Affirmations are great tools that can help you overcome fear, build your confidence, develop a positive mind-set and live an abundant life. The problem is that many people are not sure exactly how to use or write effective affirmations. There are plenty of ways to write affirmations, but the bottom line is that an affirmation can be considered effective if it works for YOU!

The whole point of affirmations is to shift your thoughts and emotions to a more positive place so you feel more confident, happy, secure, abundant and have the boldness to accomplish what you want to. Here is a list of 100 affirmations for an abundant life.  Take a look at them, feel free to use them if they resonate with you and if not try altering them or adding to them until they trigger the mind-set and emotional state you are trying to attain. Positive self-talk is key to attaining your goals. Say them to yourself daily

Affirmations for Healthy Weight and Body Image

• Today I love my body fully, deeply and joyfully.
• My body has its own wisdom and I trust that wisdom completely.
• My body is simply a projection of my beliefs about myself.
• I am growing more beautiful and luminous day by day.
• I choose to see the divine perfection in every cell of my body.
• As I love myself, I allow others to love me too.
• Flaws are transformed by love and acceptance.
• Today I choose to honour my beauty, my strength and my uniqueness.
• I love the way I feel when I take good care of myself.
• Today my own well-being is my top priority.

Affirmations for Self-Confidence and Self-Belief:

• Fear is only a feeling; it cannot hold me back.
• I know that I can master anything if I do it enough times.
• Today I am willing to fail in order to succeed.
• I believe that I have the strength to make my dreams come true.
• I’m going to relax and have fun with this, no matter what the outcome may be.
• I’m proud of myself for even daring to try; many people won’t even do that!
• Today I put my full trust in my inner guidance.
• I grow in strength with every forward step I take.
• I release my hesitation and make room for victory!
• With a solid plan and a belief in myself, there’s nothing I can’t do.

Affirmations for Abundance and Prosperity:

• I open to the flow of great abundance in all areas of my life.
• I always have more than enough of everything I need.
• Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!
• Today I expand my awareness of the abundance all around me.
• I allow the universe to bless me in surprising and joyful ways.
• My grateful heart is a magnet that attracts more of everything I desire.
• Prosperity surrounds me, prosperity fills me, prosperity flows to me and through me.
• I exude passion, purpose and prosperity.
• I am always led to the people who need what I have to offer.
• As my commitment to help others grows, so does my wealth.
• My day is filled with limitless potential in joy, abundance and love.

Affirmations for Life Purpose:

• The better I know myself, the clearer my purpose becomes.
• My unique skills and talents can make a profound difference in the world.
• Today I follow my heart and discover my destiny.
• I am meant to do great things.
• I am limited only by my vision of what is possible.
• My purpose is to develop and share the best parts of myself with others.
• Today I present my love, passion, talent and joy as a gift to the world.
• I need not know the entire journey in order to take one step.
• I fulfil my life purpose by starting here, right now.
• My life purpose can be whatever I decide to make it.

Affirmations for Inner Peace:

• All is well, right here, right now.
• Peace begins with a conscious choice.
• Today I embrace simplicity, peace and solace.
• A peaceful heart makes for a peaceful life.
• I trust the universe to deliver my highest good in every situation.
• By becoming peace, I create peace in every experience.
• I am filled with the light of love, peace and joy.
• Peace comes when I let go of trying to control every tiny detail.
• Where peace dwells, fear cannot.
• Today my mission is to surrender and release.

Affirmations for Opportunity:

• Today I open my mind to the endless opportunities surrounding me.
• Opportunities are everywhere, if I choose to see them.
• I boldly act on great opportunities when I see them.
• My intuition leads me to the most lucrative opportunities.
• An opportunity is simply a possibility until I act on it.
• Some of the best opportunities are made, not found.
• Today I see each moment as a new opportunity to express my greatness.
• I expand my awareness of the hidden potential in each experience.
• Let each of my experiences today be a gateway to something even better.
• Each decision I make creates new opportunities.

Affirmations for Love:

• I am ready for (or in) a healthy, loving relationship.
• All of my relationships are meaningful and fulfilling.
• As I share my love with others the universe mirrors love back to me.
• I trust I will attract the type of partner who is perfect for me.
• Today I release fear and open my heart to true love.
• I am grateful for the people in my life.
• I am the perfect partner for my perfect partner.
• I deserve a loving, healthy relationship.
• I deserve to be loved and I allow myself to be loved.

Affirmations for Healing:

• I am strong and healthy.
• My energy and vitality are increasing every day.
• I open to the natural flow of wellness now.
• My inner guidance leads me to the right healing modalities for me.
• Abundant health and wellness are my birthright.
• Thank you for my strength, my health and my vitality.
• I am feeling stronger and better now.
• I love taking good care of myself.
• Today nurturing myself is my highest priority.
• Thank you for the opportunity to balance my mind, body and spirit.

Affirmations for Inner Clarity:

• Today I awaken to my higher wisdom.
• My inner voice guides me in every moment.
• I am centered, calm and clear.
• I always know the right actions to achieve my goals.
• When I know where I’m going, getting there is a cinch!
• Today I am completely tuned in to my inner wisdom.
• Harmony is always a sign that I am balanced from within.
• Thank you for showing me the way to my dreams.
• I trust my feelings and insights.
• I am open to divine guidance.

Affirmations for Self-Love:

• I am filled with light, love and peace.
• I treat myself with kindness and respect.
• I don’t have to be perfect; I just have to be me.
• I give myself permission to shine.
• I honour the best parts of myself and share them with others.
• I’m proud of all I have accomplished.
• Today I give myself permission to be greater than my fears.
• I love myself no matter what.
• I am my own best friend and cheerleader.
• Thank you for the qualities, traits and talents that make me so unique.

