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Champagne Mom
Erica Benefield, Georgia USA
www.atleastimpretty.com
From Amazing Moms: Parents of the 21st Century Copyright © 2018 Motivational Press. Reprinted with permission. By Hogan Hilling and Elise Cohen Ho.
Amazing Moms: Parents of the 21st Century is the 1st coffee table book to feature moms. It features 115 amazing moms from a variety of family dynamics and 13 countries – USA, Canada, Australia, England, Netherlands, France, Italy, China, Hungary, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Mozambique, and Croatia. It is filled with captivating self-portraits that reveal each mom’s unique personality and joyful photos of their families. The moms bear their souls about the challenges and joys of motherhood and share a wealth of wisdom about their parenting journeys. These moms represent motherhood and femininity at its best. Amazing Moms is the companion coffee table book to DADLY Dads.
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I’m a mom of two kids, Bella (9) and Roman (5), and wife to Rick, a Physician Assistant. I also work full-time as an HR Director by day, building an online community of amazing, funny, strong women at night and on weekends.
I graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelors of Arts in Romance Languages (Spanish and Italian). I have also coached recreation cheerleading for Roswell Parks and Recreation for four seasons and now serve on the board, leading the Cheer program for the city.
I love to participate in obstacle races, baking, watch movies and attend Rock concerts. My favorite music is southern rock and classic rock with Aerosmith as my favorite band. I love comedy movies. Some of my favorites include Monty Python’s Holy Grail, My Cousin Vinny, and Dumb and Dumber.
Quote.
As your kids grow up, they may forget what you said, but they won’t forget how you made them feel. – Kevin Heath
What I do well as a mom.
I do a good job to diffuse tantrums and foster individuality. I learned with my daughter that if she’s mid-tantrum and I start mimicking what she does, laughter follows. I successfully transferred that skill to my son when he discovered that he doesn’t always get his way and it was incredibly successful. I’m also good at bringing out the creative side in my kids and encouraging them to express themselves for who they are individually.
What I learned from another mom.
Park close to the shopping cart corrals, not the front door when out shopping. I wish I heard that before I spent 30 minutes driving around the parking lot for a space close to the door with a screaming four-week-old but I caught on quickly. From my mom, I learned that the role of a parent is to teach children independence and accountability.
What I learned from my child.
My kids have taught me to be patience, self-aware (they will always hear that word I shouldn’t have used), and to always look out for Legos when walking to the bathroom at 3 am. Always shuffle your feet in the dark.
Successful motherhood moment.
On the first day of kindergarten, I was dying inside, realizing that they were officially “school-aged” and I could no longer “hold them like a baby” without getting weird looks. I saw so many kids around me crying and grabbing onto their parents for dear life, but both times, for my daughter, and three years later for my son, they were smiling, proud, and so excited to be in school.
Mom I admire.
My mom. She raised me with patience, kindness, and acceptance. As a single mom, she frequently did without so my sister, and I could have everything we needed. She taught me to manage adversity with grace and how to navigate life.
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Originally published in Amazing Moms: Parents of the 21st Century Copyright © 2018 Motivational Press. Reprinted with permission.
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Photos courtesy of the author.
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