Busy, busy, busy....Are you too busy?

Do you sometimes feel as if you run from one activity to another?  If you have 2 or more kids, keeping up with all their activities can be a job in itself.  Sports, dance, gymnastics, etc. can take over your children's lives and yours.

Working parents struggle with being a good employee and the many requirements of their job and still being "parent of the year".  There can be a great deal of guilt when you see your child's friends participating in many extra-curricular activities and there is always the feeling that the same thing is expected of you or that your child will miss out on something if they are not involved.

Even the disciples struggled with that feeling...

30  The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.  31 And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.                                                                                                  Mark 6:30-31

Even though the apostles were busy doing the work of the Kingdom, Jesus recognized their need for rest and made sure they set some quiet time aside to replenish their bodies and souls. What a great lesson for us! When our days are scheduled tightly, it creates unnecessary stress and can leave everyone irritable and exhausted. In a culture that glorifies activity, achievement, and "busyness", it can be hard to slow down the pace of our lives and the lives of our children. It takes wisdom to prioritize our activities.

Some ideas that might help:

• Share the responsibility of car-pooling to activities.  
• Limit the number of things that they get involved in at any one time and remember that your child does not need an extra activity every night.  
• Let them help make the choices for what is most important to them.  

Children do need the ability to just be children at times and to nurture their family relationships.  When they grow up and have families of their own they need to have experienced strong family relationships in their childhood to help them be great parents to their children. Make a family night one of your priorities each week.

Also realize that the parent that you are admiring for doing so much with their child is probably facing the same anxiety and parenting struggles that you are.  Learn to share the load and develop a parenting support group with the parents of your children's friends.  Nurture your relationships with other parents and seek out those who can become your "prayer partners", building a team of prayers warriors that will pray for your child and your parenting needs at any time.  

Are there areas where your life, or your children's lives might be over-scheduled?  Make it a priority to provide time for rest and relaxation for everyone in your family including yourself!  Take a break regularly to renew and rejuvenate your mind, heart and soul...it will strengthen you for the parenting journey ahead!

Excerpts from Parenting by Design Daily Devotional

Copycats?

Do you remember irritating your friends, siblings and sometimes even your parents by copying everything they said.  It was a game when it first started, but after awhile it became annoying.  Have your children ever played that little game with you?

Children are natural copycats.  They imitate everything that they see.  It is how they learn...they have to try it out for themselves.  They also want to grow up and be just like their parents which makes the parent very proud.

Sometimes though, the things they learn are not exactly what we want them to learn:

• bad habits
• using bad language
• showing anger
• breaking the law
• stealing

Those are some extreme examples, but think about it for a minute...we ask them to pick up their toys or clean up their room, but we fail to put things away when we are finished with them.  We talk about the dangers of drugs, smoking or overeating, but we indulge in our habits and say, "don't do what I do".  Our language is sometimes less than "God-pleasing", but we just tell our children that those words are only for adults...really?  We show our anger by yelling and screaming and maybe slamming doors or even walking out, but if our child shows a temper they are disciplined and punished.  We talk about obeying the law, but push the speed limits because?????  We talk about honesty and respecting others and their belongings, but we don't think anything about not telling the cashier that they gave us too much change or taking an item or two from work because they'll never miss it.

You would be surprised at how often some of these things are displayed in the child care setting.  When I talk to the child about what occurred I often ask "where did you see that behavior" or "where did you hear those words".  Sadly they often respond by saying "from my daddy or my mommy".


Have you ever held your child accountable for something you failed to do yourself?  We will be much more influential in the lives of our children if we practice what we preach. Why? Because our kids know when we're being hypocritical! When we complain that they do not treat us with respect, we need to be willing to ask ourselves if our actions and attitudes are worthy of their respect.
Do you want your kids to copy your behavior?

Even though your child may spend the major part of their waking hours in daycare or school, you...the parent...are still the greatest influence on your child.  You are the one they are most likely to emulate.

It is difficult to break habits, especially those that you yourself may have grown up with and learned from your parent.  It is time to break that cycle though and for your child's sake live a life that is worthy of copying.  God bless you as you strive to do that and as you raise your little "copycats"!


God's Words of wisdom in Romans 2:21

21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?