Kelly Nault-Matzen
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Kelly Nault-Matzen, M.A., is a corporate spokesperson, mother and wife, family counselor and founder of UltimateParent.Com—a company that provides parenting resources such as the Mommy Moments online parenting course. Kelly is a popular and entertaining guest on radio and television stations across North America and is the parenting expert regularly featured on Rochester, New York’s number one hit music show 98PXY. Across the country she regularly facilitates workshops for parents, corporate audiences such as GlaskoSmithKline and was most recently the parenting media spokesperson for the Fountain Tire Gift of Time for Families campaign which reached over 1.8 million parents.
Recent Activity
“Kelly, my 1.5 year old has taken to biting both the dog and the baby. I've tried many things and have read many parenting books but am still without a solution. What can I do? I am worried that he will either hurt our baby or the dog will hurt him”. - Mom Seeking Biting Solution
“Dinner’s ready!” I yell. Nothing. No pitter patter of feet. Not even a polite “Coming” or “OK.” “DINNER’S READY!” I yell louder. I strain and listen. All is calm. Not a creature stirs, not a sound can I hear. Walking down the hall toward their bedrooms I manage to croak out one last “DINNER’S READY!”
“Pick up your feet. We’re going to be late for school!” I hiss. What I actually want to say is, “I’m going to be late for work for the third time this week because of your dawdling!”
On the eve of my baby’s due date, I am unable to sleep. With baby moving in my belly, Braxton Hicks contractions spontaneously occurring (that often render me helpless, like a beetle on it's back waving its legs), and the enormous pressure in my pelvis that whisks me off to the toilet only to expel an unimpressive thimble full of pee every 15 minutes…I reflect upon the following 10 best parenting advice and pregnancy resources I received.
To focus on the family and put them first is as natural to mothers as breathing. Failing to focus on the family is rarely a choice for any Mom—it is simply a way of life. Not long ago ’bringing home the bacon’ was traditionally the father’s role, but now many working mothers are ‘bringing home the bacon’ too. Today, 50% of the mothers in our country are working full time, and most of these moms experience the stress of trying to balance it all, with parenting being one of the big stressors . Sound familiar?
Even though we need a license to do many things in life — everything from driving and operating a forklift to practicing medicine and fishing — there is no license required to become a parent and this is often the trickiest of all of the above activities! Parenting today is far more difficult than it was, even a generation ago. Many well-intentioned parents are using outdated and ineffective parenting styles. As a result, they experience daily frustration and stress in their home.
Over 200 pairs of eyes are glued to me as a spirited child screams, "ORDER ME MY MEAL NOW!" This child has refused to order his own hamburger (as he has done many times before) and when I calmly tell him he can either order it himself, or go home without his burger, he goes completely berserk. Yes, I have entered into a “food fare nightmare"—with my formidable opponent, an eight year old child.
"A mother's work is never done" (sigh). Just when you think you're through, you find you've only just begun. You aren’t the only one! If the pressure of balancing your work and parenting is ultimately leading you to give both your work and family less, it is time to find a new parenting strategy and quick! When a work from home mom decides to set clear boundaries and manage her time effectively she can dramatically reduce parenting stress and boost her parenting joy. So let’s get started.
