Parenting

Parenting is no easy task. When struggling to start a family it is hard not to judge and ponder what kind of parent you will be and how you want to raise your kids. You might fantasize about all the moments you might one day have with your children. You might even find yourself watching other parents with upset children and wish anything that you could have an upset child with you. The reality is that no matter how long you think about those situations when you are finally there it isn't any easier than you might have once thought. There are so many things we can do to prepare for parenthood and no matter your circumstance they are important things to do. There are so many types of situations that you will run into as a parent and each one will take practice and patience on your part. 

One thing that I think is important to think about is that as parent you will make mistakes. That is inevitable. But what you do after that mistake could make all the difference. Something that could really strengthen your relationship with your child is apologizing to them when you make a mistake. I think sometimes in parenting people are afraid to admit when they have made a mistake and think that it will make them look bad. The best thing that we can do for our children is be an example for them. 

As we are examples to our children they will learn many different things from us this way. We learn so many things from our parents. One thing that is really cool to think about that really represents how much influence we have on our children is that often times the way we see our parents is the same way we see God. This can have major affects on our life and the outlook we have. For example if you view your parents as being very patient, loving and kind you might view God the same way. This can affect they way that you look at life. If you have a good view of God when hard things come up you are more likely to be patient and have a positive outlook. If you see your parents negatively such as selfish and mean you might see God that way and view him as unfair or unloving which can impact the way you see the world. You might become more stressed and upset in hard times.

As you can see there are so many powerful influences that we have on our children. It is so important to be intentional in the way that we parent. Now parenting is not always easy. And sometimes you might need to take a break. Taking a break is not a bad thing as long as you go back to it. If something is hard in parenting and you leave the problem and don't return it can be so damaging to a child. This is such an important skill to learn early in parenthood. 

Some of the best lessons that we can teach our children are from natural consequences. It can be hard to let our children make mistakes and mess up but this is often when they learn the best. We do need to make sure we are not knowingly putting our children in danger, if the lessons won't be learned till too far in the future or if others are getting harmed. Natural consequences can lead to better brain development in children as well. 

Being a parent is hard, but so worth it if done correctly.