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Six Pack Mom
Stephanie Ortiz, New York, USA
www.sixpackmom.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 six children: Jessica (14), Alexandra (13), John (11), Katelyn (7), Emily (5) and Jacob (3). My original life plan was to be an unmarried, mad professor with cats and no kids. That radically changed once I met my husband, Michael.
Together we’ve embarked on a wildly chaotic, beautifully kid-crammed life. I enjoy blogging at Six Pack Mom where I love to write and encourage other parents to laugh over child mishaps rather than cry over them! I maintain the facade of a mature, suburban housewife, but I’m really an overgrown teenager that still enjoys pranking friends, reading any and all biographical nonfiction, and air-guitaring to Nine Inch Nails.
Quote.
The days are long but the years are short. – Gretchen Rubin
What I do well as a mom.
My sense of humor is contagious; my kids mimic my goofball dancing style and fake accents, which create a lighthearted and loving atmosphere in our home. I’m also skilled at organizing and managing the household; I’ve developed an effective system that includes a child chore chart, household binder, and various toy storage methods. This skill provides much-needed structure amidst the fun and chaos of six kids.
What I learned from another mom.
To decorate for every holiday, season and birthday, even if it’s cheap dollar store items. It generates excitement and is now a tradition for our family.
Lesson learned from my child.
Spontaneity. With kids, day-to-day life doesn’t go as planned. There are always surprises you don’t anticipate. It’s okay to go with the flow and also improvise and come up with a new game plan.
Successful motherhood moment.
My 6-year-old daughter brought home a large goody bag of candy from a class holiday party and voluntarily shared it with her siblings. I knew at that moment that I’d taught her the value of caring for others and being generous with her things, which felt greater than any academic or athletic achievement any of my kids have received.
Mom I admire.
My mom. She is the ideal model of sacrificial love, grace, and constant effort in brightening the lives of her loved ones. One of the parenting skills that I’ve always admired most about her is her ability to truly know the hearts of each of her children- she invested so much time in deep, honest conversations with us over the years.
She held us to high character expectations, yet balanced that with a clear expression of unconditional love and support. Our family always felt like a safe, accepting environment because of my mom’s devotion. I strive to create that same experience for my children.
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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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