Parenting is not something I think any parent would say is
easy. It is fun, rewarding and even sometimes inspirational. But just as many
times that you come across fun and rewarding you also come across agitating,
annoying and frustrating times.
There are so many
times life is frustrating because of people outside of your family than within
it. For instance there are so many options out there how to raise your child. From the word go there are choices. Who the OB is going to be? Are you going to deliver with a midwife or a
doctor? What hospital are you going to
deliver at? or Are you going to choose at home birth?
And the choices for raising your child get that much harder
once you have the baby. What diapers to use?
What pediatrician to use? What clothes to put on them? Are you going to
co-sleep or not? Do you do day care and
if so where do you leave your precious bundle of joy? Are you going to nurse your child? If so for
how long? If not or you can’t what formula is best for your baby? Are you going
to vaccinate or not?
As the child gets
older even more harder choices come up such as what school to choose, how to discipline
and setting barriers so you don’t become that ‘way over protective over worrisome
parent.’ Each parent has their own
choice and should never feel judged for the choices that they choose to make
for their children. Though I think
everyone should be handed their options clearly it doesn’t mean if someone
leans one way they made a wrong decision. God gave the child(ren) each parent
has for a reason and he entrusted us to care for them the way that we saw best.
Honestly parenting is not easy and some of the decisions are
not right or wrong. Trust God to lead you with your parenting and He will. Not everyone agrees with my parenting choices
I have made. To be honest I know several people do not agree with them but I am
ok with that. I am ok that they think I have made wrong choices. At first it
irritated me that they seemed to judge the parenting styles I choose because I am
one of those people who leaves parenting to each individual. I don’t think people’s
choices are wrong or insane but that they are made with the child’s best
interest in mind along with many other factors.
Therefore with this in mind I usually think people should be ok with
mine.
I love my babies and would never make a deliberate choice to
harm my children. I also know that God
is leading my husbands and my parenting skills. I think so many people focus on
the nitpicky little things in parenting that they don’t look at the overall big
picture, which is the end result. Getting them from baby to adult hood with as
few issues as possible and able to fit into the society in which we live. “Train up a child in the way they should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 To me this is the most important advice I
have ever read or received. My actions with others and with my children and the
truths I teach them while they are young are what they will take with them into
the future to pass on to generations to come.
My children may not ever be the most well behaved, talented or
most intelligent, but I do know I am training them to face the world out there
and prepared with Jesus as their Lord and leader of their life. With Christ
leading them they will never go astray and that is the most important choice
they will ever make. That is my main focus as I raise my children the rest of
my decisions I pray God helps me make wise choices and if I make a mistake I
pray he helps to keep my children healthy and strong. I also know I cannot guard
them the rest of my life from making their own mistakes and when they do make
mistakes I want them to know that there is forgiveness not just from me as
their mother but from the one who matters most and that is God. If I can show
that I believe in forgiveness when I make my own mistakes I am sure they will
also take this into their future which will help them to be free from worrying
they are constantly going to make a wrong decision wither with parenting or any
other choices which they encounter as they get older.
With God leading me I cannot fail, and as a parent I have to
constantly remember that so that others opinions of my children and of me do
not hinder my path of parenting.
