Wordless Wednesday #145 - On the playground with my BFF

Girl friends

If there is one thing I want to learn my girls is how to appreciate their friends...

At about six years of age  the eldest used to complain about fights with her friends at school.
"This one wants to play with that one, and she doesn't want to play with that one..." And so forth!
Day after day I had to listen to the dramas in Little Girls' country! It was all about girls' politics!
(I hear from friends that it is the normal age for that to happen.)

It does not stop, but they become better at handling rejection as well as treating others with empathy and understanding!

I explained to my six year old that she had to be the best friend she could be!
She had  to be the friend who did not differentiate, and who treated everybody the way she would like to be treated.It also helps to understand that you should have lots of friends, and not only a Best Friend!


It worked! I am planning to do the same again when the toddler reaches that age!

In the meantime it is all about teaching the toddler the concept of sharing! The toddler did not want to leave the swing on Saturday at Tiny Tumbles... (see photo)

How do you handle the friendship dramas?
Do you sometimes step in when things turn ugly, or do you let her sort it out on her own?

Challenge: Breastfeeding story in 100 words

I picked up this challenge at Authentic Parenting, which is done by Amber from Nourish.

Amber believes that society does not allow us to be open about breastfeeding and that we often have to walk this road alone. By sharing our stories, it becomes a collective story which empowers us all!

Stories can be submitted until 1 September.

100 words about my journey as a breastfeeding mother

I could breastfeed my first child for four months, but she did not want to take a bottle at the day mother when I had to return to work! We tried all the tricks in the book!

I had to wean her, and it was 36 hours of total trauma to us both!

15 years later I had my second child, and set small goals to myself. Six months turned into one year, turning into nearly three years now! My toddler still seeks the comfort and nourishment and I am grateful for the most precious times with her!

The year has gone swoooosh!

Arnia and the BF, Stian

I asked the teen to write me something of the past year, and her expectations of the following year.

The year has gone swoooosh!

This year I did grade 11 (standard 9) and what a year it was from projects to tests to hockey to keeping up a social life and having a bf.

Next year I will be doing Matric, the big and final year, but I still feel like a little kid and quite frankly I am scared of stepping up to the plate of being part of the eldest of the school.

A few highlights of this year:

• We were at Umdloti, Durban, while the 2010 Soccer World Cup was on T.V.
•  My boyfriend and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary and it was great.
•  I played hockey and met a lot of new people and also got to rediscover old friends.
•  My baby sister has crept so deep in my heart and I would do anything for her, even give up my afternoon naps.

A few highlights waiting for next year:

• I am going on my long awaited French tour and afterward I am going to visit my aunt in London.
• Every girl dreams about this day: The Prom Night! (I am already collecting photos for possible dresses)

I realized the other day that I still feel very young almost like a 12 year old that is still discovering the world and next year this time I will be thinking of university.

That’s a scary thought!                

Related posts:
The secret lives of teens 
Stressful teen years 
Teen in love

Not making the cut

Ballito Bay June 2010

I asked my teen to write her own account of the recent disappointment in her life. This is her own version.

Arnia:
I tried to prepare myself for that day. I said that I would like to focus on my schoolwork next year and not to have any big responsibilities, but yet when they called out the names of the new SRC (Student Representative Council) and my name wasn’t one of them, it felt as if my world came crashing down all around me.



My friends and I sat together when the principal called out the names. One for one my friends’ and bf’s names got called out, except mine.


I have always been involved in activities at school and I am a good student. I am an extrovert and love going out with friends.


The day after the SRC was announced, me and two other girls got called into the personnel office and said that they really hoped that we would be part of the SRC. They said that they thought we were a ‘done deal’ of getting into the SRC. They told me I was only two votes short. It really helped with the pain (sarcastic snort). What made it worse was that kids asked me why I wasn’t at the SRC meeting?


The SRC is only chosen by the Grade 11’s; teachers have no say in the matter. It also upset me to see girls on the SRC who uses drugs and drinks every weekend.


I am over the pain, because I know I can still make a difference in the school without that badge. I can also focus on my schoolwork next year.


On the bright side I still get to go to the SRC ball with my boyfriend!

Related post:
Handling disappointments