Children are a Miracle? What?

You often hear children are a miracle from God.  Is that really true?  Have you ever noticed how when a child is an infant, they are so cute, sweet, loving, and you just love holding them.  You can’t ever get enough, yes you get tired, and miss your sleep and doing things pre-baby, but it is all worth it.  Then eventually they turn into children of the devil.  Not all kids, but a lot of kids, they don’t listen anymore, they talk back, they disrespect parents and others.  They just don’t care.  And as parents its our job to lead to them to the Lord and hope that they will be God’s miracle. I’m NOT saying all kids are bad.  But a lot of them are turning out to be evil kids.  When as parents is it going to be enough?

This part below is things I read and found very interesting a good. I wanted to share because I agree 100%

It all comes down to who is really in charge of your family.” Many parents are so concerned about being their child’s friend — not hurting their child’s feelings or making sure that their child is always happy — that they fail to parent well.   The goal of parenting is not to create happy kids; rather, it’s to create responsible kids. Why do some kids try to become the so-called “alpha dogs” of their families? Some kids will start to compete with their parents for power from an early age. Instead of following through on the adults’ wishes, they’ll be more interested in controlling their siblings and calling all the shots in the house. Parents are often initially afraid to stand up to a child who’s bossing everyone around. This might be because there’s been a parenting gap all the while, or because they depend on this child to supervise the other kids when they’re gone. At some point, their younger kids will surmise that the adults cannot protect them from their “bossy” sibling. Once the younger kids believe they aren’t safe, then they have to make their own separate deals with that sibling. And that deal usually involves giving in to him and following his lead.  Sometimes these “alpha dog” kids are funny, so they become clowns and make unkind jokes at their parents’ expense. By the way, I’m not talking about a child who makes a harmless joke, I’m talking about one who will put his parents down and make demeaning comments about them. His siblings laugh at those jokes because they’re more afraid of his power than they are of their parents’ authority. And why shouldn’t they be? When this dynamic is controlling a family, the dominant child is much more powerful and has a greater impact on their lives than the parents do. As things build to a head, the parents feel less and less in control and more and more perplexed and overwhelmed by what’s happening. Often, they are not really sure what to do. A family in this situation has really hit a level where they aren’t functioning in a healthy way anymore. You have to set limits on any child who is trying to run the family and hold him accountable. Parents are afraid that if they say, “Go to your room,” their dominant child will say, “Screw you!” if your child does something inappropriate and you don’t give him any consequences, you’re really going to look powerless. If you try to avoid a scene because you’re afraid you’re going to lose face, what tends to happen is that your child will slowly gain more and more power. I’ve found that the gut reactions of many parents in this situation are often wrong. They might think, “We’ll let him slide this time; we’ll just negotiate with him later.” But they’re negotiating with the wrong person, because what this child wants more than anything is to maintain power and control—and unfortunately, his parents are handing it to him on a platter. When your younger kids act out, don’t make excuses for their behavior.

This part is my thoughts…..

So if our kids future is on us, do you want them to fail or succeed?  For me I want my kids to make something of themselves. I see it to much where kids think they are the boss, parents really don’t do a lot to punish them because of different reasons. They are scared of Child Protective Services, going to jail, losing their kids to the system etc… I say this, let someone call CPS because I spanked my child on the butt, let them take them to a Foster home, I will eventually get them back when I’m proven to not be an abusive parent. Yes, it will kill me to lose my kids, but I guarantee a week in a Foster home will open their eyes to the reality of what they have with me.  Watching a child who is not a baby anymore, act like one, or watching a child act like he’s the boss and is told over and over again to stop and yet continues to do it and there is no true discipline what does that say about the parent/s?  When do you step back and say I need to parent, and stop being lazy, or worrying about upsetting my child, or being their friend, its time now because I’m running out of time?  Do you want your child to live with you forever, because NO one will hire them or they can’t hold a job, or they can’t find a mate because of their attitude?  I know for me I don’t want to and I won’t.  I will kick my kids out, before they live off of me because they think they run the world.  But doesn’t it bother you as well when your child is an embarrassment and people look at you and think wow?    I understand the world is so afraid to spank their kids, they think “time out” is the answer. Please, that is a joke.  The bible states in  Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.   Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. Proverbs 23:13-14 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.  I know that we all have our way of disciplining a child, but ask yourself is your way really working out if you have no control over your child/ren?

