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Outgoing Mom
Elisabeth Britz, Nottinghamshire UK
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 three children and wife to Sarah. Nicole is 23 and works for the BBC. Nathan is 21 and studying Sports Science at Leeds Beckett University. Blythe is 19 and attending a university. I am also a Senior Occupational Therapist working for Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust at Rampton Hospital in the National High Secure Male Learning Disability Service.
I take an active interest in equality and diversity issues. I enjoy reading books and socializing with friends, in particular, inviting friends over for dinner or meeting up over a coffee or cheeky glass of wine. I also enjoy going to the theatre and love musicals. My favorite is Hairspray.
Quote.
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think,” – A. A. Milne
What I do well as a mom.
I’ve done a great job coping with, managing and parenting my youngest daughter who is diagnosed with anorexia. I also do a good job of managing our family’s finances on one income. My wife is disabled, and she is unable to work.
I have learned patience in the face of adversity. As a mom, it’s important to learn the art of becoming a swan, gliding on the surface of the water, while paddling furiously underneath the surface.
What I learned from another mom.
My best friend, Debs, taught me not to worry so much about what other people think about you and to just believe in myself. She helped me through some very dark times when the children were young, and I found myself as a single parent.
Lesson learned from my child.
I am fearless when it comes to my family and have learned to fight for my youngest daughter to access mental health services when none were available in our area, and through this, I have discovered my inner strength.
Successful motherhood moment.
My son is small for his age and was being picked on by one of the other boys in his class. When we reported it to the teacher, we didn’t receive the support we hoped for so my son, so I enrolled him in a Karate class. The instructor was amazing and gave him the right balance of discipline and confidence.
Eventually, he managed to become friends with the boy who had originally been bullying him. My son ended up staying on at the Karate club for many years and eventually helped teach some of the younger children.
Mom I admire.
My mom. She brought up three children, held down a full-time job and trained as a teacher. She gave my siblings and me the strength and words of encouragement we needed to overcome life’s challenges. I also admire her giving nature.
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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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