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Optimistic Mom
Cat Lam, Edmonton, Canada
www.InspiredParentInsights.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 am a mom of one child, Zane, 5 yrs old and wife to Lawrence Wong, a financial advisor. I am also a seasoned CPA-CMA, systems consultant, fitness instructor and founder of ITSolopreneurs.com, a leadership and professional development blog, and the co-host of the Inspired Parent Insights Podcast.
My passion is to inspire and give people the courage to pursue their purpose in life. I enjoy working out and staying in shape. I also love researching and learning about building environmentally sustainable net-zero houses. My favorite food is sushi.
Quote.
Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. – Charles R. Swindoll
What I do well as a mom.
I do a good job of listening to my child and acknowledge and validate his feelings. I also do a good job of teaching my child self-control, empathy, and compassion.
I believe these traits are imperative to building emotional intelligence, instrumental to success for any future career. How my child co-exists with spouse, family, and community stems from the EQ he builds as a child.
What I learned from another mom.
My friend Catherine taught me always to create opportunities for dads to bond with their children. We‘re always present, always bringing them to an event, to school, to piano lessons. We think we always have to be there. But we forget the lost opportunities for dads to build their relationship with their little ones. Take a break! Give dad the chance to spend time with them! It does everyone well!
Lesson learned from my child.
That nothing dissuades a child from loving his parents. I used to get upset when my toddler woke up in the middle of the night. My child replied, “Mama, are you mad at me?” Then, feeling like a jerk, I‘d say, “No, I’m just tired.” One night, he whispered, “Mama, don’t be mad at me…. because I love you.”
Successful motherhood moment
As I was recovering from the loss of our pregnancy, I was feeling sad. As I cuddled with my son, he turned and said, “Mama, are you sad because your baby go’ed away?” “Yes,” I replied. “Don’t worry, Mama. You will have another.”
Mom I admire.
My grandmother. In an arranged marriage, she lost her first three babies to infant mortality. She didn’t have a chance for education, yet she taught herself to read and write. Armed with optimism, and tenacity, she survived a world war, famine, and poverty. She lovingly raised three extremely successful men, who are amazing husbands, fathers, and brothers. Even at 98, she has impeccable hearing and a delightful sense of humor.
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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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