His Family Portrait

Confessions of a Free Bird Turned into a Helicopter Mum By Carolyne Destiny  I grew as free as a bird in a large extended family. We played everywhere, had no real boundaries, and sometimes ate wherever lunchtime found us . We climbed trees and fell off the trees. We climbed roofs and fell off roofs. One day my skirt was held by a nail just as I was about to jump and I was suspended mid-air for a mini -minute before the fabric gave way and I fell flat on my tummy. With my last breath, I called my sister in gibberish and we have always laughed about it. We played a lot. The young ones just followed the older ones and went wherever they went. This included ‘fishing’ at the river at the foot of our forest. We excitedly brought home our catch and put it inside a glass jar on top of the cabinet in the living room. My mum who knew better would throw them out into the flower garden, ‘accusing’ us of bringing frogs into her house. I would watch as they wiggled to their death, heartbr

Common Mistakes Moms Make When Raising Sons By Carolyne Destiny  Parenting is a journey filled with lessons, challenges, and adventure at every turn. Sometimes we think we have it figured out, only to realize how far off the mark we are. Other times we get it right and don’t even realize it. It does not help that most parents have to learn on the job and so, parenting goofs are almost inevitable. If you are raising sons, here are my top four goofs and tips to consider. Being Overly Strong and Protective. This wasn’t a myth then, and it isn’t a myth now - the strong mom syndrome is a real problem that can easily cripple a son for life. It is characterized by an extremely overprotective and overly-cautious mom who always speaks and stands for her child. The strong mom over parents and does not give the son opportunities to take up age-appropriate responsibilities or problem solve. She shields him from hurt and pain and deals with anyone who dares cross her son. She is the kin