Sophia's Colic Cure

Sophia Campbell with her children Nathan and Naomi Campbell. - Contributed photos

Being a mother has given me a capacity to love and protect that I had not known before. If only I could put the title 'mommy' on my résumé, for the simple reason that the experience has taught me a great deal of responsibility and many new skills.

My first challenging experience of motherhood was dealing with colic (remedy in tomorrow's Flair).

Like everything in life, motherhood has its ups and downs and the experience has been both fun and challenging. Nevertheless, these have been the best times of my life.

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Sharon's Wheezing Child

Sharon Wheatle-Redwood and her brood (from left) Israel, Isabelle and Immanuel.

My children are gifts from God. They are Israel, four and a half; Immanuel, three years and four months; and Isabelle, one year and eight months. Mothers who have experienced a wheezing child know that this can be distressing.

I discipline my children with a combination of spanking and the naughty corner. I teach them daily about saying I am sorry, to say I forgive you, and to hug and make up.

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Nataskie's Uphill task

Nataskie Bennett and daughter.

For me, getting them dressed when you have somewhere to go is an uphill task. I find that chasing a half-naked two-year-old from room to room is more fun for her than it is for me, especially when time is of the essence.

When it comes to discipline, I have found that the word no is more effective when used sparingly, firmly and consistently. We must be careful of our actions around our children as they tend to mirror what they see and hear on a daily basis. We must also be careful of the actions we laugh at as children will continue trying to entertain us.

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Diana's Challenges and rewards

Diana Sankofa (centre) with her two children.

I have two girls, ages 14 and nine. Motherhood has been a challenging, rewarding and fulfilling experience. The challenges vary and I have to come up with creative ways to help me manage crisis. For example, if they are arguing with each other, I insist that whoever is at fault admits and apologises and that they give each other a hug. If I am getting anything for them, I ensure that I have two in order to prevent any jealousy. I also insist that my younger daughter obeys and listens to her elder sister as I want them to respect each other.

Motherhood has changed my life greatly. My hearing has become very keen. I am also now listening to Rihanna, Chris Brown, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, T-Pain, Ne-Yo, Lil' Wayne and T.I. to be able to better communicate with my girls.