Above all I know God is in Control! I am wonderfully made.

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T.D. Jakes shares some parenting tips in this video below that are very useful to keep in mind on the parenting journey.

Parenting Tips

• There is no one right way to raise children. All children are different and so there is no one right way to raise your children. You will continually tweak the process. Parenting is and should be a learning process.

• Be There – There is no replacement for being there and for being present in your child’s life. If you are not present there is no way you can have the right influence.

• Work at It – Parenting is not easy, it also does not follow any cookie cut formula. So you will need to be willing to work at it and continue to improve. Parenting is a skill that can be improved!

• Be Intentional – Yes parents need to be intentional, what you do in the early years will have everything to do with your child’s future destiny so keep this in mind as you raise them. Parenting builds upon what you do early in your child’s life.

• Every child is different – Parent to match each child. Every child is different and the parenting style needs to match each child. Factors such as the neighbourhood, temperament and culture matter and will play a part in moulding his or her character. As a parent you need to be aware of these and make your parenting work for your child.

• Match their World – Match the world and the reality of your child. Do not parent based on theory or based on how you wish your child is. Know their world, understand how they feel and what they are experiencing so that you can stay relevant.

• Do not be too Busy – Too many parents are busy and do not take the time to be engaged fully in their child’s life. Do not expect what you will not inspect. This means that if you do not invest the time to be there and to understand what is going on with your child you might be very shocked at the outcome you get.

• Be Involved – Call it nosey if you want but you have to get involved in your child’s life. Ask questions, know who they are talking to, know what they do online and on social media. Ask for their passwords and monitor what they do. Remember if you do not inspect then you might be suprised with what you get.

• Open Communication – The saying “you have two ears and one mouth because you should listen more than you talk” applies to parenting as well. Communication must be a dialogue not a monologue. Listen to your children when they talk and hear what they are saying. 
  

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  Communication must be a dialogue not a monologue.
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• Trust Must be Earned – Let your child understand that trust must be earned, they cannot be good just once and expect you to trust them. Let them understand they must exhibit good behaviour consistently to earn your trust.

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You might wonder how Nigerian parents are working for private schools. Tope Fasua on PremiumTimes discusses this trend in the post.

As the articles says, a “Nigerian parent will find out that it requires a phenomenal amount of money to keep the family and raise children in this age and time, especially where such a parent considers him/herself as – middle class”. We can debate whether these expenses are sustainable but we desperately need a way of reorganising our society and extricating ourselves from this spiral.

Let us start with the school fees, many Nigerians who consider themselves as middle class and have a choice will not want to send his or her child to public schools. As a result many are stuck with the private schools and the high fees that come with them. Since there is such a high demand to get children and wards into these schools, as is evidenced by the long waiting lists, fees keep climbing every year.

An average private primary school charges at least N400,000 per annum per child, some charge less, but many charge much more than this per annum. These costs do not include the other costs to cover extracurricular activities, uniforms, development fees, feeding and other high costs of living in Nigeria (let us not talk about running your own personal local Government if you want water and electricity).

We all know that our parents never had to go through this, as the writers says and indeed in my generation majority of us attended public school at least up to the University level. The public schools were historically good and produced well educated students without exerting such burdens on parents finances. [Read: How to save for Education]

Our public universities are also being avoided like the plague, the costs of private universities are equally astronomical, whether you are sending them in Country or abroad. Increasing number of our children are going to other African countries or elsewhere to get a sound education. Those who can ‘afford’ these luxuries should not count themselves lucky as it appears that the Country is sitting on a ticking time bomb. Afterall these same children need to return ‘home’ where majority of the population does not have access to good basic education.

There should be a desperate focus to #‎bringbackourpublicschools. Government MUST do all it can to bring public schools back to their past standards and better and Missionary schools must come back to the way they were back in the day – Queen’s College, King’s College, Methodist Boys, Anglican Girls etc. [Read: Nigerian Education Budget Inadequate]

An average Nigerian family expects to spend huge amounts on school fees and to maintain the family. Let us not forget the need for the average family to save for the future, invest, plan for retirement and plan for the rainy day.

The question is what is the answer? We cannot all ignore the need for a good public school education system and updated curriculum. There will always be those who choose to go to private schools because they can afford it, we cannot continue to ignore the fact that the private schools are not the answer to the crisis of education.

The post How Nigerian Parents are Working For Private Schools appeared first on Lagosmums.

Gratitude is at the root of the lives of people who are happy and fulfilled. Usually when we interact with grateful adults it feels good to be around them, they are the one who see life as a bed of opportunities and are grateful for the things that they do have or have done. On the other hand when you are with ungrateful people you cannot wait to leave their company!

Children are well served when they learn gratitude from a young age. Children who grow up grateful have better self-confidence, are happier, have better relationships, are more satisfied with themselves and end up less materialistic. While these are all good by products of gratefulness the question can be how do you teach your children to be grateful?

