I have been a Mother for almost eight years now.  Maybe a little bit longer if you count the time I was pregnant with my tween.  I remember how excited my husband and I were to be pregnant with our first child!  I have always been one of those girls who dreamed of being a Mother. Having our first son was also a dream come for me. Motherhood was a little harder then I thought it would be. It wasn’t me just goo-ing over my perfectly dressed child all day!  Since that first child, we have been blessed with two more children. Blessed being the key word, we have been so blessed!!

I continue to love being a Mother!  I love staying home with them, learning from them and growing with them.  I was also a young Mom, I had my tween when I was 22 years old.  My life has turned out exactly how I planned it out. I am currently finding myself at this place where I am feeling a little lost though. Maybe a mid-life crisis (I’m only 31….so it can’t be that) or something. My life really is a dream, yet I am struggling personally.

The time has come for me to focus more time and efforts on myself…remember that 22 year old Mom who has been raising kids for the past eight years. Remember my talents, my strengths and my work ethic.  In this quest, I will only be posting one more blog post before I step down as a Mom Talk blogger for Tween Beat.

I want to be the VERY BEST version of Heidi that I can be for myself, my sweet husband and my children!!  Until then….Heidi

**This photograph was taken by Kristen Hassell, a talented photographer here in Jacksonville.

I don’t think it is a surprise to anyone that we are HUGE Gator fans around here!!  Along with being a Gator fans, we are also huge Tim Tebow fans.

Recently, we watched a special on Tim Tebow with our tween. It was about Tebow preparing for the NFL draft. It showed how much hard work he put into preparing for the draft. We continue to be so impressed by the incredible athlete and positive role model he is to our tween.

He recently filmed a commercial for FRS sports drinks. In the commercial, he talks about how people always told him he wasn’t good enough, fast enough or strong enough to be a quarter back. It is a really awesome commercial and quite inspiring .

As parents, we need to find these great role models for our tweens. The media is full of quite a few scum bags (in my opinion) that I find it so refreshing to find such a good person and athlete as a role model for my tween.

I hope that Tim Tebow continues to find success in his NFL career with the Denver Broncos.  I hope kids can look to him as an inspiration in their lives rather then half naked singers who teach them that partying and beauty are more important then a strong character and work ethic!!

Way to go Tim Tebow, keep up the success and being such a great role model in the lives of our children!!

In my mind, a good teacher is up there as a one of the most important things you can have for your children!  In our school life so far, we have been very blessed with good teachers.  This sweet teacher in the picture has been important in both of my children’s lives thus far.  They have both had the honor of being in her classroom, feeling of her love and learning from her!!

I’m sure there are many stories you as parents have of good and maybe not so good teachers.  Do teachers realize the great responsibility they have to our children?  Do they realize they are teaching incredible lessons to our children?  Do they know they are at the foundation of these children’s lives and education?  So far in our life, my children’s teachers know this and embrace this!!  I know that sending them off each day they are in good hands.  I know they are receiving a solid education, I know they are protected and I know they are loved!!  At the same time, these sweet teacher’s are also teaching them accountability and discipline for their actions!!  This knowledge for me is such a breath of fresh air!!

All you teachers out there….Thank You!!  We know your job is not an easy job!  We know you are often exhausted, frustrated and spent!!  We know you love our children and want the best for them!!  Thank you for being such a wonderful part of our children’s educational foundation!!

What are some experiences you have had with great teachers?

Do you remember mowing the lawn as a kid?

I certainly do…I thought it was fun.  It was hard work, but there was such a sense of accomplishment that came from seeing those lawn mower lines.

My tween is now 7 1/2 and just mowed the lawn for the first time.  My husband does most of the outside work, so I never even thought about letting Lincoln give it a try.  I was inside making dinner and stepped outside to check on things…this is what I saw.  My tween, cutting the grass for the first time.  It shocked me a little to think that he was old enough for that responsibility.  Man, he has grown up so fast.

Sometimes, as I drive around, I see teenagers cutting the lawn and listening to their ipods.  It makes me so happy to see that…!  I think it is important for kids to pull their weight in the home.  I have slacked in this area lately and it is something I am working on doing a better job with my kiddos.

Now my tween is officially old enough to cut the lawn…is it also time to step up his responsibilities a little bit more?  Should I start teaching him to do his own laundry and be responsible for making dinner for the family?  Maybe I should…!!  As a parent, we want to raise independent children who can function on their own in society as responsible adults.

Maybe the time has come…today he is cutting the lawn and tomorrow…he will be heading off to college (kidding)…..they just grow up to darn fast!!!

What are some of the chores you have your tween doing?

Something that is very important to my husband and I is our kids’ work ethic.  From a young age, we were both taught the importance of work.  It was something that was expected of us.  In turn, we have tried to teach our own children the same work ethic.

We try to keep a small garden and have our children help with the chores.  If my husband is outside working in the yard or helping a neighboror, our son Lincoln  is usually with him. 

It is a tricky topic with kids, you don’t want to be a drill sergeant and always yelling at them to help out.  You want to make it fun and have them feel proud and successful in what they accomplish.

We have tried lots of different ways to teach our children how to help out.  We have made daily chore charts so they know what is expected of them every day.  We have also made daily lists for them so they know what they are supposed to be doing every day. 

Here is an example of some of the chores our kids do to help out around the home, which teaches them to be responsible and hardworking.

- Be in charge of feeding the pets; dogs, cats, hamsters, goldfish. 

-Be responsible for keeping their bedrooms clean and picked up.

- Be responsible for rinsing and loading their dishes into the dishwasher.

- Be in charge of keeping the bathroom sinks and counters cleaned. 

- Sweeping the kitchen and vacuuming the carpets.

- Using a duster to keep the furniture free from dust bunnies.

- Making their own lunches.

- Mowing the lawn, raking leaves, sweeping the sidewalks and picking up outside toys.

Be sure when you are doing a task that you are asking yourself, “is this something my child can do to help out?”

What are some ways you teach your kids the importance of working hard and helping out around the house? Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.