children’s health

This Will Not Be Tolerated in My Home

You’ve all said, or heard another mother (my own mom for sure!) say, “that will not be tolerated in my home!” This weekend I attended a global poverty conference in Washington DC organized by a grass-roots advocacy group, Results. One of their keynote speakers was Marianne Williamson, author and speaker. She talked about being part of a […]

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Changing the World Through Partnership: Mothers & Fathers, Women & Men, Girls & Boys

As the world realizes that many of the solutions to our tough problems begin with educating and empowering women and girls, I shout “Amen”! But I also worry that we are leaving men and boys out of some of these pivotal conversations. We must be partners, we must be champions for each other. Women and girls cannot […]

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If You Died Today, What Would You Miss Most?

Last night I asked my children a tough question. If they died, what would they miss most about their life? A child dies every 20 seconds from a vaccine preventable disease somewhere in the world. This week is World Immunization Week and the world is acting in a big way to change this number. There […]

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Loving the Whole Earth

A few years ago my husband, our kids and I created a series of family statements. The children drew pictures and we pasted the nine statements together to form a large poster that is framed and hung in a busy area of our home. “Winegars love the whole earth” It’s one of my favorites. It […]

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Walking the Path of Pregnancy & Birth Together

Audrey is a mother of two young boys. She’s 32 and works in a government department. Our lives have lots in common – family, work, friends. But in Tanzania, where she lives, being a mother comes with a whole different set of problems. Audrey’s greatest fear is to be pregnant or see her friends and […]

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What Following My Mother Through Graveyards Taught Me

My mother is a genealogist – she researches and writes family histories. I’ve tromped around graveyards since I was small and have learned they are not scary places. I feel peaceful and reverent as I let the markers reveal their stories. They are places of discovery, and yes, places of heartbreak. I have learned important […]

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UN Foundation Infographic: International Women’s Day

Sometimes words just get in the way. Blessings to you this International Women’s Day. Welcome to to When You Wake Up A Mother. We’d love to see you again. Please subscribe via email or RSS. Or follow on Twitter or Facebook. What will you do today to wake up the world? We invite you to share your thoughts, your action and […]

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A Wish For All Girls

My seven year old brought this home in her backpack. She had two wishes for the beginning of the year. One was to not be mean to her brothers and sister and this was the other one. Both brought me incredible joy. A friend posted on Facebook how incredible it is when a child can […]

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Us

I spent two days in Washington DC this week as part of my new role as Community Manager for the Million Moms Challenge attending the Shot@Life Volunteer Summit. It was an incredible experience and you can read all about it here. At the end of our second day together, we were asked for our key […]

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Have you been grateful for an ER or easy access to a doctor for a child suddenly ill in the middle of the night?

This morning at 3am my eldest daughter came rushing into my room, screaming for help. “Can’t you hear her Mum? She’s in pain and she’s crying for you,” referring to her 7 year old sister. For the first time in my parenting life, I had not heard her. In fact, I was in the deepest sleep I […]

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