Teaching Children Gratitude

1. Model Gratitude – It is a proven fact that children learn from what we do and not from what we say. So model gratitude to them and be vocal with it. Do they see you expressing gratitude for the things in your life? What about how you treat the people around you, do you simply order people around with a sense of entitlement? They are watching and learning.
2. Spend Time with Children – Spending time with your children is one of the best ways to teach them your values. When they learn how to cherish and nourish relationships from home, which is their first school, this will radiate through their lives. The basis of gratitude stems from healthy relationships.
3. Identify Gifts and Strengths – When you identify your child’s gifts and strengths you can encourage them to first of all improve on them and then to use them towards a greater good. When children are taught to enhance what can be seen as a God given talent for the greater good, they instinctively learn gratitude. Not everyone can sing so why not sing at a shelter or use your gift to raise money for the less privileged.
4. Focus on non-materialistic needs – Children who grow up around people or in a society that places value on material goods tend to grow up and attach excessive value to goods. Having nice things and buying things is not a bad thing, however an insatiable hunger for more and more material goods leads to dependency on what they have versus who they are. As children learn to be grateful for what they have, they are more satisfied with life.
5. Manners – When a child learns the importance of manners to say thank you, please, you are teaching them to pause and to think about what they just received. Every time a child says thank you they are processing that something good just happened and are showing their gratitude for that. When they say please, they realise that they are asking for something and so should be intentional and polite about it. Children with a sense of entitlement many times are the opposite of grateful.

Join the #GratitudeIsAnAttitude ride and raise children and families that have gratitude.

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LM Fashion Looks – Have a Merry Weekend

We love to dress up and have fun with colours so we bring different looks together and combine colours in different ways. Where are you dressing up to this weekend? Whatever you do have a merry weekend.

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Today we share a recipe for making coconut quinoa.

Quinoa is gaining increasing popularity as a super food. So why is quinoa so popular? It is a complete protein and gluten-free. It is also a nice addition to your general diet if you just want to add an interesting twist and it is a grain. Making quinoa is about as simple as making rice. We love this post on Cosmpolitan.Ng that shares three ways to make quinoa, give it a try this weekend.

Recipe for Coconut Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. of coconut oil
• 1½ cups of quinoa
• 1 can of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. of salt
• Choice of vegetables – carrots, onions, green peppers diced

Method

• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add quinoa and cook for about 5 minutes until golden brown, stirring often.
• Add the coconut milk, salt and 1½ cups of water.
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the liquid is evaporated, and the quinoa is tender.
• Add your choice of vegetables (carrots, green peppers and onions) and stir fry for a few minutes
• Fluff with a fork and enjoy!

For the other recipes and options to make quinoa for the family see the full post on Cosmopolitan.Ng . 

For other recipes visit the Nutrition section with various recipes to try. Are you a chef? cook? or just like to make nutritious dishes? Please write to us to feature your dishes contactus@lagosmums.com

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Yes you can be fit fab and pregnant just ask Iwo Akinyoyenu.

We are grateful to God for the safe delivery of one of our FitFabPreggies – Yetunde who gave birth after doing one of our challenges. Simple and short, yet saved her 2 weeks of wading and waiting as her baby came at 38weeks.

What if she didn’t do the challenge? She could have spent maybe 2 weeks waiting till her baby was 40 weeks but her singular decision to take a chance brought her to an early realisation of what could have come later.

It’s quite ironic to see that the average human being would rather wait and wish rather than just do it. What have you delayed in doing concerning your health? When was the last time you said you were going to exercise and yet still have not or change your lifestyle but are still putting it off? What if your delay in decision is depleting your health account faster than you know?

• Start by doing your Personal Health Assessment here and know whats in your health account.

• Are you on the journey to become your best ideal self weight wise? Know the difference between Weight Loss and Fat loss here.

• Wanting to take your diet to another level? Check this out the difference between eating to live and living to eat. 

If you will like to be part of our FitFabPreggy class, then send #FitFabPreggy with your name to 08023226519; Make sure phone is Whatsapp enabled. Entry closes this weekend and it’s absolutely FREE!

Don’t forget to tune in at 1pm to Metro 97.7fm or listen live at www.metro977.fm. Today on our ‘Effective Fat Loss’ series, we continue with strategies to overcome barriers to effective fat loss. Remember you can be fit, fab and pregnant.

Choose to remain FITTER, HEALTHIER & HAPPIER! GOD BLESS!!!

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I’ve always felt that there’s a special bond between fathers and daughters, likewise mother and sons. Maybe because I’m female, I actually think that the bond between fathers and daughters is stronger.

I grew up in a traditional home. By traditional I mean, I didn’t hear the words; “I love you” flying about. Hugs weren’t the order of the day. Somehow though, we just knew we were loved. In the earlier days, I wasn’t sure about my mum because she was such a disciplinarian but as time went on, we were certain that out parents would do anything for us. Our parents gave us the best, even though they had to stretch themselves to afford it. Their love gave us the confidence to become who we are today.

However the love my father had for us was amazing. You see, my father was from the old school. He grew up in Ilesa and coming to University of Lagos and finishing school was a great deal. He wasn’t good with words so he couldn’t put his thoughts into words but his actions always spoke volume. My sense of worth and appreciation of the fact that I was special first came from my father.

I started writing when I was little girl. I would write short stories and my father would insist my mother read them and made corrections because she taught English. It never crossed his mind that what I wrote wasn’t good enough. To him, because his daughter wrote it, it had potential. When I started writing books, my father was my greatest cheerleader supporting me and urging me to publish. My first book is dedicated to my father, a man who loved me before I loved myself.

I lived such a sheltered life growing up that I didn’t know the public transport system till I was about to enter as a freshman in the University of Lagos. I got back home at 6pm the first time I left for school on my own. Before I got back, my father had gone looking for me. I kept on asking myself how he was supposed to find me. Was he going to stand at the bus station with a placard, with my name on it, I had no idea. I remember him getting on a bus to get my bag that I left in school because our car had faults.

I was never under pressure to be what I wasn’t. He accepted me and encouraged me to be the best. Whatever business it was, he was in support as long as I liked it. He just knew my strengths and did not emphasize my weakness.

