Category: In The News

A few years ago, Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley (then mom of two and nine months pregnant with baby number three)was having an unbearably challenging day.

She had hauled her two fiesty kids to the neighborhood pool, hoping the exercise would tucker them out.

However, the minute they arrived, her son unraveledinto a cascading meltdown.

The following is astory Curley wrote of the experience, whichfirst appeared on The Mighty,a platform for people with disabilities, diseases, and disorders to share their stories. Herstory details how one stranger’s kindness turned this awful momentinto a behavior-changing lessonshe’ll likely carry with herforever.

To the Lady at the Pool Who Spoke Up During One of My Lowest Parenting Moments
By: Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

“Ill never forget that summer.

“It was hot, I was nine months pregnant with our third child and supposed to be on rest. My OB had instructed me not to lift more than ten pounds.”

“The concept of rest is laughable to any mother, let alone a nine-month-pregnant one with a 19-month-old and three-year-old, who would later be diagnosed with sensory processing disorder.

“I neglected to tell my doctor that I spent most days underarming my three-year-old out of public places, with a diaper bag slung on one shoulder, my daughters hand in one of my own and tears in my eyes.

“Every public meltdown, every set of eyes on me, made me feel deflated. At that time, I felt my sons behavior was a reflection of my parenting skills.”

“That summer, my husband got us a pool membership. The plan was to have the kids wear themselves out in the kiddie pool and water tables.

“I could plunk my pregnant self in the kiddie pool with them and ‘rest.’

“In reality, Id manage to wrangle my toddlers and all our pool gear into the car, drive to the facility, lug everyone through the building and out back to where the pool is located only to have my oldest melt down, after which wed get him out of there, all the way back through the facility and home.”

“The other moms would look away in an attempt to be polite.

“They would rifle through their diaper bags or start up a quiet conversation with their children, pretending not to notice us. It was impossible not to notice us.

“We arrived at the pool one excruciatingly hot and humid morning. My son immediately melted down, and all the moms did their pretending-not-to-see-it thing.

“I tried to talk him down, but it wasnt working. Cheeks flushed, heart pounding, I tried to calm myself down. Defeated but determined not to convey it, I set my jaw and collected our belongings.

“My son continued melting down. I was moving as quickly as I could for an extremely pregnant woman.”

“The pool moms continued to look away as I struggled to lower my nine-month-pregnant-body down to his level to pick him up.

“Once I had him, I grabbed my daughters hand and our bags.

“‘Excuse me!’ I heard a female voice from the opposite side of the pool call out.

“I hesitated. I was trying not to cry. Reluctantly, I looked up and met her eyes. The woman was walking toward us with gusto, arms swinging.”

“‘Bravo, mama! Bra-vo! No one here will say this to you,’ she said, as she gestured toward my silent audience with one hand, ‘but you are doing the right thing. Youve got this! Good job, Mom!’ And then, she started to clap her hands.

“She applauded my parenting at one of my lowest parenting moments to date.”

“I thanked her. She had validated my parenting when I was questioning it and feeling small.

“‘Thank you,’ I mouthed again, for my words were now gone. She nodded and turned on her heels and walked away.

“When I finally made it back to my car and managed to get the kids clipped into their car seats, I put my head to the steering wheel and did the ugly pregnancy cry thing.

“I realized I had been feeling quite alone with this spirited, strong-willed three-year-old.

“On this day, I felt supported and was extremely grateful for that womans words. I wanted to go back to thank her properly, but my son was still melting down in his seat and I was far too emotional to be coherent.”

“Do you know how often I think of that stranger and her kindness? It has been five years, but I think of her all the time.

“I think of her when Im in Target and someones kid is ‘acting up.’

“I think of her when I am checking out at the grocery store and the mom with four ‘whiny’ kids in tow is behind me; I see that look in the moms eyes and I know shes struggling to hold it all together.

“I think of her every single time I see a pregnant woman managing toddlers.

“I think of her when the frazzled looking mom in the minivan cuts me off and then apologizes with a wave. I can see the ruckus going on in her backseat.

“I know how loud it must be in her car, how difficult it must be to think, let alone drive.”

“I think of her when I see a mom whisking her crying child out of mass on Sundays.

“I think of her every time I see a child ‘pitching a fit’ or a mother who looks exhausted.

“We have all been there, havent we? And some of us have been there more than others.

“Do you know what? I always say something now. Always. And, if I cant say something due to distance or whatnot, I make eye contact and send that mom a genuine youve got this smile.

“I know how much a kind word can mean in a dark moment, and I know kind words are contagious. They can alter behavior.”

“I dont know where the woman from the pool is today. I wish I could thank her.

“I wish I could let her know the words she spoke to me on that day changed me and my behavior, forever.

“Thanks to her, I am not fumbling with my purse, trying not to notice the elephant in the room. Now, I know better.”

“As kids, we were taught if we dont have anything nice to say, we shouldnt say anything at all. Id like to add an addendum to that saying for all the mamas out there:

“If you are thinking kind thoughts, always share them. If you have something nice you could say, say it.”

“Think about how lovely this world would be if everyone poured forth all the kind thoughts and observations that they keep in the silence of their minds.”

At one of her lowest lows, this mom was gifted beautiful praise from another knowing mom. Since that moment, she has passed this stranger’s kindness forward, uplifting countless other mommies battling similar stresses.

What do you think of Curley’s story? What has been your most challenging parenting moment to date? Tell us your story in the comments below.

