Some days, I simply do not have this parenting thing together! Last week, my parenting style felt more like Atilla the Hun than Mother Theresa. The boys and I really struggled to get into sync; my patience waned when they needed it the most and my desire for quiet cuddles was swept away with wrestling and chaos. Managing my feelings of weariness and worry about personal struggles was challenged by the demands of parenthood. I don’t know about you but fatigue and anxiety is one toxic couple! The pesky thoughts began to surface again: “What are you doing?? You handled that WAY wrong! Do you want them to resent you for reacting that way? How can I love them so much and be so annoyed by them at the same time?!” I just KNEW I wasn’t winning the Mom of the Week award. And, because I love my little Spartans so much, those hard days feel like monumental failures. Have any of you moms ever felt this way?
Here’s what I’m learning, though. Parenting isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence. Working at it until I create healthy skills that leads to effective parenting. Hearing Edison apologize to Oliver when he mishandles playtime, without my prompting, tells me that modeling remorse when I have a parenting misstep has taught him the value of an apology. Watching Oliver show genuine concern when Edison falls from his bike reminds me that nurturing Ollie teaches him how to care for others. So, even on the “Mom, You Suck'” days, my kids are still soaking up lessons that can enhance their lives in such amazing ways.
How to Parent Effectively
Here’s a few ways that we can triumph in this mammoth season called Parenthood. Perfect parents aren’t required for our kids to grow into well-rounded citizens but being emotionally healthy parents, is.
Children are like wet cement. You will leave an impression, good or bad. What kind of impression should we strive to leave? How do we know when we’re positively impacting our kids’ worldview?