Every post I start with an idea, and as I listen to my 5 year old scream as I put her down for a nap, I started to think of another challenge that we all have as mothers.......Planting the right seeds.......... I realize that I have my hands full with her sometimes. She is a very caring person, she loves to do things for "OTHER" people. I know I am not the only parent out there that has a child that has two different sides. I mean when she goes to other peoples houses, she keeps her hands to herself. She sits quietly, and only speaks when it is her turn. She is very helpful, she does the dishes for others and even folds their laundry when asked to. She will sweep their floors, dust their furniture, and even help out with their yard work if asked. Then she comes home.............and she is teasing her brother, pestering her sister, throwing toys on the floor and walking away from them. I guess she saves her best performance for us when I tell her it is "nap time" OH MY GOODNESS!!! she is kicking the walls hitting her bed screaming at the top of her lungs...."I DON'T WANT TO GO TO NAP TIME!!!!!! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO NAP TIME!!!!!" This will go on for about 5 min and then ............silence.............the girl who "wasn't tired" is now so out of it that the world around her doesn't exist anymore. Then I take that silence to reflect and wonder and ...........well............. mostly pray on a solution to this "attitude" that we deal with. Many solutions come to mind, but not a lot are comforting......like "well she is a girl, and she is only going to get more moody, and you had just better accept it now" or "you think she is bad now just wait until she is 13 going on 30 or 18 and thinks she knows it all and does NOT need your advice" These times scare me. Then a verse is brought to mind. Galatians 5:22,23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control" Wow.......... I mean really think of all of those "fruits." Are we as parents really "planting" the right seeds??? Where do you think my 5 year old got her temper from...........that's right her DADDY.......hahaha.........The bottom line is if we are going to raise children with such fruits, then it starts with us. If you want to plant the seed of "self control" in your child well then you had better make sure that next time your child breaks something of yours you just simply say "well it's just stuff. Thank you for coming and telling me and being honest" instead of............."WELL IF YOU WEREN'T THROWING THE BALL IN THE HOUSE LIKE I ASKED YOU NOT TO DO 6,754.56 TIMES THAN THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED WOULD IT!!!???" Easier said than done I know. And we live in a world where we are not the only ones planting seeds so don't be so hard on yourself. The fact is that "weeds" are going to be planted. Weeds of anger, hatred, tempers, jealousy, envy, gossip, slander............so much going on around us, in public, on T.V and even in the music we listen too it is like a dandelion seed blowing in the wind. It is hard to control all of these "weeds" from entering the lives of our children and even us. So then now we have another job to do......Pulling the weeds. Make sure to put a stop to the "weed like behavior" before it takes root. I have my struggles with my children and most of all with my parenting. We are not perfect parents and never will be. We all are going to struggle from time to time, and even have to come to our child's teared up face and tell them that "WE" are sorry. Mistakes will be made and we only wish that we could "wad them up and throw them away" But we do have a perfect example and that is God. So as I sit and enjoy the "before", my 1 year old girl running around with a book and laughing because when you are one everything is funny , and then look at the "after", my 5 year old girl kicking and screaming and disobeying and her unwillingness to help around the house......i brace myself for what's to come, and pray that God gives me strength for when they all turn 18!!!!
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