Children and Parenting

Over the past month I have sat back and really started to look at myself and my parenting.  I have realized that I am very on and off, I am selfish at times and don’t want to do things that my kids want to do. I don’t believe as parents we should always give in and do what our kids want to do, but I think it’s a give and take.  We shouldn’t always say no to having fun, going to the park, watching cartoons, reading etc…with our children because we are tired, or just want to be left alone.  I wanted kids and I thought I would be a different type of mom. At the beginning I was a different mom.  My life rotated around my kids, we were outside a lot, watching T.V., playing in the house, making a mess and then cleaning it up.  I can blame my life, I can say my depression has taken over my life with my kids, my husband’s infidelity, the lack of him being involved to my standards, but is that really fair?  Why point the fingers at someone else for lacking, when I should be the one picking up the slack and doing what other people are not doing.  There are plenty of parents out there, that have no one and they go out of their ways for their kids and at times have to say no, mommy or daddy is tired, let me rest and maybe tomorrow we will do whatever it is.  Kids grow to fast, we want them to hurry up, but then want them to slow down at the same time. 

We as parents also like to judge other parents and the way they parent, I am guilty of it.  I haven’t done it as much anymore, actually I really don’t do it anymore at all.  I realized that I’m not one to talk, my kids are not perfect, and though I’m trashing someone else for the way they parent, my kids do things that I’m sure other parents go wow really how could that mom allow her kid to …. Yesterday I was talking to my kids and we started laughing because my oldest told me, “mom, look my birthday is first and I’m the oldest, then sisters is second and she’s the middle and brothers is last and he’s the youngest.”  I thought wow, that is true that is not how I planned it or anything but their birthdays do fall in the order of their birth.  Well having a SS, they said but his is after all of ours and he’s the oldest, and so the comment was made but that’s not mama’s son, if he was he wouldn’t be so bad, because mommy would spank him until he listened.  And then questions were asked all the way to school, such as mommy how come his mom lets him talk back, why does he think he’s the boss, why can he make decisions, why does she try to say we do things he use to do, when we are not as bad as him, I don’t think he loves his mom because if he did he wouldn’t be so mean to her and at that point I had to stop them and tell them, every parent is different and they allow their kids to do things differently.  I have no clue how to answer some of their questions when it comes to their half-brother, just because I don’t know the answers.  I have been explaining to them that they can talk to me about anything and anyone without repercussions and boy they are. So it makes it really hard because I don’t want to talk about things with them, because I don’t want to say the wrong things, or say something that makes them think its ok, when it’s not.  So I have to figure out the boundaries on this and when it is age appropriate.

Selfishness is a big deal, I have told myself several times, how can you expect your kids not to be selfish if you’re selfish, not to lie when you do, to be honest, when you’re not and to keep their word, when you don’t always keep it yourself.  We are our children’s biggest influence and when we are negative or don’t keep our word, we can’t expect our kids to be the opposite.  My life has been full of selfishness especially when it comes to church and God. I know that it’s ok to make mistakes, and we all do, but we have to say I’m wrong and fix it and attempt not to do it again.  My oldest daughter is questioning if God is real or not.  She has told me she is not sure if she believes in Jesus or heaven and hell. It hurt my heart and i didn’t know what to say or how to deal with it. So i left it alone until we got to church.  I spoke to someone about it, and she made me feel better.  It’s ok for her to question it, she is young, and she will get it, i have laid the foundation and she has to plant her own seed.  The one thing after coming home and researching things about children and God and talking to the faculty at my church last night, most kids question it because they don’t see Jesus walking across the room, or sitting down.  He’s not human form, and that most kids who never question it or wonder is usually because they don’t vocalize it and the reason is because they want mom and/or dad to be happy, so they hold it in and never really say hey, i don’t know if i believe in it.  Also the other big one is do we lead a Godly example to our children. I can say NO i don’t.  I am by far the worse when it comes to that.  I had a conversation with their dad last night about it, and how things have to change when it comes to the way we are.  My children’s salvation is very important to me.  I don’t want to be the reason they question it, but I’m also not one to shove it down their throat, when i see some kids not really want to do it, but they do it to please their parent/s or that is the only time they spend with them in a positive way.

