So, I’ve moved out of my old blog (will migrate all my posts when time permits)! Finally, I have found my parenting identity and it has taken me almost three full years!

I became a mom when I was too drained in life, when everything was hapening too much at once (least I sound like a broken record, you can read more about it here). Anyway, I never seem to be prepared for most things in life. Must be something to do with this hopelessly disorganised trait that I’m still working on. But then again, I love spontaneity, live for that moment, you know, that carpe diem spirit.

So, the history of it was, we packed up our lives in boxes, ditched almost all of our possessions, brought along a two-month old baby and came to live in a completely new country where thank God, language is not a barrier!

I learnt to live again, this time, as a mother. To start with, I had no friends, no other kin except the alternative dad and the Angel, not a lot of possessions, not a lot of money, and quite a lot of time alone with a baby.

I had so many questions about being a mother and dealing with an unique child with atopic eczema and multiple food allergies. I needed desparately to speak to other mothers and parents, sharing some bits and pieces of information will be great. Not comparing our children, but sharing and learning from one another. It was hard work, I found almost none. Perhaps I had ‘too much time’ while others had none.

The only thing that kept me sane a lot of time was of course, the internet. My ibook (which I shall now name Igloo) is my perfect companion without which, I might have gone pretty mad. It keeps up with my socialisation and helps with my parenting knowledge. Often, MSN and Skype become lifelines - friends and family out there who didn’t give up! Thanks for walking the talk - you know who you are!

Anyway, things got better. I eked out my life, found enough to get myself into uni (got my sanity back!), made friends and finally, I’m becoming more ‘me’.

As I’m coming out of this confusing phrase about parenting, as I become more enlightened everyday about parenting, learning from mistakes or making discoveries, I actively look to sharing with and learning from other parents.

I tried forums. Well, didn’t really work.

Where does one go to share all that wealth of parenting skills one has acquired? Where does one go to talk about the discoveries made about children? Or to share about all those products we have used? Or share all that parenting has to teach? Or learn where someone has taken time to share?

I started blogging (early this year) and went on a relentless search (with some success!) for some parenting blogs that would be sharing honest discourse, give rise to ideas and discussions, provoke thinking, share ideas, a place where the community of parenting comes alive.

Three years on, I’d like to practise the spirit of virtual ‘community of practice‘ (CoP - a term defined for me by the alternative dad) in parenting and in between, share bits and pieces of the idiosyncrasies of life.

Welcome to my blog where life is a learning journey and where I strive to be an alternative mom in the ‘Making of an Angel’.

My relentless search has yielded another two awesome parenting blogs that belong to the parenting CoP.

The New Parent who presents many interesting insights about ‘Raising Excellcent Kids in an Insane World’. I love all the pain The New Parent takes to discuss through ideas. Good job!

And recently, I found Pilgrim Parent and one can read all those discoveries found and shared and by Pilgrim Parent. Another good job!

Categories: Community of Practice in Parenting
5 Comments »