Local Teachers Share Motherly Advice

Published May 8th, 2008

By Nicol Jenkins
Editor

Laurie Vecker
Being a mother of two and a teacher, Laurie Vecker knows the true meaning of Mother’s Day.

“Being a mother is everything. It’s everything you’ve dreamed of, everything you are afraid of; it makes you understand your own trials, and brings joy to every single day,” said the Parkland mother. “The greatest joy is watching your children grow up.”

Vecker has two children, 15-year-old Rachel and 12-year-old Zachary. She also guides 16 children daily at the pre-school at Congregation Kol Tikvah in Parkland and in the summer she teaches about 250 kids at a local camp.

“I love kids. I’m very much a mother to my students and campers. My greatest joy is to be able to give love to a child no matter how old they are,” she said, adding, “I became a teacher because I couldn’t wait for my own children to come home from school.”

Vecker offers these words of motherly wisdom to new moms: “You need to have compassion and empathy and you have to be strong yet loving. Try to see life through their eyes but be strong. Don’t be their friend, be their mother.”

Annette Ames
Coral Springs mother Annette Ames plans to spend this Mother’s Day surrounded by her family including her three boys: Robbie, 8, Mikey, 6, and Nicholas, 3.

“I’m spending the holiday with my husband, parents, mother and my children, my brothers and their wives, and my god daughter. We cook every year,” said Ames.

Ames will also celebrate with her 42 “other” children, her second-grade students at Park Trails Elementary School in Parkland.

“I get my girl fix at school because I don’t have girls,” Ames said.
The local teacher said she always had a motherly instinct.

“When I was a child, my mom said I would gather all the children in my neighborhood and play teacher,” she said, adding, “Family is so important and it’s important to always be there for each other.”

Ames believes patience is the key to motherhood. “It’s patience, patience, patience, and enjoying every single moment you have with them. They grow up so fast.”

Kelli Yselonia
Having an autistic child, Kelli Yselonia cherishes every day as a mother.
“My 7-year-old son Justin has high functioning autism. With my son’s autism, it’s easy to get caught up in what he can’t do. I try to remind myself to think of all the things he can do,” said Yselonia, who also has a 3-year-old child named Tierney.

The local mom is also a kindergarten teacher at Park Trails Elementary School in Parkland. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and always wanted to be a mom. I’ve always loved kids,” she said.

Her favorite quote as a teacher and mother is: ‘Childhood is a journey, not a race.’

“As a teacher and a mother I think we need to make sure we look at the positives in our children. I encourage moms to slow down and enjoy our children when they’re little, because they grow up so fast,” she said.

Terri Romance
Terri Romance enjoys every minute of motherhood.
Romance is a mother to two boys, 13-year-old Brennan and 11-year-old Derek, and 21 second-graders at Park Trails Elementary School.

“They are my other kids,” said the Parkland mom of her students. “I have three sets of children, my boys, my students and my two puppies.”

Romance spends time with her boys by watching sports and cheering them on at various sporting events. She also coaches flag football.

“We’re big sports fans. I’m not a mom that just drops them off. I like to stay and watch them and cheer them on,” she said.

The local has always had a love for children. Even at a young age, Romance knew she wanted to be a teacher and mother one day.

“When I was 5, I wanted to have my own classroom,” she said. “Teaching is almost like my fun hobby, while being a mother is my favorite full time job.”

As for her advice to other mothers, “Enjoy every minute of it, and make sure you laugh at things. Do not take anything too seriously or worry too much; just enjoy every minute of being a mother.”

Rachael Karp
Having twins, Coral Springs mom Rachael Karp has double the love for motherhood.

“I love children and being a mother. We do everything together as a family,” said Karp.

Karp enjoys attending sporting events, concerts and vacationing with her twins, 12-year-old Remy and Gavin. Remy plays softball and Gavin plays hockey. Both are studying for their Bnai Mitzvah.

She will spend this Mother’s Day with her family.

Also a teacher at Kol Tikvah in Parkland, Karp finds joy in guiding young children.

“I have a love for children, and I find teaching very rewarding,” she said. “I love to see them grow.”

Karp advises other mothers of twins to “treat them as individuals and enjoy spending every moment with them.”