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A Mother of Colour Magazine

BALANCING LIFE & MOTHERHOOD

CONNECT BETTER WITH YOUR BABY

TIME & STRESS SOLUTIONS

TIPS FOR THE TIRED MOM

SUMMER 2022

This publication was created entirely by the CEO, Chief Editor, and Designer of A Mother of Colour Magazine. For more information visit amotherofcolour.com

A Mother of Colour Magazine SUMMER 2022

Contents

by Askar Abayev

Strength & Infinity

SARAH B. // 13 PREVENTING TODDLER TANTRUMS // 16 CHANTELLE (“The Queen of Digital Marketing”) // 20 5 WAYS TO BALANCE WORK & MOTHERHOOD // 23

Joy & Wisdom

KISHA GULLEY // 27 JOY CHO // 31 8 TIPS FOR GOOD POTTY TRAINING // 34

Rarity & Purity

AARONICA B. COLE // 38 SHAVONDA GARDNER // 42 5 WAYS TO HELP MANAGE MOTHERHOOD // 45

Nurturing & Tenderness

ROSIE (“The Hustling Mama”) // 49 RESPONDING TO TODDLER TANTRUMS // 53 ADVICE // 56

Staff

by Keira Burton

CEO, EDITOR IN CHIEF, & DESIGNER Mitzy

by Ivan Samkov

A Letter

rom

from the

EDITOR Hello and welcome to A Mother of Colour Magazine where we uplift and inspire the everyday and extraordinary mother. My name is Victoria Targblor "Mitzy" and I'm your CEO and Editor-In-Chief. This magazine seeks to highlight and unite mothers of different backgrounds and cultures across the globe. I am so proud to present to you our summer issue. Here's to you and cheers to us!

Xoxo, Mitzy

by Nandhu Kumar

by Muhammadtaha IbrahimMa'aji

Strength

“Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.”

Barbara Kingsolver

Meet

Mom

Sarah B.

by @_sarahebrown_

Biography Sarah is a Filipina mom of two boys, Jack and Arlo. She holds a degree in piano performance and taught piano for several years before deciding to pursue a Masters in accounting and switched careers. Sarah never planned on being a stay-at-home mom, but after having her first son, Jack, in 2020, she changed her mind, leaving her full-time job to stay home with him. Sarah began struggling with perinatal and postpartum depression throughout her first pregnancy and the following year. After learning about PPD and finding a Psychiatrist who prescribed the right medication, she realized that few women talked openly about depression, particularly postpartum depression, even though it was so common. Sarah’s experience with postpartum depression has inspired her to normalize talking about PPD, PPA, and other taboo motherhood topics. She hopes her small space on Instagram will help moms feel like they’re not alone.

Instagram: ● @_sarahebrown_ Email: ●

simplysarahbrown@gmail.com

7 Tips to prevent Toddler Tantrums What is a tantrum? A tantrum is an emotional outbreak of anger and frustration by the children. It is normal behavior in children and there is no need to be worried. Signs and symptoms of a tantrum: Following are some of the possible signs of tantrums in toddlers: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Whining Crying Screaming Yelling Kicking Hitting Biting Pushing Holding their breath Throwing objects Thrashing their body Going limp

When does it happen? Tantrums usually begin at the age of 18 months. It is the developmental period when your child moves towards Independency.

7 Tips to prevent tantrums (Cont.) What are the causes of a tantrum in children? In their growing period, children want to share their feelings but can't communicate yet. Toddlers don't know how to manage their strong emotions. All their incapability of not expressing their emotions burst out in the form of a tantrum. What can cause tantrums to worsen in toddlers? Tiredness, hunger and sickness can make the tantrums worsen and more frequent. Can tantrums be prevented? Yes, parents can prevent tantrums in toddlers by using some effective methods. 7 effective tips to prevent tantrums in toddlers: Here are the 7 tips to prevent tantrums in toddlers: 1.

Be a role model:

Children in their growing age observe every move of their parents. They also tend to behave the same as their parents used to do. Therefore, you behave well in front of your kids. When your child observes how you use to control your anger, he will try to do the same when experiencing the same feeling. 2.

