Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GetJohnsonsBaby #ChooseGentle #CollectiveBias
Becoming a mom has taught me countless lessons from the time we adopted V last year to giving birth to A in April. Just like when we first brought Victoria home, the past four months since Adelina was born have been full of trial and error, but I am now feeling more confident in my abilities as a mother of two. I wanted to share some of the lessons I’ve realized lately, including the biggest of all: You have to find your own way as a parent.
I’m sharing the ways in which I am discovering my own path despite the plethora of advice new moms and dads seemingly receive every day. No matter what, you will find differing views about just about everything when it comes to parenting. But we can all agree that we want the best for our children. I’m discovering my own path every day, but so far here are the ways I do things my own way as a mom:
Trust my instincts and try new methods until I find what works for my family. There is no one size fits all when it comes to parenting. What works for one family won’t work for all. There have been instances in the past six months, and in the past couple of years, in which something felt right and that is how I knew I was doing the best for my child. I have tried different methods for potty training, for example, until I found what worked for our first daughter. With Addi, I am slowly discovering our own naptime and bedtime routines to fit our family’s lifestyle and we will do what is best for all of us when it comes to sleep training.
- Find ways to have fun as a family. For us this means continuing to travel with our children, even if it isn’t as easy as it was when it was just the two of us. This isn’t what everyone would do, but that’s OK!
- Teach my children empathy and understanding, as well as free thinking. These are values I hold in high regard. As parents we choose our priorities and we set examples for our children. We must model the behavior we want our children to learn. Graham and I want our kids to be accepting of others and our differences and to see that we don’t always need to agree to be respectful of one another.
- Use quality, safe-to-use products, such as JOHNSON’S® baby products. I was recently thrilled to learn that that JOHNSON’S® listened to parents from around the world and reformulated their products, inside and out, to set a new standard for gentle. JOHNSON’S®baby products are now hypoallergenic and more naturally derived, with no parabens, phthalates, dyes or sulfates. My family has been using JOHNSON’S® baby wash, shampoos and other products for generations and I can now continue the tradition with A and V, but in a gentler formula. I know I am getting the same trusted quality but in a safer formula with 50 percent fewer ingredients for my baby girl and 4-year-old. My grandma, Addi’s great-grandma, gifted us a JOHNSON’S® gift basket for my baby shower, so I had those items on hand for her first bath in April, but I recently picked up the reformulated essentials on a Target run with Adelina.
Interested in checking out the new JOHNSON’S® products? Hover over this image to learn more and shop from Target!

Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.