My father was the first male in my life to affirm me and make me feel so special. So you can understand why, no other guy could sell me lies and take me on a wild goose chase. All they had to say to me, my father might not have said but he had shown me in many ways than one.

It is the responsibility of fathers to be the first male figure to affirm their daughters. In this age we live in, fathers can’t get away with not talking like my father, because the lyrics being sold to young girls now are off the hook. Fathers need to express themselves. Their daughters need to know that their fathers love them.

So fathers pick your daughters and let them know how much you love them. Compliment them and take note of their milestones in life. Celebrate their growth and let them know how beautiful they are. Celebrate their character and help them harness their strengths in the right direction. Take them out and have father and daughter times.

I am of the opinion that the very first date that a girl should have, should be with her father. Make that date a big deal and not a childhood affair. You decide what age that child is able to understand that date. I mean the whole evening dress, tuxedo and nice restaurant effect.

I am also of the opinion that the first ring that a girl should get should come from her father. Why? Because until a girl is married, her father is responsible for her well being. He should teach her the importance of keeping herself for her husband. Some call it a purity ring while others have several names. It reminds young ladies of a commitment to stay true to God and keep them from sex till they get married.

Why should fathers go through all this stress? Because the world is getting worse. More than ever before, girls need affirmation from the male figure that really loves them, no strings attached. Why? Because if your daughter has a taste of what wholesome love really feels like, they would recognize it when they see it. They won’t be tempted to settle for less that God’s best. They would never think that they have to sell themselves short to gain someone’s affection; they would realize that they are special just because they are who they are.

Treat you daughter like a princess today and you would reap a queen in the future.

Contributed by Sola Agudah

Photo Source: babymamahood.com

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We all know the parable of the seeds (Matthew 13), how do we apply it to your daily lives? Everything in life can be likened to sowing seeds, we sow seeds daily into our lives, the lives of our children, our health, marriages, relationships and everything really. The parable talks about spiritual sowing of seeds and the question to ask is “how fertile are you”? Do you have eyes that see and ears that hear?

Weak Seeds

These are the seeds that fall on the side of the road. When we relate it to the word, these are the people who hear the message about the kingdom and do not understand or it does not take root in their lives. What they do hear is easily snatched away from them and they do not have the chance to apply it to their lives.

Rocky seeds

These are the seeds that are sown on rocky ground, in shallow soil they grow quickly but then they wilt under then sun because of the lack of deep roots. These are the people who hear the word with joy but the words they have heard does not last. Perhaps it falls away once they are tempted? Or once they face a problem in their lives or get distracted by the way of the world.

Thorny seeds

These are the seeds that fall among thorns, theses seeds might even grow but them it gets choked and does not bear fruit. These are the people who hear the word but it is quickly crowded out by worries of life, deceit and allure of wealth. No fruit is produced because the word is literally snuffed and suffocated.

Fertile seeds

Now these are the seeds that fall on fertile soil; fertile ears and a fertile heart. These are the seeds that produce a harvest in multiples. The word is like seed that is cared for, watered and tended. These are the people who truly hear, grasp and understand God’s word and their lives are a testimony of fruitfulness.

“this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty and some thirty” (verse 23).

This principle of hearing the word and hearing it on fertile ground refers to not just hearing the word and going through the motions but applying and multiplying the word in your life. Anything that is going to grow must be tended and should bear fruit. What are some of the fruit of the word? love, joy, peace, prosperity, power, multiplication, wealth.

Do not be a causal hearer of the word.
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To become an expert in any area you must be consistent and improve. So it is with the world, the competition for the word is always raging in the form of life, worries, temptation, persecution, difficulties, and distraction. To stay fertile you must meditate, focus and apply the word in your life consistently.

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“Where are your manners?” said the mother of a young boy coming out of the supermarket. This is a question on all our lips as parents, when it comes to the behaviour of the young children today. It appears as if manners like, politeness, respect, kindness and consideration have been thrown out of the window.

How do we raise polite children in the midst of so much rudeness? They say our youths are indeed the future of tomorrow, our C- Suite Executives do not just come on a platter of gold they are groomed and nurtured to be successful individuals in life. They use every day experiences, mistakes, good and bad decisions to structure their lives. Sadly the act of politeness has actually taken a completely new turn in our society today. It just does not come naturally to our children unless they come from a home with a strong foundation. The increase in incivility, rudeness and impoliteness is seen to be on the up rise with multiple cases of bullying in the schools and other aggressive personality characteristics.

Raising polite children starts from exhibiting the correct manners, unfortunately with all the incivility around today, it is evident that the society is clearly quite manner less. Today it is right in our faces and almost difficult to avoid, everyone is constantly in a hurry, impatient, disrespectful, sloppy, rude, violent, generally impolite and offensive.

I often say that many things that are considered wrong under normal circumstances have become so habitual and are now accepted as the norm. The technology boom has not helped our children are fixed on their smart phones, ipads, tablets, video games and the social media craze. The result ultimately is that family and societal relationships have been marred. Some parents hardly see their children living in their own homes because they are stuck in their rooms being “technologically busy”. It has affected common dialogue at the dinner table, the real art of socialisation and rapport among family members. As a result unfortunately some children have become introverts and poor communicators. The ripple effect of this trait is that it is used to conceal acts of bullying or other adolescent challenges.

Can you believe that in the airport lounge one day while traveling out of the Country; I was seated next to a family of four – Mum, Dad and two children all with their individual gadgets from the iPad to smart phones in their hands. For the two hours we spent in the lounge, they did not say a word to each other until it was time to board the plane. Everybody was so engrossed in their own world. “Does this sound or look familiar”?