Offer choices:

You should offer your children more choices. In this way, you allow them to enjoy their independence.

7 Tips to Prevent Tantrums (Cont.) 1.

Avoid saying “No”:

You should prefer your kid's choice over yours, especially in the routine task. For example, let your kid decide the dress to wear. 2.

Establish a routine:

You should need to establish a routine for daily tasks. This scheduled routine helps your child know what to expect next and will not lose his/her temper. 3.

Be positive:

Try to be polite and gentle in every circumstance. If you want something from your child you need to trick them rather than force them. Final thoughts: Dealing with tantrums in children can be challenging. But you can easily calm your toddler if you know the accurate strategy. The easiest way is to prevent it from happening by following the above-mentioned guidelines. Reference: https://www.healthline.com/health/temper-t antrums

Infinite

“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.”

Maya Angelou

Meet Mom

Chantelle "The Queen of Digital Marketing"

by @thequeenofdigitalmarketing

Biography Chantelle "The Queen of Digital Marketing" is the founder of Write For You Media. When she is not helping visionary entrepreneurs ﬁnd their rightful place in the digital space, she is enjoying motherhood! Chantelle has a passionate three year old king in training and another bundle arriving in June 2022. Being a mompreneur has taught her the importance of patience, staying dedicated, achieving goals, and maintaining optimal health. Her goal is to create a life of autonomy and ﬁnancial freedom for her growing family. They motivate her everyday to continue creating her dreams into reality.

Website: Linktr.ee/thequeenofdigitalmarketing Instagram: (@thequeenofdigitalmarketing) Message

5 Ways to Balance Motherhood & Work You might hear the question “Does a working mom enjoy both a successful career and a family life”? The answer is “Yes” it is possible. After becoming a mother it becomes difficult for every entrepreneur to manage their career- life with motherhood. It is normal for working women to be stressed over this problem. But if you know how to balance your work and motherhood, then you can surely manage both perfectly. Following these tips you to help you to know how you can manage your work and house life efficiently. 1.

Get out of your motherhood guilt:

Many working women experienced criticism for abandoning their children for careers. Because of this they get stressed and feel guilty. This pressure distracts their focus from both their work and house life. Therefore, you don't need to mind others people’s opinions. Be conﬁdent and think positively that your work supports your family. Positive thinking makes you more focused on your work and family. 2.

Use time wisely:

In your journey of balancing your work and family life, the foremost thing is to save your time.

5 Ways to Balance Motherhood & Work (Cont.) You can save time from your daily chores with some simple hacks. Like, instead of going to the grocery store you can order online. Similarly, you can organize your outﬁts and prepare lunches at night. These life hacks can save you a lot of your time to spend with your family. 1.

Hire a trusted childcare provider:

You can concentrate more on your work when there is someone behind to look after your baby. You can hire a nanny to ensure the safety of your baby when you are at work. If you are hiring a nanny, observe her on a one-day trial. She should also have experience and a good reputation. You can keep in touch with your nanny and get updates on your child. You can also get help from a trusted friend or family member to ensure the safety of your child. 2.

Avoid distractions:

Time is such a precious commodity when you are an entrepreneur. For a working woman, time is all that she has to manage. Therefore, don't waste your time at work by too much interaction with coworkers or spending lots of time during lunch breaks. At home, limit the use of the internet, mobile, or TV and spend your time with your child and partner. Spending quality time with your family should be your priority. 3.

Create meaningful opportunities to enjoy family time:

Just being in the same room doesn't mean you are spending time with your family.You have to make this time interesting, more memorable, and meaningful for your family. Playing games, painting, planning a picnic in your yard, or doing other interesting activities with your family can make every moment memorable and joyful.

5 ways to Balance Motherhood & Work (Cont.) A motivational thought: You are doing your best and you can manage everything with just a little more effort. Nothing in this world is impossible. You can perfectly play both roles as a mother and a working woman at the same time. In this phase of your life, sometimes you might become tired but don't let this feeling spoil you. Sometimes things might not look exactly like how you pictured them, but don’t let that deceive you. You just need to recognize and appreciate all of the great things you do have through your hard work. Reference: https://www.lifehack.org/734000/ways-working-moms-balance-w ork-and-family

Joy

“Being a mom has made me so tired. And so happy.”

