Red Stick Mom

Five Strategies for Raising Strong, Successful Children As parents, we hope to raise our children to become strong, successful, contributing members of society. How is success measured? Some would say it is graduating from college, being an entrepreneur, having healthy relationships with others, having an excellent work ethic, having a strong sense of self, or a combination of things. Below are five strategies for raising outstanding adults :: Promote their interests. Even when you do not understand their interests, showing your support is instrumental. Show your interest by asking questions or going to their performances. This will encourage them to develop their talents to their fullest potential. Open Lines of Communication. Ensuring your children know your door is always open is key to raising...

Get to "Reading" with Audiobooks June was audiobook appreciation month, and let me just say, I appreciate audiobooks. I’ve never been closer to meeting my reading goal as I am this year, and the year is only half over. I love audiobooks for a variety of reasons: they’re easily accessible, they allow for multitasking, it’s the equivalent of being told a story (and who doesn’t love being told a story). Audiobooks are also great for epic books that may be intimidating to read, or books set in alternate universes with made up words! I love to have both the audiobook and the ebook and either follow along in the ebook, or pick up from where the audiobook left off if...

Breaking Generational Curses The majority of millennials have been known to “break generational curses.” Most people will think it’s limited to teen pregnancy, various types of addiction, and accepting help with mental health, but it’s not. It can be just simply choosing to not yell at your children in the morning if they overslept for the bus, because your mom did. Let me start of saying, our parents did the best they could with what they knew; at least mine did. Just to give a little perspective: Both of my parents are first-generation college students. My mom actually went to segregated schools until the second grade. My maternal grandmother dropped out of school in 8th grade to help her parents pick cotton. My...

Worth the Drive :: The Preserve in Fredericksburg, Texas My first experience with an elephant encounter was at the Baton Rouge Zoo. I can only remember this experience by a photograph that I took as a toddler perched on top of a huge elephant with a big smile on my face. After that, I loved weekend visits to the local zoo to see all the animals and loved to see these majestic creatures from afar. I became fascinated with elephants when I worked as a trainer abroad in Mumbai, India. The elephant is considered a sacred animal in India. They are a symbol of protection, compassion, strength, wisdom, stability, and power. One of my greatest memories of my work trip was...

Thriving After Separation I’m a newly separated mom. The choice to be so wasn’t easy, in fact, I contemplated the idea for far longer than I’d like to admit. It’s hard to step out of our comfort zones. Especially ones we’ve been in so long. Do I regret it? No. It’s been a blessing for my mental health. Is it hard? Most definitely. I’ve had to learn how to navigate through life with the stigma of being a single mom and as we all know, sometimes that can be a challenge. While my journey has just started, I thought I’d share some wisdom. Lean on your support group! Most people want to help when you’re going through a breakup but they don’t know...