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Amy Elizabeth

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6 Life Lessons I've Learnt From My 6 Month Old

February 5, 2018 Amy Elizabeth
ben 3.jpg

As a parent, you're supposed to be the one teaching your child but I have found that I am learning as much from Ben as he is learning from me. Here are a few things that my funny little man has been teaching me... 

Joy Should Be Your Default Setting

Benjamin is always waiting to be delighted by something; he's never cynical or suspicious and he is so quick to raise a smile. His natural state is a happy one, and I think we could all take that on board a little more. Start from a place of joy, and joy will flow more easily to you. Don't expect everything to be awful, expect it to be interesting and fun, and it probably will be! 

ben 1.jpg

Never Give Up On Your Goals

All Benjamin wants to do right now is move, but his limbs will not co-operate. Does he give up? Not likely! Every day he rolls onto his front and pedals his arms and legs, hoping to get some tractions. He knows that one day he will be able to crawl and then the world will be his oyster, so even though he gets frustrated, he still keeps going. We should all be so determined! 

Don't Be Afraid to Express Your Needs

Does Benjamin worry what I will think if he demands his milk or lets me know that he's tired? Nope. Babies have to be pretty up front about their needs and as a result, he gets what he wants. As adults we can't take quite the same tactic - wailing loudly probably won't get you very far - but rather than worrying about what other people will think about us, why not just express what you need clearly and simply? You can't get it if you don't ask! 

ben 2.jpg

Naps and Snacks Are Always a Good Idea

I mean, this goes without saying, but having a baby has forced me to slow down in our days together. We've got into a habit of having three little naps together in the day when we're at home and they are some of my favourite times. Whilst I don't actually sleep (since I'm holding Ben), it is a restful time for me and that makes all the difference to my mental wellbeing.

Similarly, Ben will take pretty much any snack that's offered. He doesn't worry about calorie content or nutritional value (although luckily I am doing that for him!) - he just thinks food is fun and tasty. And you know what? Food *is* fun and tasty. So have a snack! 

Live In The Moment

Ben only knows the moment. As soon as he's comforted, he stops crying and forgets what the source of his pain was. As soon as a toy is presented, that's the one he wants to play with. When do we stop living in the moment? It's something that babies and toddlers seem to do instinctively but is so much harder as an adult. Hanging out with Ben makes it much easier to stay in the moment, and he sets a good example for enjoying whatever's in front of you right now and not worrying about the future. 

Smile! 

There's not many situations that can't be improved by beaming a big smile. Benjamin is the king of charming shop staff, waitresses, old people in the street - as soon as someone smiles at him, he's grinning away and it just brings a lot of extra happiness into everyone's day. Whilst I don't think my smile will have quite the same effect as a cute baby's, it's always better to go in with a smile than with a frown - you might make someone's day, even if you're not six months old! 

In Family & Motherhood Tags 2018, Motherhood
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Hello!

My name's Amy. 

 I live in Leeds with my husband, Paul, our son, Benjamin, and our cat, Tuna Fey. 

This blog is a little snapshot of my life, just as it is right now. It's a collection of many things; from motherhood and family to recipes, crafts, books and interiors.

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Making a promise to myself that I’ll buy a bunch of daffodils whenever I see them because they make my heart so happy. I know it’s probably a false promise and we have plenty of frost to come, but it really feels like spring in the air and that is some kind of tiny miracle. Sunshine and yellow flowers are the greatest tonic ☀️
#signsofspring #oneperfectthing #caughtflowerhanded #tfispring #livemoremagic #myfloraldays #gardentovase #inspirewithblooms #petalsandprops #dailydoseofcolour #thefloralseasons #alittlebeautyeveryday #embracingtheseasons
BRB, just sobbing over the fact that my baby already looks old enough to get his actual driving license 😭😭😭 #happyselves #pbloggers #momentsofmine #ohheymama #momentsinmotherhood #momentslikethese #letthembelittle #mytinymoments #littlefamiliesofig #writeyouonmyheart #thehappynow #rememberingthesedays #capturingchildhood #kidsforreal
So in love with the colours of the fabrics for my next quilt 😍 It’s a gift for a friend, but I’m very tempted to make my own with just the coloured fabrics... and then redecorate a whole room to match. Seems reasonable, right?  #creativelifehappylife #createeveryday #createeverydamnday #amylizmakes #documentyourdays #hurrayforplay #stayinspired #wearethemakers #doitfortheprocess #makersgonnamake #showyourwork #maketimeforcreativity #dailydoseofcolour #colourmyjoy #ihavethisthingwithcolour #quiltersgonnaquilt #sewhappy
Okay, majorly unrelated caption alert but I *need* to talk about how much I love Sex Education. Major spoiler alerts coming, but seriously, this show is so smart and funny and full of heart and important and I actually might burst with how good it is. I *wept* on more than one occasion, but was particularly moved by Maeve's abortion (because how amazing to see abortion actually depicted in a non-sensationalised way that acknowledges the nuances and reality for women!) and I almost couldn't breathe when Otis and Eric danced together at the prom (because what an amazing display of non-toxic masculinity and friendship and all I want for Ben is for him to be able to hold hands with and support his friends!). God, I already want to rewatch the whole thing. And also dye my hair pink. More, please!

#chattycaptioncommunity #memyselfandportrait #darlingweekend #happyselves #reclaimthehappy #reallifeandstyle #documentyourdays #shared_joy #loveletterto #stayinspired #nothingisordinary
10/100 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne 📚❤️ I had a book hangover from Sally Thorne’s first novel, The Hating Game, and her second didn’t disappoint. I still think The Hating Game is my favourite, but I loved the sassy heroine and the sweet cinnamon roll hero and the fact that they were renovating a house and so much else about this book. More Sally Thorne books forever, please!
 #bookstagram #amylizreads #bookishhygge #ofquietmoments #findingthejoyineveryday #readmakegrow #dayslikethese #coverlove #bibliophile #bookphotography #readersgonnaread #romancereaders #sallythorne #readmoreromance #99percentmine
Paul, from the bottom of my feminist heart, I love you. Thanks for ranting more about the patriarchy than I do, and teaching our son that men do the cleaning and the childcare, and for not being weird about the fact that I’m smarter than you 😉
#dailydoseofpaper #illustragram #best_of_illustration #valentinesday #feministvalentine #feministlove #veronicadearly #documentyourdays #seekinspirecreate #hurrayforplay #nothingisordinary

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All content on Amy Elizabeth is copyrighted and was created by me, unless otherwise stated. Any products that have been sent/gifted will be marked clearly with a * and all sponsored posts, advertisements and paid partnerships with brands will be disclosed Some (but not all) of the links on Amy Elizabeth are affiliate links, which allows me to make a small amount of money on items purchased via those links at no extra cost to yourself. 

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