Jennifer Kolari’s book “Connected Parenting” has been chosen for the Coffee Klatch parents holiday wish list.

Jennifer shares her Connected Parenting model and strategies with the Hillcrest Public School community in Mississauga on February 28, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Jennifer will be presenting her workshop Parenting Tweens and Teens: Saying ‘No’ when the world is saying ‘Yes’  for the Family Care Office at the University of Toronto on October 12th

September 26, 27 28

Jennifer will be in British Columbia from September 26 through September 28^th.  She will share her Connected Parenting model with the Fernie, B.C. community on September 26^th, the Cranbrook, B.C. community on September 27^th and the Golden, B.C. community on September 28^th.

You know with any restaurant you can get good or bad service – at spur it really can be a lucky packet. Regardless though the kiddies play area is great! I am sure as the my kids grow up and when they start playing computer games they will enjoy the spur more. It is great to be able to site close to the play area and enjoy a meal while the kids run riot. The small pleasures in life – enjoy them. At the spur the child minders can be over worked on busy days however again it is the luck of the draw similar to their service levels. Regardless it is great that as parents one is able to go to a restaurant where the kids are so well catered for.  Thank you Spur!

Ok you may have heard a similiar story like this with different variables, I would like to share it for the benefit of those that have not heard it before:

A woman came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find her 5-year old son waiting for her at the door.

SON: ‘Mummy, may I ask you a question?’

MUM: ‘Yeah sure, what it is?’ replied the woman.

SON: ‘Mummy, how much do you make an hour?’

MUM: ‘That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?’ the woman said angrily.

SON: ‘I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?’

MUM: ‘If you must know, I make  R 50 an hour.’

SON: ‘Oh,’ the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: ‘Mummy, may I please borrow R25?’

The mother was furious, ‘If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don’t work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.’

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door..

The woman sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the woman had calmed down , and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that R25.00 and she really didn’t ask for money very often The woman went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.

‘Are you asleep, son?’ She asked.

‘No Mummy, I’m awake,’ replied the boy.

‘I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard o n you earlier’ said the woman. ‘It’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the R25 you asked for.’

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. ‘Oh, thank you Mummy!’ he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The woman saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his mother.

‘Why do you want more money if you already have some?’ the mother grumbled.

‘Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,’ the little boy replied.

‘Mummy, I have R50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.’

The mother was crushed. She put his arms around her little son, and she begged for his forgiveness.

It’s just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that R50 worth of your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

Ok so I have made a few posts on Parentblog which are really positive and uplifting which is the way I like, I do not however want to give the impression that parenting is a bed of roses. Well actually it is a bed of roses, the roses are not dethorned (if there is such a word) though. The roses have thorns and they tend to prick you when you least expect it or at times when you can least handle it. Is it a way of children teaching us patience, humility and understanding of people (yes kids are people too) around us?

So yea there is the midnight walk to the kiddies rooms on the way to bed or the bottle call which brings a deep deaf sleeper right out of it, or could it be the tantrum at feeding time when the bread is cut the wrong way? No wait maybe it is the over tired exhausted child that is dropping his nap time at creche. All these are thorns and challenges that are testing to put it mildly. Either or the times are challenging and certainly no walk in the park. That being said that kiss when you walk out the door in the morning or the hug when you drop them off at school makes it all worth while with interest!