Being a Mom of a teenager can be tricky; being a mom of a teen age girl can be sticky.  I say this because, if a parent isn’t very careful, she will find herself in one sticky situation after another because teenage girls are full of emotions. That’s why I was thrilled to receive a complimentary copy of Enough by Kate Conner via Flyby Promotions to review and host a giveaway. 



Enough by Kate Conner book cover #10things




I couldn’t wait for this book to arrive. Even though I have a good relationship with my 15 yr. old daughter, I’m open to learning all I can about parenting, especially during the turbulent teens years.

Once my copy arrived, I turned the book over to read the back jacket as I always do and these are the words that greeted me.

  • You are beautiful.
  • You are valuable.
  • You are enough.


Those are powerful, beautiful and truthful words.  Words that I daresay we do not hear enough in our lives so please take a moment and read those three sentences again. And if you take nothing else with you after you read this post- I will feel honored that I could share those truths with you. 


About the Author:

Kate Conner is a 28 year old writer, blogger, speaker, Southerner- hailing from North Carolina, Mom of 3, Counselor of teenage girls, Daughter of Christ, thrift store shopper. That’s what I got from her bio on Enough. After reading this book though, I discovered Kate is so much more than her bio. She’s smart, funny, real, and authentic, the kid sister I never had and the big sister influence teenage girls need. 




About Enough- #10 things we should be telling teenage girls


Quotes from Enough book by Kate Conner #10things



This book was born from a blog post on March 25, 2012. I never read Kate’s “10 things I want to tell teenage girls” post, but apparently I was completely out of the loop, because 2 million other people read it in just two weeks. After reading Enough, where Kate expands and explains her 10 things, I can see why her post was so wildly popular.



Quotes from Enough book by Kate Conner #10things


Kate touches on the teenage girl of today; she talks openly about why men and boys stare, modesty and why how we look matters. She talks openly about drama, using words as weapons and over-sharing on social media. She shares insights into being female and controlling our emotions instead of our emotions controlling us. 



Quotes from Enough book by Kate Conner #10things



In essence, Kate covers most of the power struggle, hot bed topics that will or may have already come up with your teenage girl.  I enjoyed this book and found it to be a valuable resource. 

If you have found yourself arguing with your teenage girl about clothing, dating, friends etc. and don’t want to wage another war- hand her this book, tell her it’s a “must read” and walk away. She’ll read it and learn from it.  My daughter read it and really liked. While our parenting mirrors Kate's wise words- she touched on subjects in a new and different way that resonated with my daughter.

 I even recommend that Moms with teenage sons read this book, because if it hasn’t happened yet- girl drama will affect your son and what better way to help him navigate this area than to have an insight?


You can learn more about Enough here and Kate by visiting her sites: 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/KateElizabethConner 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kateeconner
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kateelizabethconner
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kateconner/


Quotes from Enough book by Kate Conner #10things



The Giveaway:

One lucky reader will receive a paper back copy of About Enough- #10 things we should be telling teenage girls courtesy of Propeller Consulting, LLC. Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below.  Terms: Open to U.S. residents 18+. No purchase necessary to enter/win. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook. Read full terms and conditions on Rafflecopter form. 

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway







Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
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