When it Comes Back 'Round
I have two pre-teen daughters.
It can be quite a challenge at times.
My eldest is eleven and she's been in the process of changing into a little lady for a few years now. It's been rough! My previous parenting techniques stopped working once she hit puberty. I've had a lot of frustrating parenting moments since.
I love getting to pray and my continual prayer for my eldest is that I would love her well. That's my prayer because I feel like I fail to do so often... It takes work to connect. She's not a talker like me, she's a doer, so I have to put in the effort and be intentional in meeting her where she's at, in connecting in ways that make her feel the love I have for her.
In the area of parenting her, I've had to change my approach. I've had to let go of all the little things and give her the freedom to grow into her own. To let her try new things, make mistakes, and learn. It's been quite the growing experience for me and I feel as moms we always are wondering if we're doing a good enough job. I try to make sure she feels loved. I work so hard to be patient. I encourage her as best as I know how. I LOVE my daughter more than life and I just want to do a good job loving and encouraging her!
Yesterday, I got a huge encouragement! A unexpected show that I'm making a difference. That I'm loving my daughter well. That how I treat her, how I encourage her, how I love on her is making a difference to her.
The baby has been struggling to sleep, teeth, all of it! It's been a long phase, or a series of lots of little ones, I can't tell. Regardless, it's been a lot of tired Mom and sometimes grumpy mom. Yesterday, I was making a desperate attempt to put the baby down after he'd been up for hours!
As I went into my room to put him down, I heard my eldest daughter's words float through the door. "Good job Mom for trying to put down brother." That was it. My heart swelled with love! My daughter encouraging me! It warmed my heart in so many ways. First, it made me count my hard work of putting the baby to sleep as an accomplishment. Second, and more important to me, my daughter has heard so many times "good job" and she was giving that loving encouragement back to me!
I feel like that is a "Victory!" moment in motherhood, when your kids show you love back. It means that you've impressed that upon them, that they have felt your love countless times and it's sunk in deep to the core of who they are.
So Dear Mama, in the trenches of motherhood, on the good days and bad, through the years and years you are pouring love into your babies. That love takes root in their hearts and someday will grow into beautiful things that you will get to see. Feel honored that you get to be apart of building the next generation and loving in a way that changes everything!
-Joy
If you've been encouraged, please share!
It can be quite a challenge at times.
My eldest is eleven and she's been in the process of changing into a little lady for a few years now. It's been rough! My previous parenting techniques stopped working once she hit puberty. I've had a lot of frustrating parenting moments since.
I love getting to pray and my continual prayer for my eldest is that I would love her well. That's my prayer because I feel like I fail to do so often... It takes work to connect. She's not a talker like me, she's a doer, so I have to put in the effort and be intentional in meeting her where she's at, in connecting in ways that make her feel the love I have for her.
In the area of parenting her, I've had to change my approach. I've had to let go of all the little things and give her the freedom to grow into her own. To let her try new things, make mistakes, and learn. It's been quite the growing experience for me and I feel as moms we always are wondering if we're doing a good enough job. I try to make sure she feels loved. I work so hard to be patient. I encourage her as best as I know how. I LOVE my daughter more than life and I just want to do a good job loving and encouraging her!
Yesterday, I got a huge encouragement! A unexpected show that I'm making a difference. That I'm loving my daughter well. That how I treat her, how I encourage her, how I love on her is making a difference to her.
The baby has been struggling to sleep, teeth, all of it! It's been a long phase, or a series of lots of little ones, I can't tell. Regardless, it's been a lot of tired Mom and sometimes grumpy mom. Yesterday, I was making a desperate attempt to put the baby down after he'd been up for hours!
As I went into my room to put him down, I heard my eldest daughter's words float through the door. "Good job Mom for trying to put down brother." That was it. My heart swelled with love! My daughter encouraging me! It warmed my heart in so many ways. First, it made me count my hard work of putting the baby to sleep as an accomplishment. Second, and more important to me, my daughter has heard so many times "good job" and she was giving that loving encouragement back to me!
I feel like that is a "Victory!" moment in motherhood, when your kids show you love back. It means that you've impressed that upon them, that they have felt your love countless times and it's sunk in deep to the core of who they are.
So Dear Mama, in the trenches of motherhood, on the good days and bad, through the years and years you are pouring love into your babies. That love takes root in their hearts and someday will grow into beautiful things that you will get to see. Feel honored that you get to be apart of building the next generation and loving in a way that changes everything!
-Joy
If you've been encouraged, please share!
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