Being polite starts with cultivating an attitude of good manners, having respect, kindness and consideration for others. Manners themselves are a way of life, when you act in a way that is considered acceptable behaviour. To have manners is to respect yourself and others around you.

But what is the missing link?

The famous word “Etiquette” is what really is missing. Knowing aspects of etiquette will teach you the “how” of having manners. The good news is that there are etiquette strategies , guidelines to help you conduct yourself in the appropriate manner.

People must act in an acceptable manner so that others can co-exist around them. There is a school of thought that feels that etiquette is a pretentious way to behave and that it is fluffy, out dated, old fashioned and for the rich and famous. This is indeed a myth, because “Today’s Etiquette” is a very current, relevant, flexible, constantly evolving, culturally influenced and for everyone.

Why is it important for us to raise polite children? Our young children, growing teenagers, aspiring young professionals are hopefully all on a trail to becoming successful individuals. On their journey to success they will need to exhibit exceptional traits that will make them stand out in the midst of the current fierce competition.

They will need to have that “Panache Advantage” that sets them apart. Technical excellence is no more the answer to this question, it is all about the leadership skills, team spirit, personal charisma and effective communication style they bring to the table that will ultimately impact the bottom line in any organisation.

So is your child on the right track? what are soft skills really? “Soft Skills” is the new hard skills of today.

“Manners they say can open more doors than the best education can”

Having an excellent sense of etiquette will drive your sense of manners and politeness; you will be able to:

• Show that you value others
• Demonstrate your high level of integrity
• Express your sense of respect for others
• Make others feel comfortable around you

Having manners, being consciously polite without undermining your integrity is increasingly becoming a must do for both our children as well as we adults today. All adults who have a huge influence on children as a parent, teacher, counsellor, public figure, spiritual parent and the likes must invest in developing themselves to lead by good example because all children learn first and foremost by what they see and hear physically, the impact is great.

Unfortunately, it is not by accident that men that have been known to be wife beaters, when interviewed deeply will express how they saw their fathers doing the same and looked at it as a norm or a normal way of life. The consequences of bad behaviour in the world can have various forms such as people who are affected emotionally, loss of self-esteem and confidence and even leads to reduced productivity. Anyone in this mode will have a negative influence on the children around them, who then pick these traits in their developing years. When not checked, the children are moulded to exhibit negativity instead of positivity and the cycle begins again.

The greatest thing I see today is that there is a growing conscious awareness that incivility is prevalent. The onus is on us to fix this problem so that our children will become polished, have panache and stand out with a presence.

Contributed by Janet Adetu, JSK Etiquette & Image Training | @JSKEtiquette

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All parents are guilty at some time or the other of telling some harmless white lies to their children, but some lies seem to be specific to Nigerian parents. We thought this post from Zikoko on 15 lies that Nigerian parents tell their children seemed to be spot on. Read below and let us know if there are any others that you think should make the list? Did your parents use these lies on you?

1. “Let me hold the money for you.” and many times the money is never seen again 
2. “Just tell me the truth, I won’t beat you.” – many children fall for this one and then they still get the beating 
3. “I’ll buy it for you if you come first in class.” – Nigerian parents love the first in class position and all sorts of promises go with this one.
4. “I’ll buy it for you on your birthday.” – Delay tactics!
5. “Don’t worry, we’ll soon leave.” – This might be said while at an event and one hour later the gist is still going on strong. 
6. “I’ll think about it.” – Another delay tactic, when the parent does not feel like saying No immediately.
7. “You’ll grow into it.” – This is for that oversized outfit or the hand me down that is too big 
8. “Go and wear your shoes, I’ll wait.” – Yes children fall for this all the time, wanting to follow Mum or dad out…by the time the shoes are on Mum has zapped.
9. “I don’t have a favourite child.” – enough said!
10. “I didn’t do all this boyfriend-girlfriend till I married.” – this is their version of the birds and bees conversation!
11. “I don’t have money.” – Really? How come you choose when you do not have money?
12. “I always came first in class.” – Yes parents use this all the time and hope that by osmosis this will help their kids come first too!
13. “My parents never got angry with me.” – Thats not what grandma says though??
14. “Eat the beans so you’ll grow tall.” – thanks to google children today can actually check these claims and see that there is no proof of this.
15. “Lend me, I’ll give you back.” – You know you won’t see it again many times and you cannot ask. 

Read: [Are you Raising a Nigerian Child]

The post 15 Lies Nigerian Parents Tell Their Children appeared first on Lagosmums.

The LagosMums 2nd Annual Parenting and Networking event is holding on Saturday December 2nd, 2015 at The WheatBaker Hotel, Ikoyi.

Parents wear many hats and every mum has a view on how easy it is to achieve balance. Does balance even exist? what are you balancing? work-life, children, marriage, your dreams?

The theme this year is dealing with this as we discuss “What are you balancing?”

Our speakers this year include Nimi Akinkugbe, who through her Monopoly Board Games and her new book, A – Z of Personal Finance, provides frank, practical insights to create a greater awareness and understanding of personal finance and wealth management issues.

Lanre Olusola, is recognised as one of Africa’s Premier Life, Mind, Emotions and Behavioural Change Coaches working with individuals to be all that they can be. You need to master your emotions to be the best person and the best parent you can be.

Dakore Akande is a celebrated artist, actress, stage performer, producer while juggling being a mother all at the same time and Abolaji Osime who is the CEO and Founder of Global International College and very passionate about educating Nigerian children to ensure that they become globally competitive.

This great line up of speakers will be joined with a room of mums and dads coming together to discuss raising children in the 21st Century, to share tips, advise, encouragement in a conducive and relaxing environment.

