Time For Mom : Tips For Navigating Parenthood
Hey, mom, are your kids driving you crazy? Whether they’re one and learning to walk or twenty and searching for a job, successful parenting is a challenge. And those in-between years?
You are a mother who fails often, adores her children and can say with confidence that they are wonderful human beings.
You often serve and care for the loves of your heart. In fact, so interested in their well being you forget the person who holds the home together. And that’s you.
Every month beginning September, I’ll post a new blog about the challenges and pitfalls of parenting. Hopefully, share some tips that will make life a little easier for you.
Mamas, you are the heart of the home. You keep the fires burning bright, work at home and out. Make sure everyone is well fed, healthy, finished their homework and prayers are said.
In your spare time you chauffeur them to sports, clean the house, do the laundry, and research ways to save money.
Are you tired yet? Just reading these duties reminds me of the days when I put my feet on the floor in the morning and didn’t sit down until the list bullets were checked off. I dropped my head on the pillow to rest until the next day when the activities started all over again.
We love every minute of it, don’t we?
The hard parts were precious too. When bullies attacked. Or, the other child was picked for their favorite sport. When the test grades came in and didn’t reflect the amount of time invested in studying for the test. When the friends turned their backs after years of play, closeness and support. Each and every child bringing us closer to the one perfect parent, God the father.
We live each moment, feel each heart ache and pray some more.
in grade school my daughters were high achievers. I felt this reflected well for me as a mom. Then the cavities came, menstrual cylcles appeared and boys were an ever present topic of conversation. Things became more complicated. We rallied on.
Some of my favorite memories included school events where each of our girls gifts and talents shined. Over night sleeping parities with their girl friends and long summer afternoons swimming or doing crafts at the park or at home. Is there anything better than little girl giggles?
Each of these memories hold failures of how I’d do it different if I had to do it again. Wisdom dictates that we learn through our mistakes and change through each hard fought lesson.
Thankfully, our adult daughters have graciously forgiven myself and my husband for our shortcomings. The hardest part was forgiving myself. And the lessons I’ve learned may surprise you.
Some tips for mom
Enjoy your young children. This is a time when you can control how much of the culture and the world that your kids have to endure. You can protect them from sorrows and complexities of the grown up world. Many children today are exposed to subjects too heavy for them to handle. Be happy you can guide them through the influences surrounding them through careful research, your husband’s input and your God-given mother’s intuition. Don’t rush this season! Give yourself grace and lots of love.
Every day, sit with a cup of tea or coffee. Pick up your feet. Meditate on good things. So important for your mental, emotional and physical state. A peaceful mom makes happy kids.
Don’t tackle all your responsibilities without recognizing that the small stuff matters. Make room in your schedule for the mishaps, school phone calls to pick up your sick child or work related crises. Don’t crowd your schedule to the point where you’re racing around all day. Do first things first and leave the rest for another day.
Plan on a kid free date with your husband at least once a week. Talk about anything but the kids, home responsibilities or work. This creates a safe place for communicating the details and problems when life gets hard. A fulfilling marriage will help your children feel secure and cared for by both parents. I’ll go deeper into the relevance of a “working” marriage in next month’s blogpost.
Have fun as a family. Find ways to help your children know that they are valued, integral to the family’s well- being and unconditionally loved. We’ll explore this more in the coming months.
One of this mama’s favorite ways to take time for myself is through reading a good book. So each month I’ll recommend a suspense novel.
This month we’re talking about Misconceptions by Colleen Scott. I met Colleen at an ACFW writers conference. She’s a great mother, writer and friend.
Misconceptions is only 99 cents on kindle today! Buy now!
Book description ~
It's mysterious. And she's too curious.In this pro-life Christian romantic suspense novel, it's the near future. Dominique, an investigative TV news reporter, is sent to solve the mystery of why the birthrate in the United States has dropped precipitously...everywhere except a few small pockets. Undercover at an Ohio hospital, she sidesteps oddly incompetent police and finds herself in a stew of kidnappings and murder threats.Her investigation takes a radical turn when she meets Dr. Joseph Armstrong. His attention makes her heart flutter, but his theory about the birthrate decline makes her heart stutter. It's too strange to even consider, but it's her only lead. Is it romance or a mismatch?Dominique follows the trail into the dangerous underworld of black-market adoptions as Joe and his family are unwittingly drawn into the web of deceit and murder. And when the truth comes out, more than just her story is on the line.
