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Mighty Mommy, Mighty Mommy, Celebrate Hug Your Kids Day

Mighty Mommy, Celebrate Hug Your Kids Day

Hey there! You're listening to the Mighty Mommy with some Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting . Do you strive to be great at your work and a great, even mighty, mommy? Are you married to someone who struggles with being successful at his job and as a parent? This week's guest writer is Michelle Nichols, the founder of National Hug Your Kids Day which is Monday, July 20th this year. She is also the author of the book Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent and a speaker on work-life issues. She has some quick and dirty tips on how to have less stress -- and more success --in the struggle to juggle work and family.

But first a word from our sponsor. Audible.com is a one-of-a-kind community of parents, educators and their children with a shared interest in igniting a young person's love of reading through digital audiobooks. Get a free audiobook download when you sign up. Go to Audiblepodcast.com/MightyMommy today for details. Again, it's Audiblepodcast.com/MightyMommy. Work-Life Balance is the Wrong Goal The media's solution to work vs. family is “work-life balance.” Forget it! Even though “balance” sounds good (like chocolate with peanut butter, or cake with frosting), when it comes to the competing demands of work and life, it is not the right recipe. The main reason is if you lose your job, which is a scary thought in these economic times, you could eventually find another source of income. However, if you lost a child or a spouse, he or she could never be replaced. So how can you balance things that are replaceable vs. irreplaceable?

Instead of balancing work and family, try prioritizing. You know, like you do with your to do lists. Number one on your list: hug your family. Number two: get to work. Regardless of whether “work,” means writing budget reports or helping your kids with book reports, before you start your day, or at least once every day, stop and hug each member of your family.

MichelIe says, “I learned this lesson the hard way. My son, Mark, died suddenly from brain cancer in 1998, when he was only 8 ½ years old. I always thought I had unlimited time to hug him and spend time with him, but only eleven days after the doctors thought he just had the flu, he was gone, out of my hug's reach forever. Ouch!” How to Give a Good Hug There are five basic steps of a good hug: 1. Empty your head: Forget about bills to be paid, calls to be returned, and plans for next week.

2. Empty your hands: Put down your car keys, cell phone, purse, and all the junk you-- like most moms-- carry around.

3. Make eye contact: Get them to eye level, no matter whether they need to stand on a chair, or you need to stand on a stair.

4.

Make heart contact: Tell them what's in your heart, like “I love you. You rock my world. No matter what else happens today, I love you!” 5. Squeeze! : Give them a hug that will last them all day. Squeeze them so well that when you part, you both say, “Now that was a hug!” The trick to start hugging your kids and your spouse or partner every day is to hug them today. Don't over-think and under-hug. Don't tell yourself you're too tired, or the kids are too busy, or it's not the right time to hug your loved one. Hugs are like both vitamins and medicine. They can help prevent hurt feelings, and help heal them faster.

More Hug and Family Love Tips 1. Hugging your family every day is a habit, like brushing your teeth. Do it every day and soon, it becomes routine.

2. When your kids make a mistake, look hard for what's positive. After all, it's hard to be a kid. Children need encouragement, not discouragement.

3. When your kids hurt your feelings by accident, learn to laugh instead of cry. When my younger son, Devin, was 6, he made me a birthday card that said “Happy Birthday, Mom. I wish you were donuts.” He explained that he loved me, but he loved donuts just a little bit more. At first I felt insulted, but I chose to laugh at the card -- and gave him a hug for valuing me so highly. Hey, donuts rock!

4.

