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Author Interview: Lauren Jumrukovski on Blaif Magazine

(Posted on Thursday, October 3, 2019)

I am super excited to be featured on Blaif Magazine this week, talking about my personal experiences as a parent and my new book, They Say – Not Your Average Parenting Book.

As an Amazon Associate and Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. 

“Becoming a parent comes with a lot of challenges, the biggest one being understanding when to listen to “what they say” and when to ignore it and follow your gut. Lauren Jumrukovski, author of They Say: Not Your Average Parenting Book, tells us everything about the constant struggle between doing what they say and what you think is best and the reasons why she chose to write this unconventional parenting book!” – Blaif Magazine

On this interview, I am sharing about one of my biggest parenting mistakes, how I protect my heart as a mom, when I realized listening to what “they say” wasn’t always best for my children, parenting choices I admire, when I have received judgement as a parent, and more!

“Second is recognizing that our children aren’t out in the world stumbling along blindly. We have taught them so much through their lives thus far that they can use as they navigate the world on their own. And when they falter, they know they can come to us and we can continue to teach them more.” – Lauren Jumrukovski (Author Interview for Blaif Magazine)

“I hope my book will encourage parents to be confident in their decisions, and also to realize that just because we choose to parent differently that doesn’t make any of us wrong. It would be amazing to live in a world where there is no judgement and where we all support each other and build each other up.” – Lauren Jumrukovski (Author Interview for Blaif Magazine)

Read the full interview on Blaif Magazine: Interview with Author Lauren Jumrukovski

You can grab a copy of my book here: They Say, Not Your Average Parenting Book

To learn more about Lauren and her blog, check out- About Lauren

You may also enjoy- Bullying Hurts: How to Prevent It and How to Stop It or Top Products for Moms!

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What They Say About Parenting: Podcast Episode

(Posted on Thursday, June 20, 2019)

They Say Parenting is a guest on The Happy Student Podcast!

As a guest on the Happy Student Podcast, we are talking with the Fireborn Institute about what “they say” and how this effects our parenting!

Check it out here:

On Apple Podcasts

On the Fireborn Institute Website

Highlights:

“There are times it doesn’t matter what ‘they say.’ We just need to do what works. I’ve found thoughts about comparison should be the exception, not the basis or the standard of how we parent.”

Hear about the goals behind my blog and my book, They Say, Not Your Average Parenting Book:

First are foremost, we are not alone! We are great parents, mistakes and all! And, we don’t always have to listen to what “they say.” There is no substitute for experience!

On the podcast, I am sharing about my own personal experiences when what “they” said just didn’t make sense for me and my kids.

I am also sharing my thoughts on social media and how it can impact us parents:

“It’s heartbreaking at a time where we have social media and we can reach out to each other as moms and uplift each other, many times, just the opposite happens. You are looking for an answer, but you end up feeling worse.”

The Happy Student Podcast is produced by the Fireborn Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to insuring every student meets their full potential by providing parents the tools to help their children succeed. It is a wonderful organization and I am so happy to be a part of their podcast!

To be the first in the know, follow They Say Parenting on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter!

You may also enjoy: Don’t Let Your Marriage Take a Backseat After Kids or My Author Journey: Writing My First Book

To learn more about me and my blog: About Lauren

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My Author Journey: Writing My First Book

(Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2019)

Here is my journey in writing my debut parenting book, They Say, Not Your Average Parenting Book

For the full synopsis and to preorder now: Mascot Books-They Say

My Dream

Although I always knew I wanted to help people, I didn’t always imagine myself writing a book. My eagerness and passion to help was one of the main reasons I went to college and graduate school to become a school counselor. I just didn’t know that my help would one day be in the form of writing. 

