MUM-e-Mail
- a newsletter to enthuse, educate, and entertain
mothers of pre-schoolers and their supporters

December 2005


Mothering Maxim – Guidance
Bringing up children: Coaching – with love.



Mum Moment – “‘cos you’re the Mudda”
Setting Limits or Boundaries
Don’t be afraid to use the word ‘boundary’ with your child; it’s a useful one.
When she defiantly refuses to stop screaming in anger at you, say, “Julie, we
have a boundary in this house that screaming is not okay. You can be angry and
talk about your anger to me, but if you cross the boundary of screaming, then
you will have to do your screaming alone in your bedroom.”

Maintaining Respect
Nothing robs a parent of his authority faster than hypocrisy. If a parent does
not bind himself to the same rules of courtesy that he expects from his
children, then you can almost guarantee the rules will eventually be
disregarded.

For example, parents often feel that what they have to say is more important
than a child’s ramblings. However, if little Jeremy can say, “Mum, you
interrupted me,” and Mum can respond non-defensively with, “You’re right, Son.
Sorry about that,” then children learn that respect, ownership, apologising and
responding to house rules are things that grown-ups do. What you model is the
key.

Use a timer
When the bell rings, then it is time for the next person to have a turn on the
play station or a special toy. It is also useful for regulating showers, music
practices and quiet reading times.

‘Leader for the Week’
Have each child take a turn at being the leader. This child chooses who sits in
the front seat in the car, who chairs the family meeting and what TV channel to
watch. It is amazing how children will go along with this because they know
that their turn is coming.

Celebrate the Little Things
Keep a supply of various colours of balloons, candles, confetti, and crepe-paper
streamers for spur-of-the-moment celebrations. It takes only a few minutes to
create a festive atmosphere. Our children won’t remember how many shirts we
ironed, how many deals we closed, or if the kitchen floor was clean. They will
remember the unusual things we did to make something ordinary – extraordinary.

- Tips from Parents Inc, NZ [I think]


From A Mother’s Heart
May I please have courage, and strength, and sanity for this day, Lord! Ohh! And
patience.



Mum etc - Snippets and e-bits that may interest you …
[these websites and their contents are not necessarily endorsed by MOPS NZ]

www.parentsinc.co.nz - formerly known as Parenting with Confidence, excellent
hot tips

http://www.mops.org/page.php?pageid=648&srctype=linklist&src=1044 - Wise
Mothering

http://mopsnz.bravehost.com/teen.html - TEEN MOPS starting in New Zealand in
2006 – New NEWS!!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MUM-e-Mail - MUM-e-Mail started in June 2002 – 3.5
years ago. 57 MUM-e-Mails later, looking forward to another year to enthuse,
educate, and encourage more than 230 mothers of preschoolers and their
supporters around the globe and especially in New Zealand and Australia. Thanks
for reading MUM-e-Mail.



Mum's Mail*
In response to EXTRA: Christmas is a'comin. Thanks, Neena:
We are serving breakfast/lunch in the city to the homeless. We have done this
once before and it truly is so rewarding. They are people just like us, just
haven’t had a shower in the past month! The conversations with these people is
precious.

The other thing we do is make a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve and
make sure we celebrate this first on Christmas day. (I don’t mean eat the cake
for brekkie, although my kids would LOVE this idea). It usually is shared by our
family and friends that meet together later in the day.

I explain to the kids that the pressies we receive are from our friends and
family physically but they ultimately come from God as He has provided the money
and resources for these gifts to be bought or made. So... He is the one that
lavishes His love and gifts to us on HIS birthday. an amazing gift of unceasing,
unconditional, unworthy love.
PRAISE be to HIM always.
NEENA FRANCIS (co-co-ordinator of M.O.P.S at Energizer Life Church , Bellerive,
Hobart, Tasmania.)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep loving your children – and celebrate the coming of the Christ child,



Yours faithfully,



Johanna Whittaker

mumemail@... - *letters*, feedback, questions, mother’s tips*, ideas
welcome

on behalf of MOPS (NZ) Inc. www.MOPSNZ.bravehost.com - updated regularly
© 2005 by MOPS New Zealand Inc and MOPS International.

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