The Ultimate Motherhood Q+A | 1st time mom advice, what I wish I knew, minimalism and more!

[@samanthab5006]

Gratitude is just such a helpful exercise and mindset. My niece (now almost 13) was super colicky. I can remember going over to help my sister and my niece crying no matter what you did the entire time I was there. My son (a few days from one) wanted to be carried around constantly but was so content when in the carrier. My husband would get exasperated but I would tell him about Ellie who you'd walk around with and she still screamed. It's such a blessing that picking him up can calm him down. Now he wants to be put down to explore and it's so bittersweet.

[@kristenostler3282]

My best tip for uncontrollable crying and emotional days in toddlers and kids is to just add water😅 as in, fill the bath and splash your feet for a second together, give them a whole bath, water plants with a hose outside, wash their tears with a wet washcloth and give them a drink, whatever seems best in the circumstance It's a great distraction from all the high emotions so they can calm down and reset.

[@MindyB767]

“I spend a lot of time with my Mom, and it was joyful.” The sweetest, best advice I’ve ever heard someone give.😊

[@samanthaorellana9862]

This was sooo helpful and SOOO needed, it brought me to tears. Had a very rough night with my baby last night, and quite honestly, it's been a rough 14 months in general

[@christisjoypinson5599]

(me catching my breath in excitement) "A Margaret Video! Hold the phone! Stop everything! I must watch--right now!" 😄🙌🙌🙌💖

[@victoriajohnson3034]

Live in the moment!!!!!! Love on your baby when it's tough!!!! That's your only job at that moment!!!!!!

[@hannahbentson9374]

I have both boys and a girl and decluttering as been a game changer! We got rid of 80% of our toys last year and they play so much better now!

[@savannahlovejoy2818]

I love these tips and words of wisdom. I’m newly pregnant with my second child and what a breath of fresh air this channel is in the sea of ads and excess. I’ve found peace as well in a simpler, more minimal lifestyle and people actually give me a hard time about it. I’ve had comments made about my daughter not having anything to do at our house because she has 1 toy bin and honestly I let it roll off my back. She’s just as happy to stack cans from the pantry or play with an empty diaper box than a new toy that’ll be forgotten in a day. You’re doing great Margaret.

[@clairetomes617]

Sleep was such a struggle I asked myself what does the Bible say about this? There’s nothing! Then I read “Women love your children.” Obvious right? But so helpful when you apply this to everything! Thinking about sleep training and I thought, I would not feel like I’m loving my child my best.

[@peachyqueen1238]

I’m 34 weeks pregnant with my first baby boy! Thank you for this video for scared new moms like me 💙

[@kayakalugin8644]

I'm so happy to see that you are an instinctual mother and not sleep training and you follow your heart on how to love them with big emotions and it is so beautiful.

[@pilgrimlearning9530]

Margaret! My 3.5 yr old daughter is "riling me up" lately! It's insane haha. Fellow mama of 3 here with a 7mo bub and autistic 9yo. Your video, as always, spoke to me!

[@rachellehoogendoorn]

I don't know what baby lead weaning is... then perfectly describes how to do it. 😄 At least I think

[@zx1906]

I’ve heard some minimalist parents say they like to include their kids in the decluttering, so they don’t get angry or upset when something goes missing that the kid was attached to that the parents might not have been aware of. That’s the approach I will try once our boy is old enough (currently pregnant first time mom! Yayyyy!!!)

[@AM-bm2xw]

Ive found that my boys do really well with "The Container Concept". Maybe something to look up if you are interested. But my oldest is very sentimental, so if I give him a space for something, like his art projects, that has a limit he really understands that we can only keep what fits in that space.

[@jamie-leewatson3565]

Definitely agree with it being way easier when you let go of expectations and trying to control what baby does. Im on number 5 & it has been my easiest experience... partly because I know how fast it goes and that hard phases pass, partly because I cherish the small ordinary moments.

[@briannaschrock7139]

This is perfect timing! My husband and I have been thinking about trying for our first baby and I was planning on going back and watching all your motherhood advice videos 🥰 thank you!!

