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Mom as an Influencer

JoAnn Shannon

The Rocking Horse


My 1960’s nursery included wooden alphabet blocks and a red wagon. The blocks taught me to read, and the wagon taught me to move forward and carry heavy loads. It was before the time when parents stuck safety plugs in the electric outlets but when they achieved environmental friendliness with the use of cloth diapers. To encourage activity, independence, and well-being, my mom bought me a hobby horse.

My first horse

The Cookie Jar


Another favorite childhood possession was a cookie jar (pictured below). At one time, it had a lid, and the horses were painted in brilliant colors. Whenever I reached for a treat, I picked out a new favorite horse. When I was a teenager, the cookie jar was repurposed to hold my hair ornaments. Later, when my own children were born, it served to hold tiny wash cloths.

Cookies & Horses

All in the Family


My mom instilled in me a love of outdoors and animals. She told stories about the farm she grew up on in rural Quebec, and about a favorite horse, Jerry (featured below). While she didn’t spring for horse riding lessons when I was a kid, she encouraged me to do things in our price range like softball and swimming. She was overjoyed when I picked up riding later in life.


Jerry and my crying baby cousin, Michael

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Guest
Aug 02, 2024

Mom’s are our first influencers, I had a red and black rocking horse with springs! Dad took me to a riding stable that gave horse rides on special occasions, how I loved those Shetland ponies. Thanks for triggering those fun memories!

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JoAnn Shannon
JoAnn Shannon
Sep 27, 2024
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You are so welcome!

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© 2024 by JoAnn Shannon.

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