Tina Fey

Meet Mom

Kisha Gulley

by Taylor’d to You Podcast & News-Herald

Biography

Using her platform to cope with postpartum depression, Kisha Gulley, founder of TheKishaProject.com, set out to create a safe space to connect mothers with mental health and parental support. Through Kisha’s efforts to create meaningful online resources, she quickly built the reputation of providing culturally diverse support systems for families of children with autism. Being a powerful expression in the Black and Afro-Latinx community, Kisha has partnered with countless brands, such as Visit Mesa, Footlocker Kids, Radio Flyer, and Mixbook. Through her work, she continues to bring awareness to social issues and to promote positive images of women of color.

Website: thekishaproject.com/instagram Instagram: (@panamakish)

Wisdom “I believe the choice to become a mother is the choice to become one of the greatest spiritual teachers there is.”

Oprah

Meet Mom

Joy Cho

by Parents.com & TheHypeMagazine

Biography

Joy Cho has been queened as a Pioneer, Creative Director, and Author of seven books. She has assisted and consulted with numerous creative businesses worldwide. Joy enjoys giving keynote speeches on entrepreneurship and leadership for many conferences such as Pinterest HQ, Target HQ, and Hallmark HQ. Joy was named one of Time’s 30 Most Inﬂuential People on the Internet twice and has a community of 15 million followers on Pinterest. Recently, Joy’s home and studio has been featured in House Beautiful, Parents, and Domino Magazines. Joy continues to make her mark as a distinguished inﬂuencer, designer, and licensed designer.

Website: https://ohjoy.com Instagram: (@ohjoy) 33

8 Tips to Make Potty Training a Good Experience Potty training is not a challenging task but it is also not as easy as seen in television advertisements. It can be a messy thing in your motherhood. Methods of potty training: There are usually two methods of potty training: 1. 2.

Three-day potty training Schedule based potty training

What is the best time to start potty training? You can start the potty training method from the age of 27 months. Before starting the method, make sure that your toddler is ready for it. But how do you know whether your child is ready for the training or not? There are some signs to help you know that your baby is prepared for this training. Check for the signs: Following are the signs that your child is grown enough for the potty training 1. 2. 3. 4.

Expressing interest in the toilet. Irritating from their soiled diapers. Keeping their diapers dry for longer. Becomes able to put on and off his pants.

8 Tips for Good Potty Training (Cont.) How to prepare your child for potty training: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Talk more about it. Let your child think it's an exciting thing. Use examples of other kids. Show your child TV shows about potty training. Show them through an example: Read your kid's potty training books. Pretend it's a play. Set rewards. Stock up potty training necessary supplies. Be prepared for accidents.

10 Tips for potty training: Following are some tips to make potty training a positive experience for both your child and you. 1.

Consider nakedness: Keep your child naked if you can afford accidents otherwise, start the habit of underwear and pull-up styles of training pants.

2. Give opportunities: You should offer the toilet to your child several times. This will help you to know when your child usually arises the need for the toilet. In this way, you can encourage them to use the toilet at that speciﬁc period. 3. Use timers: You can use timers and watches to make potty training fun for your kid. 35

8 Tips for Good Potty Training (Cont.) 1.

Praise your kid:

You should praise your children after they are done. You can do clippings or sing a song. Celebrating the moment every time helps to encourage your child. 2.

Read books:

You can enhance the toilet time of your kid by Reading books especially made for potty training. 3.

Give your child a free hand:

Give your child choices to choose the time for potty training. For example, you can ask whether your kid likes to potty before dinner or after. 4.

Ask for help:

Potty training is a time-consuming task so you might get frustrated with it. Therefore, you should ask for help from your partner or some friend. 5. Try try again: Getting frustrated is normal but you should not give up. Instead, take a break and then try again. Reference: https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/potty -training-tips#self-care-skills

Rarity

“Babies are bits of stardust blown from the hand of God. Lucky the woman who knows the pangs of birth for she has held a star.”

