- Do you ever hear a Mom yelling at her kids in the store and you cringe? Depending on the Mom, you may wince at this other Mom for many reasons. You may think, with a relieved sigh, “Better her than me! Thank you Lord that my kids are behaving right now!” Sometimes, it’s tragically one of those instances where a Mother talks so poorly to her child that it borders on emotional abuse. You cringe as you silently pray for the poor kid on one hand while mentally checking yourself on the other to make sure you haven’t said something remotely close to their comment to your own child that very day. Nothing like hearing or seeing bad behavior in someone else to cause you to question your own behavior. God seems to be bringing this to my mind a lot lately. But I suppose I asked for it! I often pray that He will help me be a better Mommy and Wife.
- As I sat silently at the back of the shoe department in Walmart nursing my baby, I got to overhear an obviously tired/overwhelmed Mommy. The first thing I noticed was when she said to her son, “Wow! I am so glad that you just disobeyed me now!” This struck me as I thought, “Guess I’m not the only one who employs sarcasm with her child.” At first I thought it was funny, but as I observed that it definitely didn’t work, it got me thinking. Why do we do that? Little kids don’t get sarcasm, first off. So it won’t work to get your desired result. Then, they will eventually learn it. So, in essence, I’m teaching my kid to be sarcastic. Great. That will make for fun teenage years. (There I go with the sarcasm again. Geez. I’m out of control!). Also, in reality sarcasm is really disrespectful. My child doesn’t deserve my disrespect. She deserves more of me than that.
- This morning Chloe was talking to Ben about a show on TV. She said, “I’m so sick and tired of that show!” As if the words weren’t bad enough, it was the ugly tone she used with it. I immediately knew where she had gotten that. From me. How many times in aggravation and anger have I said to Chloe something like, “I am so sick and tired of all this crying!” Talk about shame. When you hear your own terrible words repeated by a child, it will make you want to cry. That Mom today was obviously frustrated and worn. I to have days like that. I actually have them more often than not. Parenting is a challenge. It’s already a tough job as it is, but add in the task of being a good influence and fostering a relationship of love and self respect, while building a foundation of healthy self-esteem, and any Mom will throw her hands up! And there’s your answer to this extremely hard job. We all have to remember, myself included, that we’re not perfect, but God is with us on this journey. He is teaching us as we go. When you can’t stand another tantrum or take another minute of infant colic, take heart in the fact that you can. He will give you strength. He will also give guidance to train your child up in the way they should go. Thank you for that Lord. I have a long way to go, but the journey is not mine alone.
That is all 🙂