Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Are you discouraged?

Today was a good day. The weather was beautiful. We had a productive home school day and on our nature walk we found three black tiger swallow caterpillars which led us to a wonderful science lesson. I took all the girls with me to run errands and they all behaved at Krogers. I felt like a great mom.

Other days though I stumble through the morning exhausted from a four year old who still doesn't sleep through the night. I spend all day correcting bad behavior and get frustrated at the seven year old who has totally forgotten everything she learned the day before. I'm frazzled and tired and crabby.

I think about all those "other" moms who have it together. They never look frazzled!! Their children always obey the first time ( and do it CHEERFULLY!!) and I worry that I'm a failure. I think about the verse that says "my yoke is easy and burden is light" and wonder why I don't feel like being a parent is easy!! I give up control over and over but still the burden is heavy. I believe homeschooling is God's plan for our family but that load is anything but easy. Parenting a larger than normal size family is the same way. I want others to know I believe my children are blessings but I can't seem to bring that joy to my face as I chase down a toddler in the produce aisle!!

Do you struggle with any of these issues? How do you bring back the joy in parenting again?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post. This week I forgot my girls needed to bring in pictures everyday for that day's color. I remembered once and as my girls told me no one else in thier kindergaten class forgot. I can't seem to keep up this year with all 4 in school and all the added activities they're doing. I felt a little better when my one daughter said it was OK I forgot, she didn't mind.