You can read more of Curley’s heartfelt parenting insight on her blog, My Little Poppies. For regular updates,follow her onFacebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

This post first appeared on TheMighty.com.

Paloma is a lovely name with a grand, Romanesque feel to it.

Most of us probably associate it most closely with the famous jewelry designer Paloma Picasso, daughter of Pablo.

That’s why it may come as a bit of a surprise that this elegant name traces its roots back to the ordinary pigeon.

This girl’s name does a beautiful job of taking an everyday creature, and playing up its subtle,iridescent quality.

Did you know that Leo is actually the Latin word for lion?

The name, which also lends its fierce power to an astrological sign, has been growing in popularity recently, maybe thanks to celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio.

These days, the strong, ferocious boy’s name makes a nice standalone label, or a good nickname for something a bit longer and less fashionable, like Leonard or Leopold.

It also has the unusual distinction of being the name of a whole slew of popes.

The name Ursula is most often associated with the fearsome sea-witch inThe Little Mermaid.

Surprisingly, however, Ursula has its roots in the Latin word for bear,ursa.

We think that it’s about time this underused girl’s name got a much-needed revival, one that celebrates its sweet mama bear origins!

Even better, it already comes with two constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

Colin is a cute and quaint boy’s name that hasn’t been in popular circulation for a few decades.

We think it’s ripe for a comeback, though, because it has a truly adorable meaning!

Colin comes from a Scottish Gaelic word meaning “young dog.”

In other words, it’s just another word for puppy. That sounds like a pretty sweet name for anyone, if you ask us!

Pippais acute name that has been enjoying a lot of popularity in recent years, thanks to Princess Kate’s younger sister.

Before that, this quaint nickname hadn’t been popular since the Victorian days.

That’s because it’s short for the more hefty and cumbersome Philippa, which means “friend of horses.”

We much prefer the nickname, which shares the meaning, but is much lighter than the origin name.

Rudolph is a name with plenty of animal associations; we’re talking about a certain red-nosed reindeer, of course!

Surprisingly, though, Rudolph traces its roots back to a very different creature: the wolf.

The ferocious boy’s name comes from ancient German words meaning “famous” and “wolf.”

We’re betting that the very first Rudolph never thought he’d be associated with Christmas’ favorite reindeer.

For years, the best-known Ava of them all was the glamorous Hollywood actress Ava Gardener.

Now, that’s likely to change in no time at all; Ava is one of the most popular girl’s names on every list.

It’s from a Latin word meaning, simply, “bird,” and we agree that it has a very pretty ring to it!

Now, along with longtime list-toppers like Emily and Kate, Ava is poised to take over the next generation of little girls.

Todd is a sturdy, dependable boy’s name that had its heyday in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

It’s still popular today, especially for parents looking for a simple, classic name.

However, not everyone realizes that this all-American name has its roots in England, where it comes from the Middle English word for fox!

Rachel is an ancient Hebrew girl’s namethat means ewe, or female sheep.

It’s millennia-old; in fact, the first famous Rachel showed up in the Bible, as one of the matriarchs of the Tribes of Israel.

Along with other old-fashioned Hebrew names like Elizabeth, Sarah, and Rebecca, it was popular in the early days of pilgrims in America.

More recently, it bounced up the ranks in the ’80s and ’90s, thanks in part to characters like Rachel Green fromFriends!

These days, using surnames as given names is hotter than ever; just look at the popularity of names like Fletcher and Harper!

That’s why we have a hunch that the gender-neutral Corbett is about to have its moment in the sun; it’s a handsome name with a nice ring to it!

Even better, this old European surname comes complete with a cool backstory.

The name, a combination of Old English and Norman French, means”raven” and was traditionally given to someone with dark, glossy hair.

Melissa is a sweet and pretty name, with a special meaning to match.

It’s an old Greek name that means “honeybee,” which we think isjust adorable.

It shares its origins with words like “miele” and “meli,” both of which mean “honey.”

Melissa peaked in popularity in the late ’70s and early ’80s, but a name this sweet never really goes out of fashion!

If you’re familiar with the Bible, you might associate Jonas with the Hebrew version Jonah, given to an Old Testament figure who spent some time in the belly of a whale.

In fact, thisGreek variation of the classic boy’s name has its origins in a different animal that appears in the Bible: the dove!

The dove, a traditional symbol of peace,would make for a lovely, serene name for a baby boy.

Even better, this name has been climbing up the ranks in the past five years as a nice alternative to played-out names like Jacob and Jonathan.

Tabitha is a pretty, uniquename that feels a little bit dusty to the modern ear, since itwas big back in the late 19th century.

Thislovely name is from the Aramaic language, and means “gazelle,” which has delicate, light-footed connotations.

It had a big resurgence in the 1970s, especially in the U.K., and has dropped back down in recent years.

That said, we think that this name should cycle back up to the top again soon, because it has a distinct and cool ring to it.

Arthur is an old-fashioned regal name, with plenty of associations.

Fromthe mythical King Arthur to a certain aardvark, there are plenty of good role models with this name!

The name first became popular thanks to the legend of Arthur, who was probablygiven the name thanks to its meaning: bear-king.

The ancient Celtic name has gone through waves of popularity since then, and is looking poised to make a stylish comeback in the next few years!

If you love these adorable animal-inspired baby names, make sure toSHARE with anyone who is expecting a little one!