Goofy

This is a video I took about a month ago...
makes me laugh whenever I view it:)

Parenting Prohibitions

So being a parent, a good parent, to 3 small children is on my mind a lot. Here is a list that I came across from a lady named Suzanne Evans from 1994 that is very convicting. It is hard enough to live up to, just in everyday action, with people who are not your children.

"Do not provoke your children to anger...." Ephesians 6:4

"Do not exasperate your children, that they may lose heart..." Colossians 3:21

"Do not provoke your children to anger"

in day-to-day relating

__Ignoring him
__ Being to busy to listen
__ Impatience
__ Insensitivity to his feelings
__ Lying
__ Breaking promises
__ Not respecting his privacy
__ Hypocrisy
__ Failure to acknowledge your own faults
__ Venting unrelated frustrations on him
__ Inflexibility

In your relation to other parent

__ Putting down other parent
__ Enlisting child's support against other parent
__ Verbal or physical abuse of other parent
__ Asking him to keep secrets from other parent

In relation to his siblings

__ Comparing him to siblings
__ Showing favoritism
__ Disciplining siblings unfairly or harshly
__ Failing to discipline siblings
__ Verbally or physically abusing siblings
__ Allowing siblings to abuse him in any way

In your response to his failures

__ Ridicule, teasing, name calling
__ Calling public attention to his failures
__ Yelling/screaming
__Nit-picking
__Overreacting

In your response to his success

__ Ignoring his accomplishments
__ Belittling his accomplishments
__ Comparing him to someone more successful
__ Comparing him to someone as successful but younger than he

With your discipline

__ Rules that don't make sense
__ Jumping to conclusions
__ Accusing Falsely
__ Harsh discipline or harsh tone when correcting
__ Unjust discipline
__ Disciplining him in front of others
__ Accusing without allowing him an opportunity to explain
__ Silent treatment
__ Bursts of rage
__ Physical, emotional or verbal abuse

"Do not exasperate your children"

Failing to establish clear expectations

__ Making him guess what you want
__ Vacillating from day to day
__ Lack of unity between the parents
__ Failing to model the behavior that you expect from him

Failing to communicate appropriately

__ Interrupting
__ Speaking for him
__ Communicating with facial expressions and sighs instead of with words
__ Saying a reluctant, half-hearted "yes" instead of a firm but kind "no"
__ Saying "no" without taking time to consider

Attempting to control his behavior

__ Too many rules
__ Nagging
__ Going on about things he can't change
__ Going on and on about things he's trying to change
__ Manipulating him with threats and bribes

Lack of respect

__ Treating honest questions with scorn or disinterest
__ Making decisions which affect him without explaining reasons
__ Refusing to accept individuality

Refusing to let him grow

__ Being overprotective
__ Making decisions for him
__ Trying to make him a miniature you
__ Not giving him the credit for the ability to think for himself
__ Not expanding privileges as he evidences increased maturity

"Do not cause your child to lose heart"

__ Setting unattainable goals
__ Focusing on failure
__ Belittling achievement
__ Negative spirit about life in general
__ Unforgiveness
__ Conditional love
__ Perfectionism
__ Lack of sympathy for his hurts
__Withholding help
__ Withholding encouragement

Parenting

I have read 4 books on parenting in the past 2 months. Trying to get some ideas with disciplining and hoping that I am not completely destroying my kids;-) But lately, as with reading these books it seems the kids just KNOW I am trying to do better and their behavior seems to have gotten worse. Maybe it is just the changing of seasons, from being outside to inside the majority of the time? Anyhow, I find I have been escalating with my discipline and getting increasingly frustrated. Until finally a breakthrough a couple of weeks ago. I read that the best whiners probably learned from their parents! (ex. Child: Mooooom.. I waaant a coooookie! Parent: (or me) Nooooo for the umpteenth time youuu caaan noot haaaave aaa coooookie!) So I decided that even if they are whining I am going to treat them like a precious gift from God, be a GOOD EXAMPLE and not whine back. I have now found myself laughing whenever they whine. (Because even though it is annoying, they STILL are pretty cute.) Life is too short to get frustrated. In return, when I start laughing, they start laughing and the whining stops. Do I have it all figured out? NO. Will I? Hopefully, but probably won't. All I can do is take it a day at a time and do my best.

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.


Proverbs 13:24

Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Happy Birthday!

Can't believe my little boy is 3!!!!

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Go, Baby, Go!

Okay, this might not be the best video, but my 6 month old is LEARNING to crawl. AHH!! Time sure does fly!

P.S. The comment made at the end kind of runs in the family:)

Thumb Sucker! Maybe not...

I do find her once in a while now sucking her thumb! But this is how I mostly find her...as long as the socks are off!