Should You Teach Your Child About The Risks Of Getting A Tattoo?

Yes! It is every parents responsibility to prepare your child for the real world. And this includes educating them on the risks of getting a tattoo.

First, I'm not against tattoos. Some are truly masterpieces. But I'm not an advocate for my kids to get a permanent one. Their body at the age of 20 or 30 will look a lot different as they enter their 40's, 50's and 60's. As such, their tattoo will also begin transforming. And when you add sun exposure, age, and possible other healthy risks to the tattoo beauty equation you get warped piece of art that you have to live with for the rest of your life.

I haven't met many people in their 50's who regret getting a tattoo, especially a tattoo that covers a large part of their body. And getting it removed, isn't that simple either. Did you know that from 2011 to 2012 laser tattoo removal increased 32%. These are numbers that can't be ignored.

So that brings me to why I am writing this. My beautiful niece just got a tattoo. I was shocked and a bit heartbroken, because I never expected her to ever get one. And it's a bit bigger than I'm accustomed too. Yes it is a gorgeous piece of art. But it is huge. And there is no way that when she turns 50 or 60 that it is going to look like that.

My nieces tattoo made me realize that I really need to not only talk and teach my kids about things such as using protection during sex (which I haven't had the conversation yet, but I'm not too far from having it), drinking and driving and drugs, but also the risks of getting a tattoo.

In the past, I have talked with my kids about why people get tattoos and why I'm not a proponent of them. Below are my reasons:

• There is the possibility of it getting infected.
• You can contract bloodborne diseases — including tetanus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
• You could have an allergic reaction.
• You may not like the final result once it is etched on your body.
• As you age, the tattoo will not look the same.
• It's not that easy to get a tattoo removed. And scarring is left once it's removed.

Personally, why get a permanent tattoo, when you can get a temporary tattoo. You then have the option of changing it every few weeks or never getting another again. However, there are still risks involved with temporary tattoos such as lesions, loss of skin pigmentation and sensitivity to light. Whenever you put a foreign substance in your body, their are risks.

All I want is for my kids to love who they are inside and out, and take care of every aspect of themselves so they can grow and age with a positive healthy outlook. I don't believe that a tattoo at the age of 20 years old will leave them a proud owner of it in their 60 + years. I'm open to other people views.


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How I'm Giving Up Mommy Yelling - Postive Parenting!

For the past few days, I've struggled with trying to come up with something to give up for Lent. I usually do meat. I've even given up wine once. But this year, I want to really make improvements to my family life.

So, I'm giving up yelling at my kids for stupid things (okay, all things), and adding positive family spirit!

It hit me hard this morning as I was just about to yell at my 11 year old son to hurry up and get out to the bus stop so he doesn't miss it. Some may say I'm not really yelling and that I'm just raising my voice to get him to move faster. But from my point of view, I feel like I'm yelling. And I think he hears
me as yelling.

I find myself yelling at them for things like not taking their shoes off as soon as they enter the house. Here's why. I think it's really disgusting for them to wear their shoes in the house, especially after they played in my backyard. Our dog goes to the bathroom in our backyard. Yes, we scoop it up, but not every day. There is no way that they haven't stepped in dog poop.

My kids forget to put their shoes away every day. And after asking over and over again, I've resorted to asking really loud, hoping they will finally hear me.

Well, I think I've been tackling it all wrong. Raising my voice and asking louder isn't working. In fact, I think every parent knows yelling doesn't work, but at that moment of getting stressed out that is what we all turn to. I am so guilty of it. I yell for them to put their shoes away. I yell for them to hurry up and get in the car because we are going to be late. Yelling seems to have become part of how I parent and I don't want to do it any longer.

Instead of yelling, I'm going to help my kids understand that it really bother's me that they leave their shoes scattered all over the kitchen, and their soccer ball, and their lunch box, and their sports bag, and their toys. Seriously, the list goes on and on and on in my house.