[@emilycowdrey99]

I appreciate your perspective on parenting toddlers. I worked in a daycare with 2 year olds for a few years and it's hard to find the balance of being gentle and respectful of their emotions while also discerning when there is a heart issue that needs addressed with consequences or some form of discipline

[@Dana-mb1hd]

Margaret ❤ you are a huge inspiration to me. Your videos inspire me to be a better mama thank you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@victoriajohnson3034]

I thinks it's important to remember that every baby and every child is different. Some need more attention and nurturing than others. Some babies sleep thru the night from day one, and others need to be rocked to sleep every night.

[@victoriajohnson3034]

Self care! You can't give what you don't have! And they can't care for themselves!!!

[@jamie-leewatson3565]

I had 2 boys, then 2 girls (now another baby boy), 100% my boys did not care or notice when I decluttered their toys... My girls however really do care (so I have to be careful what i let into the house in the first place).

[@allisonrowe3967]

Gahh! I wish you were around when my babies were babies! They are 7 and 10 now but I missed out on a lot of the JOY when they were littler. I love your approach! Also, what is your matcha recipe? I have pique but I don’t love it yet. Do you add honey or maple syrup or are you a purist with just milk?

[@angelalumia5759]

What kind of milk do you use in your matcha?

[@beans4853]

'Cry it out' is not the only sleep training method there is. Why does everyone equate 1 with the other? I sleep trained all my kids according to what they needed. Never did full on cry it out

[@megm.1612]

Agreed completely! My baby never cried for hours but we used some structured strategies because I felt passionate about all parties being as rested as possible

[@beans4853]

@@megm.1612 exactly. I set him up for success from birth with following eat, play, sleep cycles and wake windows. He only needed help falling asleep once he got older, like 6 months and we did a gentle training. I wish more people would know it's not all or nothing

[@joannarozmus4315]

My oldest son will now tell me or ask me if we can go through some of his things to get rid of.

[@raylaklein4255]

You are awesome. Just saying❤

[@victoriajohnson3034]

Post pardum, get moving! Music on, open curtains, open windows for fresh air, and do anything! Stretch, clean, play, get body moving!!!!

[@healingkatlyn99]

Could you give tips for consequences? Im struggling. My son is rough with the animals a lot. Calls me names. I dont know what to do

[@margaretmatheny]

Check out Now that we’re a family podcast on discipline! I agree with a lot of what they say.

[@Gabrielle.Steele]

What you are doing for food is baby led weaning! Just giving babies the food we eat when they are old enough and what not. And for sleep training there are lots of different ways to sleep train. The one you did sounds like cry it out. Some people like it and some don’t. We never did that but we did another version to help my son figure out how to do it on his own idk what we will do with my daughter.

[@KatharinaTsengelidis]

❤

[@MollyDoolittle]

❤❤❤

[@ohnelson1988]

It sounds like you do baby led weaning! lol

[@sarahelizabethfoster]

Matcha, and all of the teas that are from the camellia sinesis plant (black teas and green teas) have significant amounts of fluoride. That particular tea plant is the only plant that uptakes fluoride from the soil into the plant. Fluoride is extremely bad for you and is actually the root cause of acne. Fluoride is known for damaging the thyroid gland because it blocks the receptors for iodine. I know it's delicious and has certain health benefits, but there is so much that's bad about fluoride that coffee is actually better than matcha surprisingly. I don't drink either. You can read more in the book, "The Hidden Cause of Acne." Fluoride is actually not good for the teeth, it causes white blotches called fluorosis and fluoride causes lower IQs in children. I mean I have 10 books exposing fluoride now because I realized it was the cause of my 20 years of cystic acne, but the information in the books is really shocking.

[@elliebluebell9908]

Did I understand her correctly, she hit her boys? (I hope I'm wrong)

[@lightandmind77]

I literally do the same exact thing with the candles and calm music. It works so beautifully to calm everyone down. 🤍