Hey all! I’m Chanah! Full time step/bonus mom to six kids ages 7-15, and bio mom to three under three.
I started this blog because as a bonus mom, I realized I jumped into something I was COMPLETELY unprepared for, and now that I have more clarity than I did in our first three years of marriage, I felt I had what to share.
I remember one evening, after making 27 meals for the day, I had just finished making school lunches and I was reaching into the freezer, scavenging for a cookie, because I felt I had “earned” a treat. At the moment, I understood a new aspect of emotional eating.
This thinking was SO off for me because I am a health coach, encouraging healthy behaviors to my clients, yet at this moment, I felt like food was the only thing that could comfort me, and I wanted a reward. I felt I HAD BECOME A SLAVE TO MY FAMILY, and I had lost my own identity.
I shared this feeling with my aunt and she said to me, “oh yea, didn’t anyone tell you? Being a mom puts you in a club, you never knew you didn’t want to be a part of!”
That club is one filled with feelings of loneliness, feeling like a slave, and turning to food for comfort. (Obviously there are amazing benefits to being a mom too…but that’s not the focus at this moment ;))
Well, that just didn’t sit right with me. SO I decided to turn my life around. To find a way to put myself first. To build healthy relationships, behaviors, and habits, so I could feel fulfilled with life, instead of "full-filled" with food. I whole heartedly believed that there was more to being a parent than the parenting of my kids. I was sure that somewhere, in my new life, I could still make room for the previous entrepreneur/go getter that I am.
The steps I have taken to get to where I am, have worked incredibly, so I figured some of you might want to read about it!
Please let me know if you have any questions about my journey, step-moming, health, habits, coaching or anything else. I’m here to build a community about real life, real topics, and real experiences. Any question goes!
Oh, and if you really want to get to know me - come do some work with me at CareBnB Israel located in Efrat Israel!