by Cindi j Jeffrey | May 11, 2016 | Business owner, childhood, mom, work from home mom
Being a parent is similar to walking on a tightrope. You don’t want to overstep, loose your balance, or drop your ever important balancing stick. You hope you are providing your child with the tools to become confidant adults without losing your way. It’s a great thing that when we do fall, there is a safety net of others to pick up our slack.
My two boys are very different. It amazes me how two children, just 19 months apart can demonstrate such different characteristics! For one of my children, things come easily and he doesn’t seek out praise. My other child struggles with confidence issues and becomes easily frustrated, which leads to tears (I wish I could say he didn’t get this from me).
Today was a growth opportunity for that child. After a year of struggles in school, he tested well on reading. Actually, he breezed through six different reading levels this school year. In past years, he has chosen to be lacksidasical in his studies until the last quarter, where he would finish 3 quarters worth of work.
But I digress…tonight at Tae Kwando he began to cry when lost his way during a form. I immediately stood up and provided some encouragement from afar, wanting to go and hug him and knowing he needed to stay on the mat and finish his class.
From deep within, he mustered the courage to press on and completed the forms correctly. He stood taller and began to smile. He maintained that confidence throughout the class. As we left, we talked about how he felt class went, as we usually do. He talked of becoming frustrated and confused, however once he knew his expectations, he was able to bring it all together. I explained how proud I was of him that he stayed on the mat and even more importantly, he was proud that he stuck it out.
We both learned lessons tonight. He learned to trust himself and I learned to trust him. I thank God everyday for these little people and I pray that He will guide all of us through our journeys.
by Cindi j Jeffrey | Apr 23, 2016 | Business owner, childhood, mom, work from home mom
Today’s world is so different from the world I grew up in. At the age of four, I was walking carefree and alone around our city block. By the time I was ten, my friends and I would walk across town to the mall. We spent our days outside and went hours without our parents hearing from us.
Today, I am afraid to let my boys play out front without an adult. There are reports of sexual predators attempting to lure kids into vans just blocks from our home. The news is packed with stories of shootings, attempted kidnappings, and other atrocious acts.
Some things have stayed the same though. There are still predators who are looking for their next victim. As a child I remember our family home being broken into. Although we locked the door, it was just a screen and was easily cut through. The thieves crawled right into my parents bedroom where they were sleeping and stole from us.
We had a peeping tom. I remember going out to look at the footprints in the mud outside of our downstairs window. Even with our home being violated, I still felt an essence of safety. Most of all, I remember the attack in the park bathroom when I was around the age of 7.
The city park boasted multiple play areas and a great river for fishing. Accompanied by my dad and older brother, I alternately played on the equipment and caught the trees with my fishing pole. When I told my dad that I had to use the bathroom, he instructed my brother to take me.
While he wasn’t overly happy about it, my brother walked me there as I chattered on and on about the fun we were having. When we reached the building, I attempted to open the heavy door and was unable to, so my brother assisted me in pushing it open…that was when we heard a piercing scream from a woman yelling “help me”!
Immediately my brother pulled me backwards and we let the door fall shut. Shortly after we moved out of the way, a man ran out. To this day I can tell you that he had dark hair, a white t-shirt, blue jeans and black boots. He also held a white cloth over his face.
My brother grabbed me and together we RAN back to where my dad was still fishing. As I was hysterical, my brother shared the story and we all piled into the truck so my dad could find a pay phone and call the police. During the drive around the park, we encountered the woman, now hanging over the river bank with blood dripping from her face. My dad let her know the police were in route.
I had to give my statement to the officers and we were free to go home. Home..where we had already been broken into…Home…where we had already been visited by a peeping Tom. Home…and a feeling of dread while wondering if I would ever be safe again.
