Keeping it Simple

In my last blog, I encouraged you to ask your children about last Christmas and I am certain the gifts they remembered were the ones that can't be wrapped. That being said, we single moms still want to put presents under the tree. Here are some suggestions when you are on a tight budget.

     1. Ask for help if you need it and leave guilt in the garbage. Giving and receiving are the same energy.
     2. Shop at thrift shops, and Goodwill.
     3. Make your children coupons for chores, a special outing, or a day off of school. You can be really creative. One of my favorite gifts was a coupon from my daughter for a pedicure.
     4. Create a themed basket. A budding artist would love a basket filled with crayons, markers, paints etc.. A budding chef would love a basket filled with ingredients to make something. Again these little gifts can usually be bought for under ten dollars. The personal touch will warm your child's heart.
     5. Make sure things you need around the house or things your children need are also wrapped and put under the tree.  So much of the enjoyment simply comes from the unwrapping.

I hope that gets you started. Please remember the gifts you give your children day in and day out as a single mother are the ones they will treasure their entire lives.

Joy and Peace
Virginia
I would love to celebrate your CEO status of the most important business in the world, YOUR FAMILY Contact me virginiamccormack05@gmail.com

Do This First

     The holidays are creeping right up and for many single mothers there is angst mixed with joy. One of the biggest angsts for many of us is buying gifts for our children. We want to give them, our precious children, everything their hearts desire.

    That being said, it is important to remember what really matters to children. Yes, all children young and old love opening presents and love surprises at the holidays. However, very rarely do the contents of those shiny boxes remain etched into a child's memory.

   Every mid November, as I begin to think about Christmas shopping, I ask my children this,"What do you remember about last Christmas?"

  Never, in all of my years being a single parent have they remembered specific gifts. They always remember what we did as a family. They remember the games we played Christmas Eve, the cookie decorating, and mostly the being together having fun.

  Oh Santa will come to my home and bring many wonderful surprises for all of us. Yet as I shop or when I wish I could buy them more, I remember it is the being together and having fun that matters the most to them.

  So before you go shopping Do This First. Ask yout children what they remember about last Christmas.

Blessings,
Virginia

I would be honored to guide you along your journey of single parenting. I offer coaching sessions in person, over the phone or via email. You can reach me at virginiamccormack05@gmail.com

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

This is one of my favorite pictures of my lovlings taken over ten years ago. While I am not the type of mother who wishes her children were any age other than the age they are right now (12, 15 & 17), looking back makes me proud.

When this picture was taken, the life as I knew it, the life that I had planned all of my life was about to change drastically. My marriage was ending and my new life as a single mom was just beginning. Seeing those smiling faces and seeing the smiling faces I see today reminds me of how far I have come.

Single parenting, while trying at times, is NOT the end of joy. It is the beginning of something wonderful and it is possible to accomplish. Don't ever let anyone, not even your monkey mind, tell you anything different.

Blessings,
Virginia

The View Is Always Better on the High Road

Regardless what your ex husband did or didn't do while married to you, he is part of your child. You can't change the DNA. Each time you say something negative about your child's father, you are in an effect saying it directly to your child.

Make a promise to yourself right from the start not to bad mouth your ex husband in front of your children. (That includes phone calls, which I have been guilty of.) Experts say that it is not the divorce that harms a child, it is the aftermath. When mom and dad continue their battle after the divorce the children suffer greatly.

If you have spoken harshly about your child's parent within their listening range, take ownership for your mistake. Simply apologize to your child in an age appropriate way.

If you learn that you are being bad mouthed, take the high road. The view is always better there. Refrain from blasting back and don't show any personal emotion, especially if your child is telling you. Stay calm, focusing only on your child's feelings. When you realize how painful it is for them to hear harsh words about you, the high road will become the only road.

 

Blessings,

Virginia

A New Day and a Resurrected Blog

After much thought and a few starts and stops in creating another blog all together, I decided to resurrect my Single Mom Coach blog in an effort to reach out to even more single moms.

I love a sunrise and the excitment of a new day just as I love the rush of starting something new.

So I'm back to share the journey with you and hopefully shine some light along the way.

Where ever you are in the journey of single motherhood remember:
Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
-Martin Luther King
Blessings,
Virginia