The Stay at Home Mother

It's funny how the things we think are the least controversial, turn out to be the most.

A few weeks back, I wrote an article for the Now newspaper on my recent trip to Las Vegas. 

Much to my disappointment, I witnessed several parents dragging their kids along the Vegas strip at all hours of the night.  I was horrified to say the least.....

So when I wrote the article against parents taking their kids to Vegas, I thought most parents here would feel the same....not so.

It opened up a whole debate as to how parents viewed Vegas. Some felt it was definitely ok for kids to go to Vegas with them. 

The article gained a lot of attention and went "viral".  It was published in dozens of papers throughout CanWest publications across Canada.  

I received feedback from Quebec, the Praires, NWT, Alberta, Ontario, well, you get the picture.  It was even published on Canada.com, for people online to submit their opinion on the topic.

So has any of the feedback changed my mind?.............Nope. ;)

To read the article in its entirety and the dozens of posts it received - CLICK HERE.

And if you have an opinion on Las Vegas and Kids- by all means, email me.  I'm always open to hearing from parents on both sides of this debate.

Another year has gone by in my life and I have to say - its been quite a year. 

There's been some curve balls that have been thrown at me, that made me reassess everything in my life.

Sometimes life doesn't always hand us exactly what we expect, and while we struggle to figure out why at the time- fate has planned it that way...But my life has taken another dramatic turn in the last few months - handing me the writing opportunity of a lifetime.  And I'm running full steam ahead with it. 

I'm more committed as a stay at home mom and "enterprising mom" now, more than ever.

And I've got some great surprises in store to share with readers in the coming months. 

And as today is my birthday, I am celebrating all the wonderful things in my life not only today - but in the future days, for both me and my family.

My latest article, which I'm sure will get parents talking, is about earlier education for children under the age of five; will be out on stands this Tuesday.

In the meantime - enjoy this clip from one of my favourite movies. It speaks to my point of the absurdity of having children take their "careers" as students too seriously. Enjoy!  CLICK HERE TO WATCH

I always ask my kids what they want to be when they grow up. 

I love to see where their imagination takes them, and where their interests lie.

If you think ages 7 and 4 is too young to have a clue - I would argue that point. 

I remember being asked by my teacher when I was 9 what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I replied without hestitation "a journalist" because I felt it in my very core that I wanted to be a writer....

Flash forward 15 years and I am in journalism school.  After getting my English and Communications degree from SFU, I realized that I needed to be trained in the art of reporting.

After graduation, I came to the very sad discovery that I didn't have the drive for reporting the news. I enjoyed the writing part - but not hard-hitting journalism like I first thought.

It took me almost another 10 years and two children later to discover that I enjoyed writing as an opinion columnist - which I have now been doing for 4 1/2 years.  

And finally, in the last 8 months, I've also been working as a free lancer for the newspaper - doing interviews on interesting local people and hot topics. I finally found my niche.

We may know exactly what we want to do with our lives very early on, or like me, it may take  a bit of finessing to get it right - but when we do - life suddenly takes on a whole new meaning.

With my company, Enterprising Moms - I have had the privlege of learning from so many other women out there who have also found their niche and their passion.  And it is truly inspiring.

My latest article in the Surrey Now newspaper is all about my children and what they have decided they want to do with their lives - and learning that its not always what you expect!  To read the article, CLICK HERE.

A big goal of mine has come to fruition this month.  I am officially working for a weekly newspaper. (Besides my column that I have been writing for the past 4 1/2 years!) alongside of Enterprising Moms Network.

I am working as a writer on a newly launched newspaper called "The Source".  It is distributed by the Surrey Now (a division of CanWest) and focuses in on local people, events and news in the White Rock and South Surrey area.....

My first five articles came out this week and I've been writing up a storm for the next edition.  A regular feature that I will be doing is "Outstanding Kids" in the community.  So I am looking for kids living in the White Rock or South Surrey area who are outstanding in education, sports, dance, arts, volunteerism, etc. 

If you know of a kid who fits the bill and would like to be featured in the newspaper - email me at info@thestayathomemother.com. 

Also, I will be featuring entrepreneurs and interesting people - so if you live in the area, please start sending me your ideas!

I am a proud local here in the community of White Rock - and am so pleased that I get to write about all the wonderful things and people that makes living here so great!

There will always be those days that we doubt ourselves. Times when we question our abilities in our home life - and in our work life.  We are always our harshest critic. 

As a mom, I know the constant feeling of guilt that comes with trying to juggle both a business and a family.

I know there is never enough time in the day and I also know that there is no such thing as balance - only choices...

I also know that sometimes we have to make tough decisions that we hope are the right ones in order to benefit the entire family.   

Parenthood doesn't come with a  manual - and neither does life for that matter.  We have to simply live life with as much passion and love as we can, and know that if we do that, the rest of it, will take care of itself.

Because our lives crave both of these in order to feel complete.

And that's what drives me every day when I get up. I continue to pursue my passion with Enterprising Moms and with my writing.  I continue to put my children first above everything else, because I love them more than anything.  They are the reason I was able to pursue my passion in the first place.

Here is a daily affirmation done by a five year old girl that I want to share with you - in hopes that more of us will do it more often when we start to doubt our abilities:  CLICK HERE TO WATCH