Church is a hard one for me, i love my home church, the pastor has great messages, the worship team is hard for me because i feel like some of them are not so real, they are on stage putting on a show.  So it’s hard for me, but that is something i have to work through with God and myself.  I also have some issues with staff members at the church and it has made me want to not go there, but my kids love that church and they have made connections with people, rather its the staff or other kids they have a love for that church.  I do attend another church, but my kids really hate it. I have asked my oldest why do you tell “T” that you like it, and she said she lied to her because “T” likes the church and so she wants to like it to make “T” happy. I told her no, if you don’t like something tell the truth.  So even though I like the church’s messages so far, i really need to rethink if this is a church to continue going to, mainly because they are not really getting anything out of it.  I can’t be selfish on this one, because i know Jesus is real, but they are young and still learning about him. 

So with the whole I Quit My Life, I also Quit My Parenting (old version).  I have to start a new beginning with my kids.  I love my kids and they deserve a mom who is going to be unselfish, and realize that they are going to grow up and if they fail it’s because of me. I understand that they will be able to change and not make the same mistakes I have made as a mom, but i am setting the foundation and the foundation is what holds everything up, but i also don’t want them grow up saying i wish my mom would have…..I want them to say my mom tried to do the best she could.  No my kids will not always get their way, i will still be strict, but i am going to have to push my rules and stand my ground no matter who is around or what others believe, i have been pretty good on that one, but at times i slack and i don’t follow through.  That has to STOP, i have to ALWAYS follow through.  Do more with my kids, and get over that fear of doing it alone because of what other people might think which is probably nothing negative.  When it comes to church and God, i have to focus on me and my 3 kids and do what i feel is best, and not worry about anyone else any longer, i tend to not go because i think about my husband and what if he wants to come to church, is it to far, or whatever else, there really isn’t a church that is to far for him to go, but i do have to look at times, because he does have to go to work, but most churches have different times to go, i also have to make sure it’s a church my kids are happy with as well as myself.  Going to church last night, and being questioned by my daughter on why someone else didn’t show up and not having the answers, she took it upon herself and called her. I’m not sure what was said, and what all was asked, i didn’t really pay attention, i was walking and it was cold.  When she did get off the phone, she said mommy i hung up on “T’. I said what, so she repeated herself. I said no you didn’t, she said, “yes” i told her, “I’m hanging up now.” I laughed because she didn’t hang up on her, but doesn’t really get the meaning. I was shocked she didn’t ask if i wanted to talk to her.  She said mommy, we should have went and picked up “C” because he wanted to come to church, but his mom didn’t want to bring him.  Why?  I ignored her and didn’t know what to say or how to respond, so i changed it and told her to call her dad real quick.  I am really seeing that my oldest is very curious about everything, and is like a sponge and soaks everything up.  She then kept pressing the issue on why didn’t “T’ bring “C” to church and then said, she should have brought him, he needs to have a better heart.  I continued to let it go and i eventually turned up the radio to get her mind off of it.  But she is right, we as parents sometimes don’t do things because it is not beneficial for us, or because we have a million other reasons not to do it.  Does that make it right?  Should our kids sacrifice time with God or with good role models because of our own selfish reasons?  I don’t know the reasoning on why things happen or don’t happen, all i can do is pray and hope for the best. 

****I know this is long, but i have so much on my mind when it comes to my kids and parenting. What is right for me and my family, may not be right for everyone else.  This is my thoughts and my wants for my kids.  God is a priority to me and if i fail to lead them to him its my fault because i am not giving them the material needed to learn and accept him in their life.  I think for then next few blogs i will be talking about parenting and my kids and things i see and agree or disagree with.******