How to Instill Effective Apologies in Children...Adults too!

Greetings!  I hope this post finds you all well.  So my boss told me about this four step method that I just had to share with you.  I found it intriguing how in my own parenting that I seemed to have missed a couple of steps when mediating between my children. "I'm Sorry" doesn't always make everything better or acceptable...

It's also important to know that this method can work for adults and children.  Both should almost always include one final step and that's to repair the relationship by hugging.  Hugging seals the deal and shows commitment to preserving the relationship.

Check out the link below for details on this four step method:

 How to Instill Effective Apologies in Children

My Mama, My Best Friend!

Is your mom your best friend?  I remember a time when I couldn't stand my mother! It's amazing how time changes our relationships.  Now that I've grown up, gotten married and become a mom to my own children, my mom has become one of my closest confidants. I can see things much differently now than I did when I was 15 and 20. I always thought my mom was out to distract or prohibit me from anything that involved fun or a good time.  But now I realize that she was always looking out for my best interests.  The difference with her form of parenting and my form of parenting is that when she said "no", she never gave a reason why.  I am a firm believer that children learn more when they can understand why we are saying no.  They may not fully understand but I know that with my daughter, she is sharp enough to catch on to why I tell her to look both ways for cars before crossing the street.  I have explained to her time and time again that children need to be aware of their surroundings. As she grows it becomes more apparent that she actually listens to her mama!  So CHEERS to all the moms who are always looking out for our best interests and and who eventually become their daughter's best friend.

Check out this awesome article that spoke to me as a mom.  Reasons #2,4,8,9,11 and 15 in particular totally emulate similar qualities of my mom:

22 Reasons Why Your Mom Was Your First Friend, And Will Be Your Best Friend For Life

 

The SugaCity Love Tales family extends lots of love, peace, joy, and hope during the holiday season!  Take this time to reflect and enjoy your families.  May you all be blessed with a prosperous and healthy New Year!

Caribbean Christmas Traditions

Image Courtesy of St. Kitts Nevis Carnival

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Image Courtesy of The Whoot

Image Courtesy of Sweet & Savory St. Kitts

Image Courtesy of Palm Island Resort Grenadines

As a child most of our family traditions included going to church, singing in "Lessons and Carols", and baking holiday pastries.  Now that I'm a parent, my husband and I have made our own traditions for our family.  Our family traditions include attending church services during the holiday season, trimming the tree, listening to holiday music, baking and watching classic holiday movies.  Some of our newer traditions (mainly for the children) include the Elf on the Shelf and now the Night Before Christmas Box.  My favorite traditions are watching the classic holiday movies, listening to the holiday music and baking.  It's amazing how my husband's culture as well as mine have blended.  His family is from Carriacou, Grenada and my family is from St. Kitts & Jamaica.  I think all Caribbean folks bake during the holidays but we all bake different things.  My mom always baked her black cake and that was it.  My mother-in-law bakes coconut tarts, sweetbread and sweet buns.  So I've been fortunate to be able to enjoy all and any of these freshly baked items every holiday season!  After a few years, I am more familiar with how to bake the coconut tarts because my husband and my mother-in-law have taught me.  However, the tradition isn't the same if we are not baking together.  We have now included my daughter in our baking tradition and she loves it as well!  Tonight we will begin our baking festivities!  There is plenty coconut to grate!  My experience has been that the scraped fingers and chipped fingernails are all so worth the yumminess of the finished product of coconut tart!  My In-laws also have a tradition of serenading their neighbors with a Caribbean holiday music called Parang. They go door-to-door with small instruments and sing Parang! We are both part of such rich cultures.  If my mom and I were to visit St. Kitts during this time, we would be celebrating Carnival (SugarMas). Our hope is to be able to pass along all these traditions to our children so that our ancestors' legacies can live on during holiday time.  Whatever you do during the holiday season as your traditions, hold it close and pass it on to your children or the young people in your family so that it will not be forgotten.  Whatever traditions you choose to follow, we wish you all the best during the holiday season.  Enjoy your family and be grateful for all your blessings!

Wishing you all Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Image courtesy of www.everydaytastes.com

The 10 Habits That Keep Marriages Strong

In today's world, the economy makes it so difficult for couples to stay completely in tuned with our marriages.  Both husband and wife are working full-time and if you have children, that makes it even more difficult to concentrate on each others needs. Children tend to need more attention (from newborns to college students).  What my husband and I have found helpful is connecting with other married couples (newlyweds and well as veteran couples), married family members and even magazine/newspaper/journal articles to help us focus on our marriage from time to time.  The following article contains great tips on how to keep your marriage going strong.  Check it out!

The 10 Habits that keep Marriages Strong