Reality Discipline is So Helpful Sometimes!

Like any other 6-year-old little boy, my son mostly despises school.  While sitting down to work on our homeschool studies, he would often ask, “Am I almost done with school?”

(Ironman doesn’t like doing school, either.  Genius at work.)

The Balloon

My big girl turned nine Saturday.

My goodness.  Typing that, saying that, thinking that–it all just seems so untrue.  How can nine years fly like that?  But it did…and she’s awesome.

I had a very special gift planned for her.

Lies Like Weeds

You love your husband.  You love your children.

Stress happens.  Emotions change.  Hardships arise.  Lack of sleep. People become difficult.  “Hormones” (pronounced HOR-MOAN-eeeeeez like the aunt on My Big Fat Greek Wedding) happen.  Ugh.

Sometimes love (phileo) is not enough.

The decision to love (agape), the decision to be happy is more love (agape) than love (phileo). The decision to “do everything as unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:23)…the Lord who is all-knowing, all-loving, full of grace, never selfish, always perfect…the decision to just do it for Him makes forbearing and loving (agape) all others possible.

What I’m about to say, I’ve wanted to say for a year of this blog.  I’ve never been able to say it because it’s shameful…it’s one of my deepest darkest secrets that I’ve uttered only to a select few.  Fear of judgement, fear of man, fear of rejection…fear my admission will somehow make it worse???  But our Father has nudged me to share my struggle, getting it from darkness to light, using bad for good.

“Triggers”

I have realized something about myself that makes my job as “Mom” much easier. It’s such a simple thing, but you’ll not believe how much stress I’ve saved myself. It is this: I’ve identified my stress triggers.

My stress triggers are NOISE, MESSES/DISORDER, and LACK OF STRUCTURE.

Don’t Set Your Kids Up for Failure

I feel like I’m a practiced parent.  Not that my husband and I or veterans or anything yet.  (Our oldest is only 8, then 6, nearly 2 and 4 months.) We certainly haven’t figured it all out and have much to learn…heck, we’ve not even entered the teen years or pre-teen years.  (OH, Lord Jesus, be with us when that comes…)

However, I feel like a better parent to my younger two children than I was to my older two children when they were this age.  Naturally, the older children will be the guinea pigs, everyone knows.

I’ve learned, though, that things don’t matter as much as you think they do.  There’s a little more give and take in my parenting.  I’m not so rigid.

Bottom line: With second, third, fourth (plus) kids, you just don’t feel like you’re going to screw them up because you know that if you just remain loving and consistent, they’ll be ok.