THE NEW YEAR BRINGS CHANGE

Bringing in the New Year quietly. A movie with one daughter, husband and grandkids then home to watch the fun from New York City. Actually stayed up until midnight. Kissed the hubbie then off to bed.
Having read my daughter Sonya's blog post today, I was inspired. If you have not read House of Kerrs I would suggest a quick read sometimes. Her blog post today was very reflective.
She thought of one word for 2018 and went on to use in many ways. Her word was trust.
What comes to my mind is change!
A new year always brings a birthday so there will be a change in the number- almost 68. Hard to believe I am pushing 70.
But my life will undergo change. Change is challenging! Some is positive and some not so positive.
Thinking about a change in the job. No matter when I retire, I can still do some work from home.
Change in the home. When to downsize is becoming more prevalent.
Change in health and dealing with the challenges it brings.
Change in my attitude to lots of areas of my life. I hate crap. I am less tolerant of pricky people. I just want positive people in my life. I don't want to waste my niceness- is it a word on everyone.
Change in the layers of work I want to do. Some things are just boring. I hate boring. I usually want to love everything but I feel with change I can honestly say I hate some things.
Change in the blog. I want to revitalize some of my themes and be more creative. I want to take some risks in what I write.
Change is not always for the better. It can be painful. It can be full of grief. It forces the raw emotions to surface. It makes it harder to put up walls and keep life compartmentalized. Keeping work and home has always been important for me. So letting go at home is my comfort zone. Not letting go at work is a must.
Change can be scary. Not knowing what is around the corner is bad enough but knowing some things are coming is too frightening at times to comprehend. There is no place to hide.
So my one word for 2018 is change. The good, the bad and the ugly!
Do you have one word for the new year? What would it be?
#change#houseofkerrs#oneword#2018#life'schallenges#birthday#health#blogger#newyear#howtodealwithchange#positivepeople#nice

NANA SAYS DEALING WITH SCHOOL AND ITS RULES

Now that school is in full swing. Homework. Extracurricular activities. Early mornings. Late nights. Then the lessons and all the planning. October brings the new month of staying in the groove. The groove can be very tiring. So with a long weekend how to try to keep the school needs at bay. Well perhaps any homework, get it done Friday night so the weekend is free. Outdoor trips that may help coordinate the school needs. Are there lessons in science about trees? Collect leaves! Are there lessons about environment? Then a farm trip or trip into the city! Try to help your family have some fun with all the demands that are needed. So School needs can be incorporated into family needs too. Keep in touch with your children's teachers. Have home conversations about friends. Know who your children's friends are! Remember school is a part of your child's life. It is not their whole life. Although it can feel like the school has more control in your life. Especially if your child has some issues and you get calls from school. Keep it separate from home life. Give everyone a break. Embrace what school brings to our lives. If time be a volunteer there or send items that the teacher can use in lessons. No matter what, you are the parent and the most important person in your child's life. Challenges will happen. Grab onto them and find ways to solve, cope and sometimes just survive. School and home can be one of those huge challenges.
#school#home#challenges#activities#parents

NANA SAYS PARENTS CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER

New parents. Parents with bulging families. Parents of teenagers. All phases and stages of parenting bring challenges but also lots of joy and memories to be made. In my time books and journals on parenting assisted as well as a degree in psychology. Several courses on child psychology in fact.. Remember the principles propagated today are based on psychological principles. Just ask me and I could tell you the theorist. I digress. There are many supportive internet sites for parents- Yummy Mummys is one. Of course the magazine Parenting with lots of insight and tips, strategies to help get one through the day. Remember there is the wisdom and experience of older people in families- grandparents, aunts, uncles! The important thing is not to approach parenting as a job but a journey. The relationship between parents and children builds character, shares love and is what family entails. Talk with other parents, share moments, bitch, commiserate, laugh about children's exploits. Many parents have their hockey buddies,dance buddies, soccer buddies or whatever activities their children are doing can bring new friendships. Sharing means caring and helps with the overall stress of being a modern parent with modern demands. An important trick to learn would be how to overcome being so tired all the time!!

FACING THE CRISIS

Life's road can have times that we must face a crisis. Being with family and muddling through can bring its challenges. It is a time to respect differences in the way everyone reacts emotionally. Different tasks require a different approach. Let each person determine the comfort level that works. The important aspect is not facing the crisis alone and by being together having a collective mindset. Is there safety in numbers? I would say yes in time like this one!

2011 THOUGHTS-HOW WAS YOUR YEAR?

As one year begins to end and we anticipate a new one, it is always time for reflection. If it has had difficulties, there are is always the hope things will get better. Sometimes I have heard from others next year can't be worse than this one. Well don't bet on it! I usually suggest to think about what you have been able to survive, look at your strengths, and do not look too far down the road ahead! Things can always get worse, get better or stay the same! Funny but in the real world there are often fewer choices than we think. Even in some of our darkest moments, there have been rays of hope, positive people, funny twists and turns. 2011- a 40th anniversary for Adolph and me, crisis with my folks, same job that I love, challenging myself through whatever has come my way, a loving family and being there for others dealing with stressful and painful situations. Feeling good about a cousin's wedding, attending a grandson's first birthday, knowing a niece is pregnant, seeing my granddaughter start to get her second teeth, reading to two other grandsons and keeping up my blogging- even if some days it is a real stretch to write something, anything! Learning a new tech thing- well maybe I will finally know how to use my new RIM Playbook before 2011 ends! There have been many normal moments that make a life. I have learnt to stop and enjoy the little events in life-perhaps it is an aging thing! To feel good about just being, doing and noticing the world around me. Trying to turn any regrets that sneak into my life by looking for a solution, a challlenge, a positive twist! The half finished writing projects- to keep plugging away- even with all life's interruptions! To honour those that have touched my life! On those days where it is a struggle to get out of bed, to put one foot down at a time and move forward. Like someone said Seize the Day! Have a purpose, a goal, a task, and a life will evolve. Oh yes, remember to dream and then think about how to make those dreams a reality! 2011- what will be your thoughts and memories of the year?

SAYING GOODBYE

Goodbye! See you later! It is an easy goodbye with the expectation we will see the person later. Friends move away. Goodbye! Keep in touch! See you at Christmas. Work mates leave for a new job. Let's do lunch. We let go of some friends or colleagues due to a conflict, nothing in common anymore or time just passes and the contact ends. Then there is the chance we will see them again. Death is the hardest goodbye as it is is so final. There is no second chance. We will not see that person again in this lifetime. Sudden death without any warning is even harder. Do we then treat those we love in the moment with extra care? Is there someone in your life that a goodbye would be just too painful to consider? How about hello, you mean so much to me? Is that kiss goodbye every morning more precious? Is that extra hug to the child in your life an important moment? Goodbyes can be a growth opportunity but it comes with a cost. We all need to move on and face new challenges. How many painful goodbyes have you had? I know I have had too many.