What if loved ones are too far away to hug? You can call them, text them, send a card, send an email, send an e-card, or send cookies. What's important is you're reaching out on a regular basis to tell them you love them. Hugs are fast, free, and non-fattening! They're perfect for today's budget- and-time-stressed moms, so hug your kids today. And don't forget -- National Hug Your Kids Day is Monday, July 20th. Tell your friends. It will be announced on billboards nationwide, during Major League baseball games, and in Gannett newspapers. Our goal is to change the world's families, one million hugs at a time. Join us -- and don't forget to hug your kids. National Hug Your Kids Day is July 20th. To find out more about the holiday, the handbook, and see what's going on in your city, head to www.HugYourKidsToday.com or call Michelle Nichols toll-free at 877-352-9684. Thank you to Audible.com for sponsoring this week's show. Audible.com makes books fun for kids of all ages with more than 3,500 titles from over 75 publishers, including more than 500 titles never available in digital before. Research and studies conducted by leading nationally recognized educators and foundations have shown time and again that audiobooks help kids maximize their potential and improve reading skills. While you are spending some one-on-one time with your child you can cuddle up and listen together to Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. You can choose this or one of many other great stories as your free audiobook download. So be sure to visit Audiblepodcast.com/MightyMommy to sign up for your free audiobook today. That's Audiblepodcast.com/MightyMommy. And finally, thank you so much to guest author, Michelle Nichols, whose story continues to reach out and touch people every day! I'd like to join Michelle in asking parents to hug their own kids and then ask 10 of their friends to hug their own kids. Do you realize if we repeat this just 5 times, we'll be at one MILLION hugs? That's SO doable! Feel free to share your comments in the comments section of the transcript at mightymommy.quickanddirtytips.com and let everyone know that you are hugging your kids!

That's it for now. If you'd like to request a topic for the Mighty Mommy you can e-mail me directly at mommy@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a message by calling 206-202-2185. Did you know that you can get The Mighty Mommy's Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting and other great shows from the Quick and Dirty Tips Network streamed to your iPhone? This week I'd like to recommend our newest Quick and Dirty Tips host, Dr. Rob Lamberts. The House Call Doctor answers your most pressing medical questions with his trademark humor and straightforward advice. Download Stitcher for free today at stitcher.com and check out The House Call Doctor's Quick and Dirty Tips for Taking Charge of Your Health at http://housecalldoctor.quickanddirtytips.com. This is your friend the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!

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Mighty Mommy, Celebrate Hug Your Kids Day

Hey there! You're listening to the Mighty Mommy with some Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting . Do you strive to be great at your work and a great, even mighty, mommy? Are you married to someone who struggles with being successful at his job and as a parent? This week's guest writer is Michelle Nichols, the founder of National Hug Your Kids Day which is Monday, July 20th this year. She is also the author of the book Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent and a speaker on work-life issues. She has some quick and dirty tips on how to have less stress -- and more success --in the struggle to juggle work and family.

But first a word from our sponsor. Audible.com is a one-of-a-kind community of parents, educators and their children with a shared interest in igniting a young person's love of reading through digital audiobooks. Get a free audiobook download when you sign up. Go to Audiblepodcast.com/MightyMommy today for details. Again, it's Audiblepodcast.com/MightyMommy. Work-Life Balance is the Wrong Goal The media's solution to work vs. family is “work-life balance.” Forget it! Even though “balance” sounds good (like chocolate with peanut butter, or cake with frosting), when it comes to the competing demands of work and life, it is not the right recipe. The main reason is if you lose your job, which is a scary thought in these economic times, you could eventually find another source of income. However, if you lost a child or a spouse, he or she could never be replaced. So how can you balance things that are replaceable vs. irreplaceable?

Instead of balancing work and family, try prioritizing. You know, like you do with your to do lists. Number one on your list: hug your family. Number two: get to work. Regardless of whether “work,” means writing budget reports or helping your kids with book reports, before you start your day, or at least once every day, stop and hug each member of your family.

MichelIe says, “I learned this lesson the hard way. My son, Mark, died suddenly from brain cancer in 1998, when he was only 8 ½ years old. I always thought I had unlimited time to hug him and spend time with him, but only eleven days after the doctors thought he just had the flu, he was gone, out of my hug's reach forever. Ouch!” How to Give a Good Hug There are five basic steps of a good hug: 1. Empty your head: Forget about bills to be paid, calls to be returned, and plans for next week.

