Friday, July 12, 2019

Deposits

“Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” (Charles R. Swindoll)

Everyone knows that parenting is at the same time wonderful and stressful. When we have children, we know that we'll be parents for life. It would be nice if everything always went as planned with parenting, but this isn't a movie and that's not reality. During the times when you feel like you want to pull your hair out, take a step back and breathe. Take a nap, turn on some music, but remember that no matter what, you'll be OK.
You will live to parent another day and your kids will be just fine. Embrace the chaos and do the best job you can. Your reward will be those beautiful reflections of you. There are some lessons that life experience will teach you. Then there is other education that no one tells you about when you become a parent. Unless you press an older family member or friend, you may not get the crucial details of child-rearing.

1.   There will be times when you can't stand your children-We all know those parents who say parenting is always wonderful, but I think we'll agree they're a little off. Parenting is a joy, but sometimes our children make us want to scream. They hide things, they lie, and they fight. They do one or the other every day. There is no off switch and you have to be on guard. There will be more times than you can count when you'll need a vacation from your children.

There will be times when they do things that will have you scratching your head. The only thing you can do is try to remember how we were when we were children, and try to guide them to the right decision. Our responsibility as a parent is to teach and guide our children to embrace what makes them special.

2.   There's no one-size-fits-all solution to deal with problems-Wouldn't life be great if you could just use one method to deal with your children every time? All of our children are different and have to be handled in the best way to fit their unique personalities.

Trying to do the same thing for each child will only lead to extra stress for you. We shouldn't try to get them to conform; we should teach them that they are special just the way they are. There are enough parents who will teach their children to always color within the lines, but just outside of those lines is where the magic happens.

3.   All the parenting books in the world won't help-Don't get me wrong; there are some books that can help you with a few things. However, parenting is a unique experience and there are no books for some of the crazy situations you'll deal with. A lot of things you'll figure out on your own, or in all reality, you'll learn from your mistakes. Read some trusted parenting books to get a clue, but prepare to be quick on your feet and ready to handle the unexpected. Learn how to write your own manual and go back to it when you need it.

 

4.   Being a parent is one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do-Parenting is a hard job that doesn't hand out raises for a job well done. There will be times when you question why you even had children. Despite the craziness and chaos, children are amazing. They're the best of us and have the opportunity to do all the things we've always wanted for our life.

 
Children are a joy and privilege that we get to experience. They are our legacy and will carry our heritage to the next generation. There are many who would love to be parents, but don't have that opportunity. Being able to parent children is something we should always be grateful for even in the hard times.

5.   It's a lifelong 24/7 commitment-When we have children, we know that we'll be parents for life, but what we don't realize is that you're on call 24/7 and that never ends. When they have problems, you have to be there. When they eventually go off on their own and have problems, they will call you. Be prepared to put your children needs before your own. You don't have to have all the answers, but you do have to be prepared to be that shoulder for them to cry on. Take some time for you, but commit to doing something that's bigger than yourself.

 “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” (Frederick Douglass)[i]




[i] Sources used:
·        “13 hard truths about parenting no one wants to believe” By Shana Lebowitz
·        “Things No One Tells You about Being a Parent” By Kimanzi Constable

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