it's worth repeating that "one of the biggest mistakes parents make is overreacting."
Parenting is one of the HARDEST, if not THE hardest, jobs in the world. Don't get me wrong...it is not a job that I want to quit, or one that I never applied for. I wanted to be a mom very early in life. I always loved babies...however, those babies were either baby DOLLS or little tiny newborns that weren't able to test my patience to the nth degree.
These days, I still love being a mommy. There are days that challenge the very core of my patience, but I still would not trade one moment (or one of my kids) for a "better" life.
With the first baby, Annie, I was so careful with all the sanitizing, cleaning, special laundry detergent, special baby soap, etc... I worried if she wasn't sleeping enough and if she was sleeping too much. I wondered if I was a good mommy almost every day.
With the other two, I learned that children have a great resilience to just about everything...germs, boo-boos, and their siblings..ha!
One of my prayers with all my children is that I can raise them in a way that would please the Lord. And one of the ways I know I can do that is to know what God's Word says about raising children. Seriously. IT sounds simple, but check it out sometime. How does God say we should parent our children?
Ephesians 6:4 is a great place to start: "Provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I see three things here: First, don't purposely make your kids despise you or despise discipline and authority by not being self-controlled. Second, nurture your children with love and encouragement. Third, help your children develop a godly character through intentional, consistent discipline.
All three of these guidelines will take great patience, self-control, and LOTS of prayer...
And I will pray for you...will you pray for me, too??
Blessings!!
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