When I became a mom, I felt a lot of emotions—happiness and joy but also a tremendous amount of guilt and a lack of patience. Being a new parent is beautiful, a miracle even, but it was hard. I kept hearing all of the things I SHOULD be doing—and I wasn’t doing. This made me question myself. This is where my dream was born! I felt driven to share my feelings with other parents out there. I thought, Am I the only one? Are others feeling this way too? Maybe it will help to hear that they aren’t alone.

So I started to write about the crazy parenting experiences, the joyful experiences, and the downright hard experiences. It was therapeutic to write and get it out on paper. Many times I cried while writing, or while reading back my stories. In the end it helped me navigate the world of parenthood, and I hope my book, my end result, will help someone else in this way too.

My Process

Many people ask me, how did you write a book with three kids? Honestly, I just took my time. I mainly wrote during nap times. It took me about three years to write and another year or so to edit and publish. It’s like my fourth baby. I put my passion into it, I cried tears over it, and I believe in it.

My Hopes

My hopes for this book are that reading my story can help other parents feel less alone and to help them be confident in the way they decide to parent. After all, I strongly believe, no one knows what works for our children and families better than US! 

They Say is a guide from baby through the preschool years which provides lots of ideas, but also encourages parents to trust their instincts. I strongly believe that there is something for everyone in my book. I touch a lot on dealing with “mommy guilt,” about self-care as parents, and on staying positive and believing in ourselves, with lots of reminders that there is no such thing as perfection and this is OKAY!

My Fears and Reservations

I have personally grown as a result of writing this book. I have had fears along the way.  There are plenty of reservations when you put your whole life out there on paper for all to read, but I have learned how to push past them. Reading my stories, writing about the way I feel as a parent, and focusing on all the things I have learned has helped me grow in more ways than I could have ever imagined. This book is uncensored, honest and full of the feelings and emotions I’ve experienced so far in my parenting journey. To be fully transparent, one reservation is that I worry of what others will think of the book and about me… but, I believe in the end it’s all worth the risks if it even makes a difference for one person. If it even helps one person see they aren’t alone, if it even helps one person see they are worth it, if it even helps one person feel more confident in themselves as a parent, then I have succeeded. 

I wish I had a book like this when I was pregnant and when I had my first child. There is so much advice out there that it gets overwhelming. A book like this would have helped me see what to expect from the view of a mom and to know that even in my worst and hardest moments, I wasn’t alone.

If you are writing a book, or writing in general, and you are experiencing road blocks, fears, or reservations, remember this: 

Don’t let your surroundings define you. Don’t let what others say or think prevent you from going for your dream! There is a reason that passion landed in your heart.

Remember: You can thrive no matter your environment. Don’t ever question whether you are “good enough,” “bright enough” or whether you have enough resources to do something. If you want something bad enough, you CAN make it happen.

I leave you with a quote from Aristotle, “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.”

Order They Say- Not Your Average Parenting Book today by clicking here and you’ll receive your copy as soon as it hits the warehouse—well before it’s available through Amazon and B&N!

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest and subscribe to my blog to be the first to hear about book updates and events. 

Learn more about me and my blog: About Lauren

You may also enjoy: I Wrote a Book! Here’s How…

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I Wrote a Book! Here’s How…

(Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2018)