Larry Barretto

Meet Mom

Aaronica B. Cole

by Greenchild Magazine & aaronicabcole.com 39

Biography Aaronica is a mom to 3 beautiful children and wife to an amazing husband. Although born a New Yorker she eventually moved to Atlanta, GA to attend Spelman College. After graduating she admittedly fell in love with the city so she decided to stay. Now, she works as a full-time Sustainable Lifestyle, Parenting Blogger, and Entrepreneur in the Atlanta area. As a college student, Aaronica had big dreams of being a pediatrician but then took a sudden interest in Chemistry and Physics. She also discovered that she had the gift of communication. All of the mentioned subjects have blended into her present career of choice. As an activist and positive parental ﬁgure, Aaronica continues to inspire others to consider health, sustainability, and self-acceptance.

Website: aaronicabcole.com Instagram: (@aaronicabcole)

Purity “I realized when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.”

Mitch Albom

Meet Mom

Shavonda Gardner

by Style by Emily Henderson & RachaelRayMag.com

Biography Shavonda Gardner brings moody eclectic interiors into vintage homes. In 2014, she and her family decided to ditch their cookie-cutter home for a smaller and much older house. Everyday was a journey of adjustment by learning how to intentionally be happy with less space. Her blog serves as a space for her share her story and to also share her personal passion for design, travel, and gardening. She had an extravagant nomadic life growing up, being exposed to many different places that inﬂuenced her personal style. She is a maximalist and enjoys bold, moody, & eclectically-evoked interiors. Through her work, and many passions she seeks to inspire others to live life authentically and unapologetically. .

Website: sgstyleblog.com Instagram: (@sgardnerstyle) 44

5 Simple Strategies for Managing your Career with Motherhood Becoming a mother is no doubt an incredible feeling but having a baby increases your responsibilities. Babies need extra care and attention which sometimes becomes tough for entrepreneur mothers. If you are a working woman it will be more difficult for you to manage your career with your motherhood. It seems tough but not impossible. There are some strategies to balance your work and family life. These tricks help you to perform your mother's role perfectly without neglecting your work life. 1.

Set your daily goals:

Make a list of tasks you have to do each day despite thinking of all the things. You should set a goal for everyday tasks. Setting goals will motivate you to prove yourself by accomplishing several tasks per day. This brings conﬁdence in yourself and you can do your signiﬁcant thing on time without burdening yourself. 2.

Work efficiently:

Be more active and focused on your work. Avoid social interaction with your fellow employers, and avoid taking breaks by scrolling on your mobile. All of these things just distract you from your actual target. Be focused on your work so you can ﬁnish your work on time and be able to spend time with your loved ones at home.

5 Tips for Managing Motherhood (Cont.) Meet your baby attentively: Because you are a working woman you will not be able to spend all of your time with your baby. In the morning, you might ﬁnd yourself in a rush to go to work, and after coming home you might be busy with your house life. Therefore, when you ﬁnally have time for your baby, be more attentive to her/ his. The time you are spending with your little one is precious for both of you. Be intentional about being more attentive physically and mentally towards your child. Put your mobile phone and laptops away and don't let anyone or any kind of work spoil your moments with your baby.

Make the most of your time: Don't waste any single moment that you can spend with your baby. Even when you drive your baby to school or the daycare center you can spend a healthy moment with your baby. Despite being busy in your thoughts or planning your work, make interaction with your baby in the car. It's the start of you and your baby's day and if you have a regular talk with your baby it makes a 46 connection.

5 Tips for Managing Motherhood (Cont.) No matter if you have a short time, just talk about little things with your baby. This little interaction is enough for your baby to make him happy and excited. Get enough sleep: Don't compromise your sleep. A working person should get enough sleep because it can affect their productivity. Whether you are at home or working at the office your mind should be energized. The deﬁciency of sleep makes you tired all day along with being unable to concentrate on your work. Babies often wake late at night and you have to stay awake until your baby sleeps again. Therefore you should develop a routine of going to bed early so that if your baby wakes you at night you have already gotten enough sleep. Reference: https://www.kindredbravely.com/blogs/br avely/balancing-motherhood-and-career 47