Attendance is free, but registration is required here. The event has limited seating.

There will be some amazing goodie bags for all attendees as well. View pictures from the maiden LagosMums Parenting Event here.

“I was so glad I attended the event on Saturday, (learnt a lot too). I so so love the stuff I got in that goody bag! Well done”. – Bola (attendee from maiden event).

The post LagosMums 2nd Annual Parenting and Networking Event appeared first on Lagosmums.

We recently began a weekly giveaway contest. Every week you get to win something fabolous, trendy and special right here on Lagosmums.com. But there is a small catch to it, you will have to complete our simple tasks which could include solving riddles, quiz questions, taking pictures and lots more. But we do promise to make it simple and fun all the way.

This week, our giveaway prizes are tickets to the private premiere of the movie – Road To Yesterday. Road to Yesterday, is set to be released in Lagos on the 27th of November 2015, stars Genevieve Nnaji, Oris Erheuro, Chioma Omeruah a.k.a Chigurl and Majid Michael.

How To Enter:

• Follow @lagosmums on Instagram
• Tag your friends to follow also
• Like our picture and give us a reason why you deserve the ticket
• The most convincing reason with the most tags WINS!

Now isn’t that task simple? Remember the more friends you get to follow @lagosmums on Instagram improves your chances of winning these exclusive tickets.

Winners will be contacted via Instagram and email.

The post LM FREEBIES – WIN TICKETS TO THE PREMIERE OF “ROAD TO YESTERDAY” appeared first on Lagosmums.

In the last Diary of Lagosmums post I talked about how we all need to have a beauty regime and my shocker after getting a facial. Majority of us are dealing with makeup (the good and the bad effects), diets that do not help the skin, wrong products and poor makeup removal regime. I promised to share my regime for my face.

After my facial and the lecture that I got from the beautician I have now introduced a new beauty regime for the sake of my face. Yes I do not want to look back later and think “if only i had known” so see below some of the things I do daily and weekly.

Daily

• Wash – In the morning following a proper bedtime routine which cleans away all debris of makeup, a wash with a suitable soap or daily cleanser is fine. I currently like the African Black Soap by SheaMoisture, I also use the Forever Aloe Scrub every other day.
• Toner – I use a toner after washing my face.
• Moisturise – I moisturise and apply the oil free moisturiser from MAC which is also an oil control product.
• Prepare – I use prep and prime from MAC to prepare my face for makeup and prevent shine, we need it to last through the Lagos heat and humidity.

During the day, I avoid piling on more powder which leads to cakey looking makeup. Rather when I feel oily during the day I use an oil control sheet and then top up with the blot powder – so reduce shine without more powder. Of course critical is a healthy diet and drinking lots of water during the day.

After a long day the bed time routine is just as important (probably more important)

Bedtime

• Makeup Remover – I alternate between using virgin coconut oil to wipe off the makeup or I also use the Aloe Purifying Cleanser 
• Washing – I wash my face with a gentle daily scrub
• Night Repair – I apply the Estee Lauder advanced night repair serum. A little bit goes a long way especially considering the price of one bottle – also glad to know Estee Lauder is now officially in Lagos.

Weekly Deep Cleanse

• Once a week I steam my face to open up the pores and to enable a deep cleanse.
• After regular cleaning you will get to the point as I have, where your cotton swab is actually makeup free when you wipe your face. I never thought this was possible until I started to take my cleaning and beauty regime much more serious.
• My dermatologist recommended the Origins Charcoal cleanser  and Origins Out of Trouble mask for deeper cleaning. 

So have fun and enjoy makeup, but be sure to also take care of your skin so as not to damage it and reduce premature ageing of your skin from neglect.

The post What Your Face Needs appeared first on Lagosmums.

Our recipe this week is Chicken yam porridge, though a relatively common food it is not the easiest dish to make if you have never tried it before. We are sharing the recipe here for you to confidently try it at home. See other recipes here.

Ingredients

• A tuber of yam (peel and slice to serve-able sizes).
• Half cup of ground crayfish
• Two cube of seasoning cubes (Maggi/Knorr)
• 5cl of palm oil.
• 15 pieces of ripe tomatoes
• Two bulb of onions
• Half Kg of Chicken

Method

• Peel off the bark of the yam, slice into cube sizes, wash and set aside.
• Slice or grind the tomatoes, fresh pepper and a cup of crayfish.
• Parboil the chicken for about fifteen minutes and allow to simmer. Debone the chicken
• Pour about a teaspoon of palm oil into a cooking pot and allow to heat
• Fry the ground tomatoes/pepper for 5 – 10 minutes, add water and then transfer the yam into the pot
• Make sure the yam pieces are almost submerged in water (but not fully submerged)
• Add the chicken, crayfish, a cube of Maggi and salt, allow to cook for the next ten to fifteen minutes
• You can pierce the yam with a cooking fork to know if the yam is soft enough for consumption.

The post Recipe Chicken Yam Porridge appeared first on Lagosmums.

It appears that there is an increase in the places to go with the children here in Lagos. More options for how to spend weekends, half-terms and holidays with children of all ages. This list would be of interest to you if you want a change from visiting fast food restaurants, playdates and birthday parties.

Klub De Lag – Klub De Lag is a top destination in Lagos, Nigeria for family entertainment. It offers bowling, blacknight minigolf, wall climbing, timefreak, ice skating , swimming pool, super kids playstation. It also offers a klub lounge for VIP and Klub Mart for exotic goodies for every age. They are located in Lekki Phase 1.

LM Review: Children really enjoy the different options here, especially the wall climbing and ice skating – probably the first in Lagos we have heard of. Be sure to plan for a visit for the whole family! Visit their website for more information.