I'm going to share how much it would mean to me for them to take their shoes off as soon as they enter the house. And I'm going to create an environment that helps them to start remembering (and helping) and for me to stop yelling.

Kids want to please their parents and make them happy. And yelling only tunes them out. So instead of constantly yelling at them to help me out, I'm going to try something totally different!

Here's what I'm going to do to give up yelling:

• Instead of yelling, I'm going to look at them in the eyes and talk to them.
• Instead of yelling, I'm going to explain to them why it bother's me about what they just did.
• Instead of yelling, I'm going to help them see it from my point of view. I'm going to explain by putting them in my shoes.

How I'm going to get my kids to remember to take off their shoes:

• I am going to stick a note on the door.
• If they leave their shoes scattered in the kitchen, I am going to ask them nicely to put them away and then they will need to sweep and wash the floor where their shoes laid.

Other tactics that I'm going to implement to help me stop yelling:

• I am going to get a bell or buzzer and buzz it as a reminder in the morning.
• I am going to make sure the television is always off when I talk or request them to do something.
• I am going let them be late and then have them deal with the consequences. Of course I can't do that for my two year old. But I can for my  11 year old and 9 1/2 year old twins. If they want to go to their friends birthday party and be on time, then they need to be ready. I don't mind reminding them, but not 100 times. And I'm not going to get stressed out if they dilly-dally, making themself late. They can walk into the party and explain why they are late.

Living in a house as a family takes a team. And kids need to learn that they are part of the team.

Meet Team Moraja! Mom of four kids!


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Ten Things a Mom and Dad Can Learn From their Toddler

I am having so much fun experiencing the toddler age again! Especially because they live in the present, experiencing the world with "Oooh's" and "Aaaah's". But what many mom's and dad's forget is that their toddler is here to teach them not only about themselves, but also how to have fun again!

Below are ten things a mom and dad can learn from their toddler!

1. Toddlers live in the present, helping you to enjoy every moment that exists. Mine loves to smell and taste everything. There isn't a flower that we pass without her touching it and going "Oooooo". And there isn't a rock that she hasn't tried to have me taste with her.
2. Toddlers mirror (copy) what you say and do, showing you your good habits and bad habits. Pay attention because they can help you improve your speech and your actions. Isabella puts her sunglasses on when she sees me wear mine. And she's always writing and doodling which is something I do daily.
   
3. Toddlers allow you to be a kid again. Dress up, have those tea parties and play in the sand. Let yourself be silly! 
   
4. Toddlers can bring out your creative side. Isabella loves to color. And her little creative mind explores lots of different mediums to color on such as her body and my floor and my bathroom door and the kitchen table and my windows. How fun it is to be a toddler with no worries.
5. Toddlers increase your problem-solving skills. Mine just the other day colored the bathroom door. I now how to figure out how to get it off.
   
6. Toddlers make you realize the importance of sharing. Every morning, I share my breakfast with my little honeybee. And she shares hers with our goldendoodle. 
   
7. Toddlers help you overcome materialism. With toddlers, things will break and get ruined. I've had quite a few things marked up, banged up and broken over the past year. Just last week, I had a beautiful glass candle holder that my toddler somehow got a hold of and broke. I was sad that it was broken, but honestly, I was more concerned that she didn't get cut.
8. Toddlers teach you how much fun it is to laugh and giggle. Isabella puts on her siblings shoes, baseball hats and coats all the time. It's so darn cute seeing her walking around the house proud that she was able to put them on herself.
   
9. Toddlers teach you patience. They are able to create the biggest messes within seconds. And it doesn't bother them that things can be scattered everywhere.
10. Toddlers teach you that the little things in life are just as important as the big things. A hug, a smile and a giggle are the most important things to my toddler; and also her sippy and Elmo!

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Parent Coaches Strike Their Kids Out On Purpose Losing More Than The Game

Last night, at my daughters All Star softball tournament, the parent coaches should have been thrown out of the game for doing what they did to their team of 8U girls.

