Parenting

Parenting is so hard (even with these doll-faces 😍). A few nights ago, it had been a really, really long day of parenting. Matt and I were JUST.SO.DONE.

And it wasn’t because they were all throwing thunderous tantrums or behaving badly. It was just the incessant needs, wants, questions, demands, drinks of water, snacks, over, and over, and over again.

I remember sitting down that night, trying to write something inspiring, but the truth was, I didn’t feel inspired. I felt exhausted. Tired.

But in the last few days, a book I read came to mind, called “The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Transform Your Family”. I remember reading this part about how we get frustrated by the fact that our children continue to need PARENTING (like why don't they get it the first time? 😜).

We are frustrated that they are five years old and can’t tie their own shoes yet. We are frustrated that we have to continue to repeat ourselves. We are frustrated when they want us to read one more story. We are frustrated when they interrupt OUR agenda.

“We’re often mad at our children, not because they have broken God’s law, but because they have gotten in the way of the laws of our peace and comfort. And sadly, there are moments when we are mad that our children need us to walk down the hall and parent them once more.” Paul David Tripp

GUT.CHECK.

The truth is, parenting is my J O B. It is my greatest calling. And I don’t get to be frustrated because they are little and immature and dependent and need me to teach them over and over and over again. I don’t get to be angry that they sometimes interrupt my free time or wake me up earlier than I want.

So this is what I will working on over here. I need to save my discipline, my instruction for when they are breaking God’s law, not for when I am tired at the end of a long day, and they ask for another sip of water.