Archive for the ‘Memories’ Category

What are the things we really need?

Thursday, December 29th, 2016

Your children need your presence more than your presents. Jesse Jackson

When answering questions on the TV show Jeopardy, you must phrase your answers in the form of a question.

Assume the category was, “Things that matter,” the answer properly phrased would be “What are the things we really need.”

Our needs are simple. Our wants are much greater. I love to subscribe to this philosophy for buying gifts for children:

  1. Something to wear
  2. Something to read
  3. Something they want
  4. Something they need

Plus one more gift; something to give. As we celebrating our grandson’s first Christmas, we bought him:

  1. A Santa outfit which you will see in the video
  2. The classic Polar Express book
  3. A toy selected by his parents
  4. Money for his college fund

We made a donation to Doctors Without Borders in his name. As he gets older and understands more, we will let him select the charity of his choosing. I personally don’t know any needy children, but if we buy them too much, we will raise greedy children.

Now that my children are adults, I realize we could have bought them less. The children won’t remember all the gifts they opened on Christmas morning, but they will remember the things they need; the time you spend with them and traditions and memories you shared on this and every holiday.

Enjoy the fun we had and memories we are building.

Have a happy and healthy New Year!

Tina Nocera, Founder

Parental Wisdom®

Posted in Memories, Money & Material Things, Philanthropy, Time, Traditions | 1 Comment »

What are we trying to accomplish?

Sunday, January 31st, 2016

einstein

It happened again. 

The other evening we are at a restaurant.  A family of four enters; the two little boys don’t even glance up from their cell phones as they are being seated. Shortly after orders are placed, the parents join the independent activity on their cell phones.

Yes, times are different but what hasn’t changed is the invaluable connection to the most important people in our lives.  As Einstein fears, are we at the stage where technology is surpassing human interaction?

  • How will our children learn they are part of a family that matters more than anything else?
  • How will they come to know the wonder and craziness of extended family if they don’t listen to the rich family stories?
  • How do parents teach values if children are listening to what is deemed newsworthy by popular culture?

When It Comes to Infant Language Development, Not All Toys Are Created Equal.

Parents – you are the perfect toy!

Of all the changes we would love to make in society but can’t – this one is completely in your control.

Please forgive me if I’m not impressed that your one-year-old knows how to swipe an iPad.  It would be so much better if they know how to turn the page of a book.

Have a great week!

Tina Nocera, Founder

Parental Wisdom®

Posted in Babies, Communication, community, Creativity, Family, Healthy Lifestyle, Memories, Parenting 101, Popular culture, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

And today we are here

Sunday, January 4th, 2015

 

 

Where have you gone my little boy, little boy where have you gone my sonny my own
Turn around you’re two, turn around then you’re four
Turn around you’re a young man going out of the door.

It sounds like a cliche you’ve heard before…your children grow up quickly.  Be present and enjoy the moments.

On January 1st I danced with my son, the groom, and it was wonderful.

I didn’t worry about taking a picture; family was around to make sure of that.  I was present.

Don’t rush the moments wishing your babies can walk, or talk or use the potty (well, this one you may want to wish for) or grow up too quickly, because they will.

Every day, when you tuck them in, kiss them on the forehead and tell them something wonderful about that day. It might be something new they learned, or how they made you feel, or to tell them how much they are loved.  You will always find something positive to say.

Take advantage of each day that you can do that.  Sounds like a nice bedtime tradition you can begin now.

Have a wonderful week.

 

Tina Nocera, Founder

Parental Wisdom®

 

Posted in Adult children, Memories | 1 Comment »

Believing in Magic Beans

Saturday, August 30th, 2014

How can the concept of magic beans help our children to be successful in the new school year?

For magic beans to work, you need two things:

  1. Believing in the impossible
  2. Adding a little water

For your child to be successful in the new school year you also need two things:

  1. Belief in their ability to something extraordinary
  2. Adding a little work

I believe in magic beans, and the picture above is proof.

The plant in the picture came from a clipping of a plant originally cared for by my mother-in-law.  Though Nana Doris passed away in 1982 before our children were born, we frequently told them stories about her, and every holiday make our special Nana Doris string beans.

We took the clipping about ten years ago when we helped my father-in-law move out of the house into an apartment, even though the original plant had not grown.

The results speak for themselves.  All we did was:

  1. Believe in family and the love that is always present
  2. Add a little water

How could you not believe in magic beans?

If your children need inspiration, visit my product page on inspiration.  

 

 

Have a wonderful last fling with summer, and a great school year!

Tina Nocera, Founder

Parental Wisdom® 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Family, Memories | 1 Comment »

Sandcastles matter more than you realize

Sunday, July 7th, 2013

The good thing about taking the kids to the beach or the lake is the poor cell coverage.

Very poor cell coverage makes for great family fun like building sand castles, playing Marco Polo, counting handstands in the pool, playing cards, or finding interesting shells as you walk along the shore.

When you are with your children don’t wait for a limited number of bars on your phone to have fun with them.  People talk about their ‘bucket list’ when in reality, the kids get it.  The buckets that matter are those filled with sand because the sandcastles they build will become the memories of their childhood spent with you.

Memory is a child walking along a seashore.  You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things.  ~Pierce Harris, Atlanta Journal

Have a great week!

Tina Nocera, Founder

Parental Wisdom®

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Childhood, Memories | 1 Comment »

Mom, you ought to be in pictures

Saturday, October 13th, 2012

The air is crisp and the leaves will soon turn into the beautiful colors of fall. For me it’s time to plan our family holiday photo.

Parents with young children know the challenge is getting a photo where no one is squinting, looking away, or crying. My adult children have been asking for the past few years that we do away with our Christmas picture card sometime before their 40th birthday.

And they almost had me convinced.

That is until I read a terrific blog written by a mom who realized that although she took all the pictures, she wasn’t in them. While she was concerned about her own flaws, she realized as she looked at pictures of her own mom, she didn’t see flaws, but her mother’s face.

Parents, our pictures may not be perfect, but they are the moments we get to keep. If you are there to take the pictures, you can be in the pictures too.

After all, you are always beautiful to your children.

Have a wonderful week!

Tina Nocera, Founder
Parental Wisdom®

Posted in Memories | 2 Comments »