The game started off great, where both teams were playing their hearts out to be one of the final two to make it to the All Star Championship. You could see it in every players eyes and action that they were giving more than 110%. What should have been a proud moment for both teams turned out to be a heartwrenching ending.

It was the bottom of the fourth with only four minutes left in the game and the opposing team was up at bat. The opposing teams coaches knew if they could finish the inning in four minutes, they would be able to play another inning, which is the inning that allows for unlimited runs.

Our team was in softball ready position, eager to stop every hit that came their way and make the out. We watched the opposing coach walk out onto the field. This was the inning where coaches only pitched, giving the players a better opportunity to hit the ball if their coach was a good pitcher.

I took a deep breath, having some relief that it was the bottom of their batting order. But these were All Star girls, which meant that all could hit, keeping every one of our fielders on their toes. I watched the opposing coach pitch his first pitch. It was super high. So high that his batter had to leap off the ground to try to even tip it. None of us thought anything of it, because every coach has pitched a bad pitch. But then the second pitch was high and the third. At first, I thought, "There is no way a parent would ever try to strike their own batter out, especially an All Star player in an All Star game; and for that matter, to an eight year old child!" It was when he pitched an unreachable high pitch to his second batter that my body became numb, realizing he was purposely striking his players out. The fans started to boo. Everyone knew what he was doing was unethical and unforgivable.

I can't even explain the sadness I felt for the opposing teams girls who were struck out. You could see it in their eyes that they were doing everything possible to try to hit every pitch their self-centered, cruel coach pitched to them. They had no idea that their coach was purposely striking them out.

Winning is such a wonderful feeling. But losing, knowing that you gave it your all is just as great of a feeling. This coach took that away from those girls. He was trying to win for his own personal selfish needs. These girls were out there to learn the game, develop skills and to be taught what sportsmanship is. Winning at all costs will never make you a winner.

In hindsight, I think the umpire should have stopped the game and asked the opposing coach to be replaced. Those girls deserved better. We as parents and volunteer coaches have an obligation to not only teach our children appreciation, responsibility, respect and ethics, but also to be the best role models in the process. This father, this coach, failed his child and team, and now he has to live with his actions.

We won the game. And we won it fairly. I hope that the above story helps you stop and think about how your actions and words affect your child. Kids need parents to teach them that it's okay to win and lose. But cheating and doing things unethically will never make you a winner.

Three Meals, One Dinner - A Mom's Selfishness is Benefiting Her Kids

Three Meals, One Dinner | Working Mother
Three meals and one dinner has been my life for almost eight years. This year I've taken on a new leaf where my time is just as valuable as my kids and hubby's. And my mommy selfishness is actually benefiting my kids and family. Click the sub-title (in orange) and read what I shared on Working Mother!

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Twas 3:37 am and the Moraja's were up

Twas the morning of Christmas and all through the house, the words "He came! He came!" echoed, but not from a little mouse. It was Jake and Josh, my two eager sons, huffing and puffing by my bedside, ready for some holiday fun! I quickly snuck a glimpse of my twenty year old clock, it was 3:37 am, way to early for me man.

But that wasn't the last visit, from my two determined boys... their visits continued at 4:19 am... 4:45 am... 5:06 am... 5:30 am... 6:30 am... We had envisioned them sleeping all through the night, snuggled in their beds waking up at dawn light. But the excitement, the joy, the passion for the holiday, permeated through their veins, early morning Christmas day. Jake was sure he saw dust sprinkling out of the chimney. Josh said he did too. Both jumped shouting, "Yippee, Yippee!"

As for Madison, she snuggled in our bed with a 101 fever, hoping to rest so she'd feel a little more eager. Finally at 7:00 am I rolled out of bed. Finding Jake, Josh and Madison seconds ahead. The Spirit, the love for giving and sharing, was what filled our home leaving each one of us caring. We opened our presents, as patient as a kid can, sharing in the memories of our small loving clan.

Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday Season,

Melissa