While wondering around one of my favorite think sights I saw this saying: "Don't count down the moments, rather make each moment count."
My mind began wondering on all of the things I have been counting down lately. There are too many things. I am ashamed to say that most of them are for my own selfish reasons. Things like Not being able to wait for this last little peanut to be born, then potty trained (I know let it come first...) I would like the diaper phase to be over. (Honestly I think I can say I won't miss this phase in particular.) I have thought to myself how nice it would be to have my own "space". Tons of things and so I won't take the time to mention them all.
Then I started thinking about the things I have been counting down. Do I want my children in my stewardship to feel like I don't want them around, or out of the way? No. I want them to feel loved, accepted and appreciated. The best way to do that is to do like the quote said and make the most of each moment. Children remember feelings. They remember some of the lessons taught, but mostly how they felt. Am I making their experience something they can look back on with fondness?
It comes back to spending time wisely. What am I doing to make the time enjoyable, not only for myself, but them also. It won't be all that far down the road that I will be wishing they were around more and feeling I have too much time and "space" to myself.
The chances of them coming around more in the future depend on how I make them feel now. If they feel welcomed, cherished and enjoyed, they will be willing to return to that more often than not. So, I need to stop counting the moments and making the moments count.
Showing posts with label child rearing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label child rearing. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Parenting isn't Always Easy
Last Saturday I was listening to a talk in Stake Conference. The whole meeting was centered around the importance of family. The roles of parents, children and husbands and wives. All of the talks were really good, but one stood out more than the others. Maybe because it is close to my heart.
Here is the quote I want to share. I am going to share some feelings afterwords. They aren't doctrine, but I believe them strongly.
"Our responsibility is to love and care for each other"
As Husband and wife we need to love and care for each other, we need to be a strength to one another. We need to support one anothers' growth in the gospel. For each other and our children.
As Parents we need to love and care for our children. No one else can the way we can.
It seems like there has been a lot of awareness on abuse. Both towards children and spouses. This saddens me. People are becoming so selfish and insensitive to the lives of others. It is nothing to torment and kill a child or spouse. I find it hard.
Children are entrusted, by a Heavenly Father who loves them, to us. Now I know He is aware of each of his children, we have been told by a modern day prophet.
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008): “Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. … Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried” (“Words of the Living Prophet,” Liahona, May 1998, 26–27; “Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, July 1997, 73).
I guess, my thoughts are that as parents, we may be the only ones who are going to stick up for our children. If we don't, no one else will. Sometimes we have to put aside our own fears to help these little ones feel safe and secure, in other words, loved, and cared for. That is our responsibility. If we don't we are letting them down, we are failing them.
Here is the quote I want to share. I am going to share some feelings afterwords. They aren't doctrine, but I believe them strongly.
"Our responsibility is to love and care for each other"
As Husband and wife we need to love and care for each other, we need to be a strength to one another. We need to support one anothers' growth in the gospel. For each other and our children.
As Parents we need to love and care for our children. No one else can the way we can.
It seems like there has been a lot of awareness on abuse. Both towards children and spouses. This saddens me. People are becoming so selfish and insensitive to the lives of others. It is nothing to torment and kill a child or spouse. I find it hard.
Children are entrusted, by a Heavenly Father who loves them, to us. Now I know He is aware of each of his children, we have been told by a modern day prophet.
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008): “Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. … Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried” (“Words of the Living Prophet,” Liahona, May 1998, 26–27; “Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, July 1997, 73).
I guess, my thoughts are that as parents, we may be the only ones who are going to stick up for our children. If we don't, no one else will. Sometimes we have to put aside our own fears to help these little ones feel safe and secure, in other words, loved, and cared for. That is our responsibility. If we don't we are letting them down, we are failing them.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Motherhood
I have had all of these thoughts go through my head at one time or another. I love being a mother! I love watching my children grow like weeds and experiencing each new day.
However, I have moments when I think It would be nice to work out side of the home. There are so many "benefits". I think I could have extra money. People would recognize my accomplishments. My productivity would be higher. Talking to adults would be something that took a majority of my time, jibberish would be part time. Some one else could do the potty training, I would just do follow up. My house would be cleaner, cause no one would be there to mess it up.
Then after letting these thoughts roll around on the brain I realize there would be many things I would miss, they would pass me by. For example I might miss my children's firsts. Someone else would be there to wipe tears when they fall down and skin their knee. I would miss their coming home from school and telling me about their day, the good or bad. They would be raised with someone else's expectations, values, principles, maybe even morals. They might turn to someone else when they are hurt. I would miss out on many of the little things they say in innocence. I would miss hearing them play with each other, laughing at each other, even if it is out of mischievousness. There is so many things I would miss. Numbering them would be impossible.
I have come to the conclusion in all of this thinking, that I am lucky to be home with my little ones. There are many out there who would love the chance and for one reason or other aren't able.
Don't get me wrong, many times a day I catch myself praying for patience, confort, creativity, patience again, words, a sense of humor, patience, knowledge, understanding, a blind eye, patience....I think you get the idea. I pray for these and many other blessings in my day to day. That is how I do it. I am not always perfect, in fact often I fall quite short. But, I do find comfort in the tought that there are others experiencing this season of life the same as I.
These are just a few of my thoughs as of late. Did I mention that I have to pray for patience?
However, I have moments when I think It would be nice to work out side of the home. There are so many "benefits". I think I could have extra money. People would recognize my accomplishments. My productivity would be higher. Talking to adults would be something that took a majority of my time, jibberish would be part time. Some one else could do the potty training, I would just do follow up. My house would be cleaner, cause no one would be there to mess it up.
Then after letting these thoughts roll around on the brain I realize there would be many things I would miss, they would pass me by. For example I might miss my children's firsts. Someone else would be there to wipe tears when they fall down and skin their knee. I would miss their coming home from school and telling me about their day, the good or bad. They would be raised with someone else's expectations, values, principles, maybe even morals. They might turn to someone else when they are hurt. I would miss out on many of the little things they say in innocence. I would miss hearing them play with each other, laughing at each other, even if it is out of mischievousness. There is so many things I would miss. Numbering them would be impossible.
I have come to the conclusion in all of this thinking, that I am lucky to be home with my little ones. There are many out there who would love the chance and for one reason or other aren't able.
Don't get me wrong, many times a day I catch myself praying for patience, confort, creativity, patience again, words, a sense of humor, patience, knowledge, understanding, a blind eye, patience....I think you get the idea. I pray for these and many other blessings in my day to day. That is how I do it. I am not always perfect, in fact often I fall quite short. But, I do find comfort in the tought that there are others experiencing this season of life the same as I.
These are just a few of my thoughs as of late. Did I mention that I have to pray for patience?
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