Mindscapes Museum – Is a children’s museum located at Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. It is an indoor programmed play spaces designed to give children and their families exciting new learning experiences. Children come here to explore, role play and get creative. Each area is designed to engage your precious ones through the exploration of their five senses.

LM Review: This is like our local Kidzania! Children love this museum, they can role play as builders, run a restaurant, go shopping and many other activities to get creative. They have a lovely garden at the back of the property as well. We cannot wait for their exhibits to start. Visit their website for more information.

Fun Factory – Fun factory is a recreational and entertainment park for children facilities include toys, games, bouncy castles, train rides, carousels, swimming pools and so many other creative and interactive games for children between the ages of 1 to 10.

LM Review: Children cannot get enough of the fun factory, they continue to add new rides and interactive games that keeps the children interested. It is a nice easy place to have the children run around and use their energy. Visit their website for more information.

GET Arena – GET Arena is Nigeria’s first and only all encompassing entertainment, corporate, social, and adrenalin fueled establishment. Goonies for the kids with all the arcade games you can think of, and the one and only state of the art go kart rack which surrounds the complex. Located in Oniru, Lagos.

LM Review – the arcade and the go kart rack is always a winner with the children who love the thrill whizzing around in their karts. Their food is quite tasty, also a great place for birthday parties. For more information visit their website.

Movies – Movies are always a fun time to hang out as a family, of course check the ratings for family friendly ratings. Genesis Cinemas located at the Palms and City Mall Onikan and Silverbird are some of the cinemas in Lagos.

LM Review – Movies are always a winner!

Dreamworld Africana is a family park in Lagos, that offers  the entire family a day filled with fun, leisure and adventure. The bumper car pavilion a star attraction with children and adults. There is a roller coaster ride ideal for the entire family and there is a toddler play area.

LM Review – Dreamworld Africana offers something for the whole family, it is serene and has some activities that children of all ages can enjoy. You can also sit and enjoy a meal while the younger ones are entertained.  

What are you getting up to for the weekend? Share your fun family finds with us as well. Have a great weekend!

The post Places To Go With The Children in Lagos appeared first on Lagosmums.

This month our LM mum of the month is Yemisi Odusanya, popularly known as SisiYemmie. She talks to us about motherhood, her journey in discovering what she loves to do and her views on family and the role of a parent. Read the interview with LagosMums below. We feature mums who share their stories while in the the midst of balancing their various roles, they always inspire others with their stories.

SisiYemmie please introduce yourself?

My name is Yemisi Odusanya nee Aiyedun, also known as SisiYemmie on her blog. I am a wife and mum to my adorable 6 month old son Titobi. I am a personal life style blogger, content creator and Editor of Cosmopolitan Nigeria. I have one son…one like many! He occupies my thoughts 24/7, his name is Titobioluwa, which is a Yoruba name and means “The Greatness Of God.” I got married in May 2014 so I have been married a year and 6 months. I do consider myself a newlywed.

How do you keep your marriage and relationship exciting?

I am in a long distance marriage so there’s not much I can do but video calls and chat. There is only so much we can do. Whenever my husband is home we try to visit our favourite restaurants which is something we enjoy doing, also just “chilling” because after time away you need to spend quality time with each other.

Tell us about your motherhood journey?

My journey to motherhood has been dramatic, I got pregnant immediately I got married and had my baby exactly 9 months later. Someone mentioned that my labour and delivery story was the stuff Nollywood movies are made of, I did not disagree. I was a bit unprepared for motherhood but I have been loving it with the perks and challenges. I LOVE BEING A MUM!

Are there any challenges/funny situations as a Mum you can share with us?

The biggest challenge is knowing that I have a responsibility to mould this child into what God wants him to be and to be useful to his family and society. It is such a huge responsibility, but I am taking it one day at a time. There was a time I would never ever look at poop but now, I’m queen of the diapers.

I will share a funny moment – I complain that my son does not look like me but the other day he farted and the whole place really stank so bad that I had to admit that deep down this boy is my child…I thought my fart was the worst!

What biggest lessons have you learnt from motherhood?

Motherhood is teaching me how to be selfless, how to prioritize, how to plan and how to care. I am learning everyday. Selflessness is the biggest lesson, I want to sleep but my Tito wants to play, Tito wins!

What are the different hats that you wear?  

Just a few hats really, wife, mum, I am so blessed to be able to work from home and doing what I love and having quality time with my son.

What support system do you have in place? How important is a support system to a mum today?

A support system is extremely vital, I have my family, my in laws and great friends who always chip in to help and I appreciate everything. I could not do it alone.

How do you balance all? Does the word “balance” exist?

There has to be balance in everything we do and so far I have been doing a good job of balancing career and family because I work from home and also my husband isn’t home, so I get away with a lot of things i.e blogging when I should be making dinner for the family. When he is around we can talk about balancing.

What one thing do you think should never be missing from every home?

Love. Love brings a family together and everyone needs it to thrive. The home is the heart of the Nation. When there is love, there is peace. There is too much tension in the world.

How do you relax?

I relax by watching Youtube videos or well scripted Yoruba movies (they teach a lot of life lessons), I like watching my favourite shows and browsing through social media (twitter especially) after having a good meal.

Please share how you overcome fear? How did you start blogging?

It is a journey, confidence helps you overcome fear and the only way to be confident is to do something repeatedly and try to do it better over time. I started blogging afraid; most of my content I share requires courage, because people will always judge you. I have a weekly vlog where I share daily bits of my life, that requires a lot of courage. However I always remember a saying “Do It Afraid”

What have you found out about the social media world as a top blogger/online personality?

