Heligirl and Sweetness.
Heligirl – A Positive Discipline Mommy Blog
Heligirl is a helpful and humorous mommy blog dedicated to sharing positive parenting tools that help develop capable, happy, secure children.
How do you raise children today with the security and self esteem to combat the peer pressure of instant gratification, social media and an ever shrinking planet? Positive discipline is definitely a step in that direction. Heligirl is chock full of tools, articles, advice and first hand experiences of this positive parenting philosophy that encourages raising capable children through cooperation, respect and connection rather than punishment. Parenting posts intermingle with hilarious stories of the daily crazy of family life in a way that keeps people coming back for more. Readers can really relate to Heligirl. They come for the parenting advice and stay for the friendships they develop with this helicopter pilot turned mommy with a mission.
How Heligirl Came to Be
After years as a journalist and helicopter pilot, I achieved my ultimate dream in my 30’s when I had my children. Yet one thing still worried me, how I was going to raise them to be self assured, capable, respectful and empathetic? I knew I wanted to avoid the guilt, punishment and criticism that filled my childhood and instead give them the high self esteem, strong self respect and the ability to develop into their full potential.
The answer was Positive Discipline (aka Compassionate Parenting, Positive Parenting, Connection Parenting). I’ve been reading books, taking seminars and have enrolled my kids in a preschool program based on these parenting practices. I put what I’m learning to work every day. Heligirl is where I share what I’m learning and how it is working in our home.
I’m not a scientist, child psychologist, highly experienced caregiver, or even a really experienced mom yet. I’m a writer and dedicated mom with a real knack for doing her homework. And what I’ve learned is so fascinating and freeing, I just had to share it. I have learned so much, not just on how to better raise my kids to be self-confident, happy people, but also to understand how kids these days (as well as young adults) are having such a hard time. So I started this blog, designed to share what I’m learning, chronicle how this parenting style really works when I’m up to my eyeballs in tantrums, power plays, fights for independence and sibling rivalry, and remind myself to stay on this path. I write weekly “serious” articles sharing what I’ve learned. They’re all right here. I also share other fun things the kids and I have discovered, from art projects and books to handy mommy gadgets and places to go. Of course, my more dominate, slightly whacked side, will always show through and I’m going to share some pretty good panty wetters. No mom worth her salt is without these future embarrassing stories to share at rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, graduation parties and the like.
Me
So, about me. My name is Jen and I’m a mom of two, a part time public relations manager, a freelance journalist, dog mom, and a licensed helicopter pilot in Seattle.
I started blogging back in 2004, but was terribly sporadic given depression, a miserable job situation, and a vile hatred of where I lived – a place I call HelL.A. Of course, that should have made great fodder for a rambling online weblog. Looking back, I can sure see where it would have been quite therapeutic (and somewhat incriminating for several players). But when you’re circling around at the bottom of the Pit of Despair, you don’t tend to see things so clearly.
Today, I’m not only out of the Pit, but thriving in my beautiful home town. I moved home in 2004 to a great PR job and soon met my hubby. We were married in 2006. Our daughter came 11 months later, then our son 20 months after that.
My Background
After getting my journalism degree, I went off to Scotland for an unforgettable live abroad experience for seven months. Upon my return, I started working for a series of weekly newspapers.
However, believe it or not, writing about others’ trivial issues and grand experiences made me long to spread my wings. Since my formative years when Airwolf first flew across my television screen, I had the urge to fly helicopters. In 1995, I decided it was high time I did just that.
Needless to say, the aviation bug has nothing on the swine flu. There is no shot, immunization or special herb derived from the root of some obscure Himalayan blue flower that can cure you of that disease. Especially the rotary type. I followed my helicopter dreams to the East Bay area if California, the Sacramento Valley, the flashy lights of Vegas, and into the trenches of Los Angeles. I racked up 1,500 hours, five helicopter ratings, one ex-husband, two ex-boyfriends and a very healthy distaste for what I refer to as “the evil place.” My employer in the Evil Place solidified my desire for a change that wasn’t so dependent on the helicopter industry. Enter my current employer.
I applied for a PR job for an aviation company in Seattle and was hired in 2004. That was the beginning of a wonderful new chapter in my life.
I’m still very active in the helicopter industry. I’ve also become a very involved mom and that has opened a whole new world for me. But between being a mommy and a professional Spin Doctor, I’m in desperate need for a creative outlet to keep my sanity, well, sane, and share both my positive discipline findings as well as the daily crazy. In a tip of the hat to my flying side I chose Heligirl.
So sit back, relax and enjoy the ramblings of a helicopter pilot turned domestic diva with a somewhat twisted view of things. While brand new to this parenting thing, I can say being a pilot did prepare me in one way. I was familiar with all the temper tantrums…
Want more details? Click here to see my welcome post.
Contact Me:
Want to contact me? Send an e-mail to heligirljen at gmail dot com. Through Twitter at @Heligirl
I promise to respond, but it might take me a bit is all. I’m chasing two kids, keeping up the house, and working my day job, remember.
Rugrats:
A virtually unlimited source of gut splitting stories that I must warn you can cause you to leak a bit, are my two kids. Now, despite my somewhat rough exterior and tomboy ways, I have always dreamed of having kids. I just was never ready, until I hit my mid-30s. Then the prospect of being 60 and still having kids in college started to haunt me so, voila, here they are.
My daughter entered our lives in September 2007. I refer to her as Sweetness, Cuteness, Princess Poopy Pants, and other such endearments. No, those are not her names. But I do believe in respecting her privacy because what’s written here is without a doubt incriminating. I’ll save revealing her identity to her friends for a day when I can really use that card. Perhaps – “you even think about touching cigarettes and I’m e-mailing, tweeting and Facebooking all your friends with a link to this site.” We’re going to have such a great relationship when she’s a teen.
My son joined us 20 months later in May 2009 to complete our family. I refer to him as Mr. Man, Handsome Dude, and Little Man, among other things. Again, I’m preserving his identity until a time when it will really come in handy.
Yes, Mommy’s all about the blackmail!
This page has the following sub pages.