Have you gone to a baby shower where they ask you to write down advice for the Mom to be? I've done it, but wow is it difficult to give Motherly advice in only one or two sentences. You see, I think Motherhood / Parenthood is an on-going learning process. As we go through different seasons with our children we learn and grow together.
I won't even be able to say everything I want in this one blog post. I'm going to try and not sound cliche' BUT please enjoy being pregnant. Yes, there are days when you are bone tired and some when you are even sick as a dog but it is a priceless time and such a beautiful gift. We are in the process of getting our closets done, so we had to empty them all and the contents are scattered about the house. My girls had so much fun looking through their bins of baby items. My middle daughter found the journal I kept for her while I was pregnant. We sat down to read it and y'all I cried like a baby! So, my first piece of advice would be to record it. Whether it's a notebook or a fancy journal...write it down. All of it, the good and the bad. It is such a gift for your child to be able to read your own personal words written to them while they were growing inside!
I won't even be able to say everything I want in this one blog post. I'm going to try and not sound cliche' BUT please enjoy being pregnant. Yes, there are days when you are bone tired and some when you are even sick as a dog but it is a priceless time and such a beautiful gift. We are in the process of getting our closets done, so we had to empty them all and the contents are scattered about the house. My girls had so much fun looking through their bins of baby items. My middle daughter found the journal I kept for her while I was pregnant. We sat down to read it and y'all I cried like a baby! So, my first piece of advice would be to record it. Whether it's a notebook or a fancy journal...write it down. All of it, the good and the bad. It is such a gift for your child to be able to read your own personal words written to them while they were growing inside!
The next thing I would tell parents to be is take photos! With the technology available to us today you can take pictures from just about anywhere. You will not regret having all of these photos when your children are grown up.
Moms and Dads, these little ones do not come with instruction manuals and when you leave the hospital you are on your own! Don't worry! We all make mistakes. Parenting is hard and every single parent messes up. I will even say, I make mistakes probably every single day! Don't beat yourself up about it. Do your best and love your children with all your heart. They were given to you for a reason. God knows what he is doing. Trust Him and all will work out just fine.
Be a team. As your kids get older and behavior issues arise; work as a team. Don't let your children pin Mom against Dad...because believe me they will try. Stand firm and let them know you work as one. Also, remember you are the parents. Don't let advice from Great Aunt or Grandparents make you feel inadequate. You're doing an amazing job and don't ever think otherwise!!!
I'm a work in progress, but try not to sweat the small stuff. Life is short. Life is hard. Love with all your might; say you're sorry for when you mess up (this will teach your child to apologize too); Be patient with yourself, your spouse and your children; Still do adult things...don't lose yourself along the way; Keep God at the center of it all and you won't get off track.
The next thing I would tell parents to be is take photos! With the technology available to us today you can take pictures from just about anywhere. You will not regret having all of these photos when your children are grown up.
Moms and Dads, these little ones do not come with instruction manuals and when you leave the hospital you are on your own! Don't worry! We all make mistakes. Parenting is hard and every single parent messes up. I will even say, I make mistakes probably every single day! Don't beat yourself up about it. Do your best and love your children with all your heart. They were given to you for a reason. God knows what he is doing. Trust Him and all will work out just fine.
Be a team. As your kids get older and behavior issues arise; work as a team. Don't let your children pin Mom against Dad...because believe me they will try. Stand firm and let them know you work as one. Also, remember you are the parents. Don't let advice from Great Aunt or Grandparents make you feel inadequate. You're doing an amazing job and don't ever think otherwise!!!
I'm a work in progress, but try not to sweat the small stuff. Life is short. Life is hard. Love with all your might; say you're sorry for when you mess up (this will teach your child to apologize too); Be patient with yourself, your spouse and your children; Still do adult things...don't lose yourself along the way; Keep God at the center of it all and you won't get off track.
Encourage your children. Teach them to be kind. Teach them to see the beauty in the people and the world around them. Remind them that things may not always turn out they way they hope; but if they believe in themselves nothing is impossible. So, I could go on and on...but you'll learn as you go. You have a blank slate and a beautiful canvas to work with. Be thankful for each day and enjoy the journey!
Parenting isn't a practice. It's a daily learning experience. ~ Author Unknown
