Motherhood advices from Marissa Anastasi: Be the person you needed as a kid. I want to be my little girls’ number one fan, and always listen and support her. I always loved having aunts and sisters that would encourage and help direct me through life’s struggles and special moments. At the age of 18, your child will know how to roll, crawl, feed themselves, speak, walk, sleep in their own beds etc. So don’t stress if they’re not doing these things at the same time as everyone else. They’ll get there in their own time.

Do Less. “Most mamas in today’s culture think they are supposed to be busy doing so much for their children… What babies need more than anything is a present and self-aware mama who is gentle with herself and grounded,” says Dr. Colleen Crowley, a mother, child psychologist, and co-founder of Brushies. “This grounded presence is what helps wire a baby’s brain for the rest of their life,” she adds. What babies need more than anything is a present and self-aware mama who is gentle with herself and grounded. Sometimes It Really Is Just a Phase. “This is for real, so say it to yourself over and over and over. They won’t go to college with a soother. They will stop waking up three times a night. They will eat with a fork. So take it for what it is and don’t try and rush your littles ones through and age or stage; you’ll look back and wish you hadn’t,” Jen Kelly and Becca Perren, mothers and founders of Pehr advise.

Get to know their friends. This does not mean scrutinize your child’s friends because they have a Mohawk in liberty spikes. It means get to know the kid with the Mohawk in liberty spikes. Share information about yourself and ask them information. Act as if you are talking to an adult, not a kid you are “looking over.” Ask them about their favorite subject (it may be the same as yours when you were in school and that would be a great conversation opener.). Instead of asking the kid WHY he has his hair in liberty spikes (or the Mohawk for that matter) ask him HOW he got them that way. Stay neutral and don’t put them on the defensive. Discover a few more info at Motherhood blog.

My biggest challenge apart from sleep deprivation, is learning to trust myself. I may not always get it right but there is power in accepting that and allowing my children to see that we are human too. We can teach them values by being vulnerable in our humanity. Kids just need love and time with you. The rest will come. You absolutely lose yourself and you give your everything to your child.

Hey, my name is Marissa and I’m a mummy to 4. I’m 34 years old and live in the sunny Mediterranean island, Cyprus. Larnaca to be precise!. You can read more about me and a brief description of my journey so far on my introduction blog. 2020 is when I officially started blogging. I remember up until I met my husband at 16, I always used to write a daily diary of my day, my feelings and just whatever came to mind. Starting to write again is nice but at the same time, a little out my comfort zone knowing that people might read it! Since moving to Cyprus, I have pushed myself and have been given the confidence by my family into things I have never tried before but always wanted to do. Thanks for joining me on my journey and I hope you enjoy the blogs. Find a few extra details at https://www.marissaanastasi.com/.