Nurturing

“It's not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It's our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless .” -L.R. Knost, Two Thousand Kisses a Day

Meet Mom

Rosie “The Hustling Mama”

by thehustlingmama.com & @TheHustling Mama Blog 50

Biography Rosie, “The Hustling Mama,” is a mom of two who ﬁrst transitioned from the corporate world. Through her blogging, she has created genuine content with a twist of humor and creative storytelling. Her brand, The Hustling Mama is composed of family fun and lifestyle scenes that seek to connect and inspire parents to live life adventurously. She currently resides in Southern California, where her family has been sharing their journey, challenges, and joys since 2016. Rosie has built an amazing community where families connect, relate, and laugh about parenting life! Website: TheHustlingMama.com/ Instagram: (@thehustlingmama)

PICTURES Tenderness “[When] my mom smiled at me. Her smile kind of hugged me. ”

R.J. Palac

The Best Way to Respond to Toddler Tantrums Mostly, tantrums go on decreasing over time. But still, some methods prove beneﬁcial to calm your toddler. How should I respond to my child's tantrum? When your baby goes through a tantrum, you need to respond in the following ways: ●

Stay calm:

Your foremost response should be to stay calm. You should not let your child think that he can get anything by behaving like this. Try to pretend normal and respond like it does not bother you anyway. You need to wait until your child gets to normal. After that, you can talk with your child and discuss the matter.

●

Ignore the tantrum:

Secondly, you need to ignore their behavior and show zero response. However, kicking, hitting and throwing of objects should not be ignored. Here you need to take the following step: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Remove your child from the place. Take the object away which can cause injury. Gently tell your child that this kind of behavior is not tolerable. Remove your child from the situation:

If your child is not getting back from a tantrum, you need to remove him from the situation. Take your child to a quiet area of your home and give him time to calm down by himself. In case, you are in public, the best thing is to ignore the tantrum unless your child is in danger. If your child is going to harm himself or the surroundings, the best step is to get up and leave with your child.

Responding to Toddlers Tantrums (Cont.) ●

Use distractions:

You can also try diverting their attention to some interesting activities or objects or towards some other engaging thing. It will help your kid to forget about his tantrum. ●

Notice the frustrations:

You should show your child that you can understand their emotions even if you don’t like them. It will help them to calm down rapidly. Recall their emotions so that they can learn to identify their emotions over time. ●

Comfort them:

Sometimes, comfort is the only thing your child needs. In these situations, a hug can keep his nerves relaxed. You just need to hold your child closer and talk with them politely. ●

Steps to do after a tantrum:

A tantrum can be disturbing for both you and your little kiddo. The following are some effective ways to connect back after the tantrum: ●

Praise your child when behaving well:

You should praise your kid when they behave well. You can praise them with hugs and smiles and verbally. You can also give them rewards to encourage good behavior in the future too. ●

Create a chart:

You can display a chart on the wall where your child can see it. Divide the columns for the routine task and mark them with a sticker after the task is accomplished by your child. In this way, your child tries to behave well to gain more stickers. 54

Responding to Toddlers Tantrums (Cont.) ●

Never ignore harmful behavior:

Children often start throwing objects when losing their temper. It can be harmful and needs to stop. The behaviors including biting and hitting can also be dangerous. In this case, you should immediately remove your child from the situation. Tell your child that this kind of behavior is not acceptable. Calmly tells him that he can harm himself or others. ●

Show them, love:

Studies show that some children show tantrums when seeking attention. They might feel sensitive and feel that they are not getting enough attention. Expressing your love and positive attention towards your child helps him to know that they are special to you.

Reference: https://www.healthline.com/health/temper-tantrums

Advice “ Never Be a Slave to Your Standards.” Mama, know that is okay NOT to be perfect. Make goals, set the bar high, yes. But never be a slave to your stardards. Even if you make a commitment to a job, an opportunity, or an event, it is more than okay to let it go without explanation. It is acceptable to change your mind and to cancel if necessary. Your health and wellbeing are priority. You are you baby’s world in their eyes so protect that which is you. Protect your peace, your freedom, and your spirit. xoxo, Mitzy

By Werner Pfennig

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