I have found out that social media is what you make of it, with social media you can recreate yourself. Use it wisely. My advice to anyone that wants to consider blogging is to do it already! Stop waiting till you have the perfect camera, laptop, editing software…you can never start perfect. Start where you are, use what you have and let your passion drive you.

What is your philosophy on life?

Life is simple unless you are not. I try to remember it in my daily life.

You can find SisiYemmie and follow her on – YouTube, Blog, Instagram and Twitter.

The post LM Mum Of The Month: SisiYemmie appeared first on Lagosmums.

If you are a parent in today’s digital age, then you are a digital parent. No matter how much technology you might or might not allow your children access, your parenting is heavily influenced by technology. Have you thought about what type of digital parent you are? Are you a parent who limits, enables or mentors your child when it comes to the use of technology. This post originally appeared here has an informative infographic on what the types of digital parents exist – based on research.

The post What Type of Digital Parent Are You? appeared first on Lagosmums.

GT BANK UNVEILS SKS YOUNG INVENTOR COMPETITION

Foremost financial Institution; Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), has unveiled the SKS Young Inventor Competition which is expected to run between October 27^th and November 30^th. The SKS Young Inventor Competition is an amazing journey to find the next generation of inventors and forward thinking citizens, committed to the growth of the country. The bank embarked on this initiative in order to help children give expression to their imagination through invention.

The National Competition is powered by GTBank Smart Kids Save account, as part of a series of activities lined up to commemorate the 10^th year anniversary of the SKS product and is open to all SKS customers aged between 4–17 years old.

According to a representative from the Bank, we are excited about the “SKS Young Inventor” competition because it is not just about organizing a campaign for children to win gift items, but about inspiring young minds to aspire for the greatest heights in everything they do and promoting our core values of excellence, innovation and service. These values make us unique and inform our identity as a Proudly African and Truly International Bank.

To participate in the competition, entrants may submit a photograph/drawing or blueprint of their invention along with a written summary describing what the invention can do. Entries can be submitted via e-mail to sks@gtbank.com and all participants are eligible to enter once, as multiple entries will be disallowed. Winners will be notified by telephone or email and a list of prize winners will be published on the corporate website www.gtbank/sks.com.

The Smart Kids Save account is designed to inculcate financial literacy in children and teenagers early in life as well as promote a healthy savings culture amongst them. Parents can open the account with as low as N1, 000 (One Thousand Naira) in any Guaranty Trust Bank branches nationwide.

The GT Bank Smart Kids Save account is a product designed specially to help parents save for their children as well as teach children about the importance of saving. This new competition from the Bank, is part of a series of activities lined up to commemorate the 10^th year anniversary of the SKS product.

The post GT Bank Unveils SKS Young Inventor Competition appeared first on Lagosmums.

This month, LagosMums interviews Mrs. Gemma Clarke, the director of Little Beginnings Academy, Lekki. She discusses the school curriculum, ethos and more.

Mrs. Gemma Clarke

Please introduce yourself and your background?

My name is Gemma Clarke and I am the director or Little Beginnings Academy. I am a seasoned educator with over 10 years’ experience.

What is the name of the School and when was it founded? Where is the school located?

The Little Beginnings Academy was borne out of a desire to meet the needs of children with learning difference. It started in 2011 as a Saturday Activity Klub to provide play and social skills to children while also meeting other needs in a play-based setting.  

Today it has grown into a School offering both therapy and academic services in a well structured environment. We provide a unique blend of therapeutic interventions and curriculum-based academics.  

We are located in Lekki Phase 1. 

Please give details of your staff/administrations?

We are a comprehensive team of occupational therapist, behavior analyst, child psychologist, speech therapist, physiotherapist and special educators.

Seasoned therapists from different professions such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, psychology and behavior therapy apply evidence-based therapy in the field of child care to address each child’s needs. Experienced teachers in Montessori education are involved in careful assessment of the child’s academic level and needs while providing quality education based on the findings.  

We provide a trans-disciplinary model of service delivery covering the following domains: assessment, development of goals and delivery of instruction and therapy.

Ratio of kids to teachers?

Our therapist/teacher to child ratio is always 1:1. 

Number of children in the school and the capacity? What age range are your students? And class range?

We have the capacity to cater to 40 children from the ages of 1 year – 16 years old

What is the curriculum/teaching methodology?

Our current teaching methodology is one that uses the British system with a blend of Montessori, however; we follow the child and teach according to what the child can do, rather than what the curriculum dictates.

Tuition? Is there a payment plan for parents? Termly? Monthly? Annually? 

Our tuition is an all-inclusive price for all the therapy and academics the child needs. We have payment plans and options available. We offer full time school, half day school, and individual days too. We also have an hourly rate – all to best suit your child’s needs. 

What is the admission process? deadline? Is it rolling?

Admission process is as follows; visit the school for initial chat/observations, we will assess the child and then discuss how we feel we can best help the child. Enrolment is open all through the year.

How do you assess students’ progress?

Assessing students’ progress is done daily.  All therapist and teachers write session reports which are sent to parents via email every day. The long term assessment is in the form of Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) which are developed soon after enrolment and reviewed twice a term.

How do we contact you for more information? Or to schedule a visit to the school?  

For more information you can visit our website www.little-beginnings.org, call me on 08174 380 0101 or send an email to gemma.clarke@little-beginnings.org

Do you offer a school bus service?

We do not operate a school bus service. 

Any other information you would like to share?

We also run a Saturday club every week from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm for N20,000 per month. All children are welcome (e-typical children as well as those with additional needs). Saturday club includes lots of fun activities for children between the ages of 2-16!

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