The Parent I Want To Be

Ok, so Ben and I have started reading this new book entitled, The Parent You Want To Be. As we were praying over the direction of our lifegroup (made up of young couples all with small children), we were perplexed with what to study. We have done video series, spiritual growth books, and even endured the dreaded, "One Month To Live" study. (Hehe, it wasn't that bad, just really cheesy).

As we were talking about our group one night, we both began to notice the same thing. It seems like we are surviving parenthood. Instead of embracing each new day as a gift from the Lord and taking the time to enjoy and love their children, it seems a challenge just to make it through the day. We both concurred- this had to stop!

So after much prayer and deliberation, we decided to devote the next year to becoming better parents, and what better way to start than with the parent themselves. That is why we chose this book....





It is a wonderful book and I would recommend any parent read it.

However, this purpose of this post is not to plug this book, I mean, its not like they gave me the book for free! No No, this post is about something entirely different.

Its about me, my conviction, and my lack of patience.

While Ben and I have already completed this book, we wanted to read it again so that we experience it right along with the rest of our group.

Therefore, like a good girl, I got up at 7am, got my bowl of granola, and sat down in our recliner. After the Lord taught me about the difference between the righteous and the wicked in Proverbs 8, I picked up The Parent You Want To Be. Today's chapter was on patience. I read it in its entirety and agreed with all it had to say. I scored myself pretty well on the patience test and gave myself a pat on the back for being a stupendous parent.

Then, my children woke up....

Ellie Kate woke up in a grouchy mood and it was all I could do to get her to eat ONE bite of her cereal. She wouldn't share with Tatum, who by the way, went through three different outfits as she wet through each of them in a matter of 3 and a half hours. Go figure. Peyton had snot running down her face most of the morning, and I seriously considered attaching a drip pan around her neck. At some point I smelled some sort of stench and after two needless diaper changes, I finally found the culprit - it was Tatum. I am telling you that girl's plumbing definitely works. It was then I found she had blisters on her legs from the tightness of her diapers, which explained the non-stop whining and moaning most of the morning. After washing my hands for the 10th time that day, I turned around and found our darling new potty trainer, peeing all over the floor in the kitchen. Nice. No child was interested in eating their lunch, and the words "Ellie Kate, stop blowing kisses and eat your lunch" came out of my mouth at one point. Was I serious?

This always happens to me. Satan likes to steal my thunder and keep me from growing into the parent I want to be! Maybe tomorrow will be better, the chapter is entitled, "Your Children Become Who You Are." Yikes. Wish me luck!