The other day I was thinking about my talents. What are my talents? I can eat a whole box of cookies in three days! In all seriousness though, I recently realized one of my talents is writing. I started writing… I wrote a book. Now that book is being published, coming soon from Mascot Books. I thought I would take a break from my typical posts, and share a little bit about the book-writing process. When I think about it, it still seems surreal. I have been working on this book for a few years now. My book is truly like my 4th baby. It’s my labor of love. Many people have asked me how I’ve had time to write this book. Well first, idle minds—I just can’t do it. Once I had two children, I realized it made more sense for me to become a stay-at-home mom. Having two children in childcare is not cheap. I struggled with the idea of leaving my job as a school counselor—a job which I loved—but I knew it was the best thing for my family. Ever since I was young, I knew I would have a job one day where I could help people. Once I left my job as a school counselor, my eagerness to help others never left. As a new mom, I felt the pressures coming from all around me about how I should be parenting. I felt the anxiety, the fear, the mommy guilt which comes with being a parent, and I thought, I want to help other moms who are feeling the way I am. I wanted to share my stories and experiences so other parents will know they aren’t alone. So, I put my creative energy and my idle mind into writing. Second, as I wrote my book, I took it one step at a time… one day at a time. I tried not to let myself feel pressured. I did not want it to become a chore. I wanted to enjoy the process as I saw my book come together. I worked on it when I was able, typically during my kids’ nap times, and realized it would come together in its right time. Was it chaotic trying to manage it all? Absolutely… but does chaos make anyone else more effective instead of less? Throughout my life it was like the busier I was and the more activities I participated in, the more effective I became. This continued into adulthood. It’s like the idea that an object in motion stays in motion. Being busy made me become more effective at managing my time. I talk a lot in my book about my lowest low and how that low has shaped me as a mom and person. I truly believe the lows I have experienced as a parent have helped me gain the perspective needed to write this book. They gave me a drive to try to help other moms who have likely felt the same way. They gave me the resilience to push through even when I have moments of difficulty or weakness. They taught me how to make the most out of the times we have even if they are hard times. All in all, my lows gave me the motivation I needed to work on, to finish, and to publish this book.

How Do You Write and Publish a Book?

It has been a neat and exciting process so far. One might assume it’s best to start at the beginning and write. Well, I didn’t write it top to bottom. I didn’t do the brainstorming clouds. What I did do is keep journals of my thoughts as they came to me. Raising two children at the time, it wasn’t possible to stop and get to a computer whenever a thought came to me, as I may be right in the middle of something. As a parent, I feel we are pretty much always right in the middle of something. So, I made notes in my journals. I made notes in my phone, or texted myself ideas. I separated all of my ideas by topics. Eventually, these topics became my chapters. Once I had added all my ideas and the ideas stopped coming, I went through and edited my book and made it flow as a whole. And there you have it, my book was born. The next step was networking and reaching out to publishers. I prepared a query letter, which is basically a one-page letter you submit to literary agents or publishers to get them excited about your book and then started reaching out. When my publisher shared they were interested in my book, to say I was excited would be the understatement of the year! Hearing for the first time someone else liked my work, that it wasn’t just me, was the best feeling. I felt like all my hard work may actually be worth it. Next came meeting with the publisher and the signing of the contract. Mascot Books exceeded my expectations and I was super excited to get the ball rolling. I met my amazing team and project manager and was set up with a fantastic editor. It is pretty neat how a book can be edited on word with tracking on so that you can see and approve each and every edit they make. God bless my editor. Even though I had re-read and re-read my manuscript, I couldn’t believe the number of edits made. Now I am deep in the editing process. One day, as I was going through my book edits in Panera, I was crying. Re-reading the book makes me so emotional. I actually love it, that the words mean so much to me, but the people around me started to look concerned. I had to get myself in check. It has been an emotional, but beautiful process. The next steps will be designing the book cover, laying the book out as it will be printed, and then having a book in hand! Eek! I will be sure to keep you guys informed as we go. Follow along at They Say Parenting on Facebook and @theysayparenting on Instagram. For anyone out there considering writing a book, I encourage you to go for it! Were there challenging moments? Yes. Did I have fears along the way? Definitely. My husband told me during one of these moments, “Think too much and you will create a problem that wasn’t there in the first place.” I had to keep reminding myself of this as I kept focusing on my goal and my purpose. I am so glad I did, because I’m almost at the finish line and I can’t wait to see what’s to come! I used to think my dream of writing a book was too big. But, it wasn’t. So dream big and put your whole heart into those dreams. You’d be surprised how far you’ll go. See more about the purpose behind my book and blog on the About Me Page. You may also enjoy: Sometimes Strength Requires a Break

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