2. Empty your hands: Put down your car keys, cell phone, purse, and all the junk you-- like most moms-- carry around.

3. Make eye contact: Get them to eye level, no matter whether they need to stand on a chair, or you need to stand on a stair.

4.

Make heart contact: Tell them what's in your heart, like “I love you. You rock my world. No matter what else happens today, I love you!” 5. Squeeze! : Give them a hug that will last them all day. Squeeze them so well that when you part, you both say, “Now that was a hug!” The trick to start hugging your kids and your spouse or partner every day is to hug them today. Don't over-think and under-hug. Don't tell yourself you're too tired, or the kids are too busy, or it's not the right time to hug your loved one. Hugs are like both vitamins and medicine. They can help prevent hurt feelings, and help heal them faster.

More Hug and Family Love Tips 1. Hugging your family every day is a habit, like brushing your teeth. Do it every day and soon, it becomes routine.

2. When your kids make a mistake, look hard for what's positive. After all, it's hard to be a kid. Children need encouragement, not discouragement.

3. When your kids hurt your feelings by accident, learn to laugh instead of cry. When my younger son, Devin, was 6, he made me a birthday card that said “Happy Birthday, Mom. I wish you were donuts.” He explained that he loved me, but he loved donuts just a little bit more. At first I felt insulted, but I chose to laugh at the card -- and gave him a hug for valuing me so highly. Hey, donuts rock!

4.

What if loved ones are too far away to hug? You can call them, text them, send a card, send an email, send an e-card, or send cookies. What's important is you're reaching out on a regular basis to tell them you love them. Hugs are fast, free, and non-fattening! They're perfect for today's budget- and-time-stressed moms, so hug your kids today. And don't forget -- National Hug Your Kids Day is Monday, July 20th. Tell your friends. It will be announced on billboards nationwide, during Major League baseball games, and in Gannett newspapers. Our goal is to change the world's families, one million hugs at a time. Join us -- and don't forget to hug your kids. National Hug Your Kids Day is July 20th. To find out more about the holiday, the handbook, and see what's going on in your city, head to www.HugYourKidsToday.com or call Michelle Nichols toll-free at 877-352-9684. Thank you to Audible.com for sponsoring this week's show. Audible.com  makes books fun for kids of all ages with more than 3,500 titles from over 75 publishers, including more than 500 titles never available in digital before. Research and studies conducted by leading nationally recognized educators and foundations have shown time and again that audiobooks help kids maximize their potential and improve reading skills. While you are spending some one-on-one time with your child you can cuddle up and listen together to Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. You can choose this or one of many other great stories as your free audiobook download. So be sure to visit Audiblepodcast.com/MightyMommy to sign up for your free audiobook today. That's Audiblepodcast.com/MightyMommy. And finally, thank you so much to guest author, Michelle Nichols, whose story continues to reach out and touch people every day! I'd like to join Michelle in asking parents to hug their own kids and then ask 10 of their friends to hug their own kids. Do you realize if we repeat this just 5 times, we'll be at one MILLION hugs? That's SO doable! Feel free to share your comments in the comments section of the transcript at mightymommy.quickanddirtytips.com and let everyone know that you are hugging your kids!

That's it for now. If you'd like to request a topic for the Mighty Mommy you can e-mail me directly at mommy@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a message by calling 206-202-2185. Did you know that you can get The Mighty Mommy's Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting and other great shows from the Quick and Dirty Tips Network streamed to your iPhone? This week I'd like to recommend our newest Quick and Dirty Tips host, Dr. Rob Lamberts. The House Call Doctor answers your most pressing medical questions with his trademark humor and straightforward advice. Download Stitcher for free today at stitcher.com and check out The House Call Doctor's Quick and Dirty Tips for Taking Charge of Your Health at http://housecalldoctor.quickanddirtytips.com. This is your friend the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!