Maximize & Minimize

I heard a speaker recently talk about how we moms tend to maximize our FAILURES and minimize our ACCOMPLISHMENTS. There are so many things during the day that we feel we could have done, should have done, or should have done differently. This will naturally make us discouraged about our role as a parent... and our life in general.

Instead of maximizing our failures and minimizing our accomplishments, the speaker challenged us to:

MAXIMIZE our ACCOMPLISHMENTS and MINIMIZE our FAILURES

We can do this by focusing on the things that we did right, excellent, or things that simply made our kids and our family smile.... like preparing food for them, singing a song, reading a book.... the little things in life are often times the biggest accomplishments! :)

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Parenting Styles

It is easy to judge how others parent, discipline and raise their children. Somehow I find myself believing that the way I parent is better or healthier or more effective. The truth is... parenting is HARD. And the more experience I gain as a parent, the more I realize that every parent does what she or he can with the knowledge, wisdom, resource, and finance that are given to them.

When you first have a child, you have a plan. Some will plan to birth naturally, others will schedule a c-section. Some will plan to breastfeed for a year, others choose to give formula. Some will plan to sleep with their baby, others will choose not to. Some will plan to spank their child, others will choose to discipline a different way.... Well, soon you find out that these are just plans... Sometimes you do the best you can, and it doesn't go as planned.. Other times you realize that what you thought would work, simply doesn't.. so you try something else. This is what happens in the course of parenting.. trial and error.

Having grace and understanding towards the way others parent is crucial... You don't want to be judgmental of others because you never know what their situation is like. It is also important to have a teachable heart.. You can learn A LOT from other moms...and let's face it, we're not even sure if we're doing the right thing half the time!!

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,

because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

1 Peter 5:5

October Fun

Fall is a great time to introduce new experiences to your child. Going to a pumpkin patch is tons of fun because there's so much color. Your child can see different kinds of pumpkin shapes and sizes -tall, wide, extremely heavy, cute & lite! Sometimes pumpkin patches offer other activities like face painting, pony rides and even air bouncers where kids can slide and jump with their shoes off.

Another fun activity to do during this fall season is to make an autumn collage. This is a good sensory experience for the kids. Start by going outside to find different leaves (varying in color, shapes and sizes), or even pine cones, small sticks, or nuts. Bring a box with you to hold the items. Then go inside and talk about what your child found. Use glue to paste the interesting items onto colorful construction paper.

And, as a Halloween alternative, check with your local churches. There are usually fun events going on where you can take your child in costume to enjoy food, fellowship and games in a warm, safe environment.

Great Authors!

Karen Katz & Sandra Boynton are two of our favorite authors! The colorful pictures and playful writing really make babies and toddlers intrigued (and even make them giggle!) Both authors have written and illustrated many books on various topics... including good manners, potty training, sleep, alphabet, etc. You can typically find their books in any stores that carry children's books.

Perspective

God has given my friend a gift of perspective... along with a great attitude and sense of humor.

She was telling me one evening that she can't believe how "some people will spend hours and hours (maybe days) researching and finding the BEST and SAFEST sippy cup for their children... but they will yell and argue with their husband in front of them."

So true right?

I felt convicted when she said this.. not because I spend hours researching on a sippy cup, nor do my husband and I yell at each other in front of our kids... but how often have I invested my time and energy into something that matters so little... and put little investment in something a whole lot more valuable.. Too often.

I pray that God would give me better perspective on life. I pray that I would not waste my time, my emotions, my temper, my money, my anger and fears on things that are of little importance. Rather, I hope that I see the big picture and appreciate, enjoy and most of all, care about things that God wants me to care about.

Expecting the Unexpected

Today, I heard a speaker (a mother of two boys) talk about "expecting the unexpected". She was saying that our life as a mom is like an airplane ride.... there are times when the ride is smooth, times when it's rocky... and some times you may feel like you're going to crash!

Life is already full of unexpected things without kids... but as soon as you conceive, that number seems to multiply by a hundred times. It is good and healthy for us to expect there to be some turbulence throughout our pregnancy, delivery, and post-delivery. So when things occur the way you didn't plan them to... well, let's just pray that we would have the ability, strength and wisdom to seek our omniscient God who sees all and knows all!! Whatever situation we are in, He is there to hold our hand (and your little one's hand too!) and guide the way.

Bibles

Children love stories! Parents cannot go wrong buying childrens Bibles because they are so fun, colorful and full of truth. If you already have one, please don't stop there. Try a Bible by a different publisher. Kids love reading a variety of books on the same subject. My children love their collection of Bibles. They love the different illustrations and colors and familiar stories -like Noah's ark bringing in the animals two by two!

One that was recommended to me is called, "The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name" by Sally Lloyd-Jones.


To find Bibles for your child, visit your nearest Christian book store, a Barnes & Noble or Borders. You can also order online on Amazon or on Christian Websites like, ChristianBook.com.