Thank you, J, for the tag. In no particular order:
1. Humble yourself.
2. DO NOT COMPARE. Yourself or your child. We are unique individuals (how's that for redundancy?)
3. It's fun when you do compare your kid and she/he is ahead of the curve.
4. Don't smile about #3 for too long or you'll look like a fool rather than a proud mama
5. My child is not my own and giving her over to God is the hardest thing I have to do as a mother
6. When in doubt about how to handle a tantrum, kneel down, offer kind words, and give a big hug and kiss. This works with teenagers, too (at least with my students).
*disclaimer: #6 assumes that you do, in fact, dole out consequences for tantrums on a regular basis
7. Making cookies makes everything better
8. Mom really was right.
9. I hate being the bad guy.
10. Never send a child to day care in nice clothes, white clothes, or anything that you'd like to have her/him wear again.
11. It's true: the dog moves from child status to pet status the moment the carrier, filled with an extra 7.5 pounds, glides through the door
12. Read, read, read.
13. Turn to more than one person for advice.
14. When offered advice, smile and say, "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
15. Let your child DO things: brush teeth, help with dinner, fold laundry, put things away, etc. Build in experiences.
16. Teach cleaning up as a way of life from the moment she/he crawls.
17. Stare at her/him in the middle of the night whenever possible.
18. Spend time with other moms, with and without the kids.
19. Schedule date nights.
20. Stop discussing business with husband in front of her/him long before she/he can talk.
21. A night at home, with baby sleeping at a friend's house, can be the most romantic getaway in the world (and cheep, too).
22. Teach Bible memory verses early (I had no idea Pink would have one memorized by now)
23. Humble yourself. Again. A little more. Lit-tle more. There.
24. This should probably be first, but follow Matt. 6:33.
25. Enjoy!
3 comments:
Thanks for playing! Wow, I learned a lot in your 25 months of parenting too! Thank you.
I especially loved the bit about giving her to God. That S. Plath poem I posted recently has a line-
I'm no more your mother
Than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect its own slow
Effacement at the wind's hand.
that's what that poem makes me think of. Not sure she intended it that way, but it is what it means to me.
Oh and your first 3 or 4 really made me laugh. You're quite a talented writer.
Oh so very, very true! Every one. I especially needed numbers 5, 6, and 17. 11 made me laugh. It's amazing how much humility plays into every aspect of parenting. God is really out to teach us something with these wonderful, troublesome little bundles. Great post!
LOVE IT!! I couldn't agree more with all of them :) Ashlynn's first memory verse was Ephesians 6:1- Children obey your parents. I wonder why she knows that so well :)
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