We had a fabulous, well mostly fabulous, day. A day filled with family. Morning at church, birthday party for my nephew, and an evening of carving pumpkins and taking a walk on an unusually warm, 75 degree, October day in the Midwest.
We ended the day with a family meeting. Since our youngest started school last year our life has been a whirlwind, run by everyone else's schedule but ours, seemingly. Scouts on Monday, sport practices, homework, job, meetings........blah! What really matters seems to be pushed by the wayside. God and family connection. We haven't been functioning well in their absence. Jerry and I are impatient, stressed and scatter-brained. The boys are overly rambunctious, restless and disobedient. Having three boys, I understand boy-ness. This is different, it's beginning to lean on the side of dysfunction! This life is foreign to us. Not normal.
I see families who are "on the go" constantly and appear to be raising successful families. I wish I could be a fly on the wall in those homes for one day. Is it real? Is it attainable? This ideal family? Are other parents having the same discussions Jerry and I have when their kids go to bed? Do they really have it all together? Or just think they do?
Being a parent is tricky. I think Jerry and I are pretty good at it. We make mistakes with our kids but try to teach humbleness by confessing and asking forgiveness from them. We instill discipline and boundaries, but as of late, not as consistently as their earliest years. Is what we are seeing a result of that? Is this a new phase I'm experiencing, adolescence? Ugh! I have so many questions and doubts but I am not adequately expressing them. When I worry, I fumble...in word and action.
Jerry and I are pretty in tune with who our children are. Their natural abilities and tendencies are not unseen. We attempt to nurture those tendencies the best way we know how. We talk to them, we're aware of their emotional needs and want them to be able to express themselves.
But something is missing..We know what is...some One, mostly.
So, we had our family meeting. I think it was successful and good for all of us. Jerry and I were both able to admit our shortcomings, point out the areas our family is suffering. The boys were sweetly forthcoming with what they could do to help bring positivity to our family. They have tender hearts. We huddled on the couch and prayed as family, it had been too long.
We ended the day with a family meeting. Since our youngest started school last year our life has been a whirlwind, run by everyone else's schedule but ours, seemingly. Scouts on Monday, sport practices, homework, job, meetings........blah! What really matters seems to be pushed by the wayside. God and family connection. We haven't been functioning well in their absence. Jerry and I are impatient, stressed and scatter-brained. The boys are overly rambunctious, restless and disobedient. Having three boys, I understand boy-ness. This is different, it's beginning to lean on the side of dysfunction! This life is foreign to us. Not normal.
I see families who are "on the go" constantly and appear to be raising successful families. I wish I could be a fly on the wall in those homes for one day. Is it real? Is it attainable? This ideal family? Are other parents having the same discussions Jerry and I have when their kids go to bed? Do they really have it all together? Or just think they do?
Being a parent is tricky. I think Jerry and I are pretty good at it. We make mistakes with our kids but try to teach humbleness by confessing and asking forgiveness from them. We instill discipline and boundaries, but as of late, not as consistently as their earliest years. Is what we are seeing a result of that? Is this a new phase I'm experiencing, adolescence? Ugh! I have so many questions and doubts but I am not adequately expressing them. When I worry, I fumble...in word and action.
Jerry and I are pretty in tune with who our children are. Their natural abilities and tendencies are not unseen. We attempt to nurture those tendencies the best way we know how. We talk to them, we're aware of their emotional needs and want them to be able to express themselves.
But something is missing..We know what is...some One, mostly.
So, we had our family meeting. I think it was successful and good for all of us. Jerry and I were both able to admit our shortcomings, point out the areas our family is suffering. The boys were sweetly forthcoming with what they could do to help bring positivity to our family. They have tender hearts. We huddled on the couch and prayed as family, it had been too long.
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