I just posted on my personal Facebook page.
Excuse me while I go and scream.
This was preceded with…
Oh how discipline squelches my fun plans for the summer.
I am sitting here frustrated to the nth degree. First day of summer and I want to hide in the corner. Is anyone here with me????
Let me give you some background. Bubs still throws a fit over doing any kind of work. Doesn’t matter how big or small, he “don’t want to.” Sweet Pea does pretty well until suddenly she decides to dig in her heels. Then Strong-Willed Pea takes over. Little Man continues to be in everything. He has to manipulate anything within reach. If he is bored, his goal is to make his siblings scream. (He succeeds most attempts.) Peanut is as sweet as can be but is starting to crawl…need I say more. Oh, one more. My husband and I are not agreeing on a particular area of parenting. Boy, does that make life fun!
I am starting to see why some stay-at-home moms leave the house early and come home late. Keep the kids busy doing stuff – educational of course – and come home when they are tired. Eat meals out – healthy options only – and have no mess. Enroll is ever option available – only the best for your child – and let others entertain them and tell them what to do.
Right now, I want to run – with my children at hip – so that I don’t have to do as much. Let the carseat be the restraint. At least Little Man can’t be getting into things he shouldn’t be in. Let other options fill their minds and busy hands. At least I won’t be exhausted at the end of the day from trying. Go, go, go. Let someone else clean up the mess. At least my house will stay picked up. Have the kiddos be under the teaching of another. At least I won’t be told “no.”
What’s the point? Honestly, is this what I signed up for?
The point is that staying at home with little kids all day is very hard. Training and discipline is exhausting. Even the best of mommies get tired. Life in the trenches is brutal.
So why do it? I mean, why stay home and train my children?
1. God told me to.
My life as a stay-at-home mom is what God told me to do. Period.
2. My job as their mother is to train and teach them.
This is another one God said.
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [Emphasis mine.]
Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
God did not give this job to anyone else. It is my job. Now, that is not to say that we shouldn’t pull in those around us to come along side in this huge responsibility. I can not and should not try to teach my children all. Unfortunately, I don’t know it all and am not gifted in all. But, it is my responsibility to make sure they are learning and training is occuring.
3. If life is hunky-dory all day long, I am probably doing a poor job of training.
I birthed four sinful children.
Ouch. That hurt to write.
It is true. They have a sinful heart that wants to live in “I-land.” They want what they want and they want it now. My job is to mold them to choose to live God’s way. This is not going to be pretty because selfish desires are strong and deep-rooted.
Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.
4. I am raising ambassadors for Christ.
Ambassadors for Christ need to have a solid, Biblical foundation that includes a love for their Lord. They need to have a love for others. They need to have a work ethic. They need to have common sense.
Where are my kids going to get this? Through daily chores. Through our Bible time and story times. Through crafts and playtime. By going to church and library time. Swimming and riding bikes as a family. Through discipline and training when wrong choices are made.
These are things that are going to be hard for them to learn if I give up.
Wow. I needed that.
Thank you Jesus for helping me keep this all in perspective. To remember what my roll is as a mommy to four blessings. Jesus, thank You that I don’t have to go through this alone. You left a helper, the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of me to guide me. Forgive me for when I lose my cool. Forgive me when I don’t stop upon the Holy Spirit’s gentle reminder. Fill me with the fruit of the Spirit that I may do things that I am not able to do, know things that I am not able to know, and see things that only You see.
Well said!