Posts Tagged "parenting"
Monday Musings: Sacrifice
I think a lot of parents nowadays have this notion that their lives shouldn’t really change all that much when they have children. They envision themselves doing all the same things they usually did, but with a baby and accompanying gear in tow. I was certainly like that before Abby was born. I didn’t want to become one of those mothers whose entire life is wrapped up in her children, who has no identity apart from that of Mother. I think it’s all related to the intense individualism that is preached in the Western world, and also to the “American Dream” that we’re told to strive for. Let nothing and no one hold you back; you can do...
Read MoreThursday Thoughts: Golden Rule Parenting
This is a pretty loaded topic, and one that could fill numerous pages, but since others have said it better than me, I’m going to skip all the doctrinal and theological arguments and just share my heart on the topic of discipline. (For some of those doctrinal and theological arguments, check out Arms of Love Fellowship and Why Not Train a Child.) Here’s the thing: When I read the Bible, I don’t see a God who punishes His people. He disciplines, yes, and allows the consequences of their actions to be experienced, but He does not inflict further shaming, guilting, or pain on top of what the child has already reaped. (His dealings with those who are not...
Read MoreMonday Musings: It’s a Matter of Trust
(Fair warning for the guys–I’m talking about birth in this post. Just wanted to give you a heads-up. Skip the third paragraph if that squicks out you.) When I think about all the parenting decisions I’ve made–especially the ones that raise eyebrows or draw criticism–I see that trust is integral in why I do what I do. In some cases, it’s about trusting God–trusting Him to draw my children to Him, trusting the Spirit to work in their lives, trusting the Scriptures that tell me there’s nothing I can do to *ensure* my children will follow God, but that the decision is up to God. It’s my job to point them to Him.In some...
Read MoreThursday Thoughts: The Life of a Gentle Christian Mother
When I was pregnant with Abby, suddenly everyone around me became an expert on parenting, even if they didn’t have kids of their own. I took everything with a grain of salt, because I, like those other childless experts, already knew how I was going to raise my children. As an education major, I’d taken child development and other classes that, once I was done with them, left me with my own firm beliefs on the Right Way to parent. Time in the church nursery helped me reach those opinions as well. I vividly remember one couple dropping off their nine-month-old for the first time and requesting that we page them immediately if she started crying. I assured them...
Read MoreThursday Thoughts: Pass it on
Well, Abby did it. She got her sewing machine on Tuesday. Of course the first thing she did was select a new face plate, though she decided it was too plain and went to work on it with my Sharpies to add some tulips. Too cute! Wednesday she insisted I teach her how to sew. I know a little–a very little–about sewing machines and sewing in general. But I’m great at reading directions, too, so between what I already knew and the manual we were able to get the thing up and running and get her started. Truthfully, I didn’t want to spend my entire day on this. I was expecting to set her up with some scrap fabric and let her practice straight stitches,...
Read More
Recent Comments