Do-That-Parenting-Thing-You-Do

Crazy how nuts life can be!  We can be pulled a thousand directions but there will always be ONE constant if you are a parent....PARENTING!  Parenting does NOT seem to stop in the middle of your chaos.  Matter of fact it seems we have to be more aware and ready to do-our-parenting-thing-we-do!

• Husband is in the middle of job transition, job interviewing, car repairs, conferences, a wife and children to adore.

• Mom is preparing the house for sale with 8 children! (Yes, I am looking for sympathy!) (Honestly it hasn't been that bad....YET!) Still homeschooling, still preparing meals and grocery shopping...these things are on a more of a survival approach for me at the moment.  School doesn't look pretty, meals are lacking, grocery shopping only when it is a MUST!  

• We got college girls in life transitions from picking next step in colleges, to completing credits, deciding majors, working jobs, helping mom and dad during this FOREVER transition. (If you are close to our family then you know what that last statement means.) They are being the parent as we are in and out with job transitions.  Holding down the fort so to say.  They have a full load and are doing it well!  (This is a clear picture of...parenting...its worth it!)  Our role with them has moved from disciplinarian to an influencer.  I am in awe the wisdom they give back to us during this time. Thank you Lord!

• We've got high school boys in basketball, managing school, jobs, homecomings, and the joys of being in the home with rules and a desire to dictate your own life.  Not always easy to be the boy or the parent!  As parents we are learning to embrace this stage...thankful they push to be men, yet challenging them to listen to authority. 

• A teen daughter who is loving this stage of her life with friends and realizing there may be some good-byes in her near future.  If you have a young teen daughter then you already can feel the emotional whirlwind that flies in and out of our home.  Training her to filter through God and not just react!  

• The 5th grader is learning that school is a must no matter how angry he becomes.  Goodness!  We have been doing this for 5 years and NOW you are gonna fall apart on me...every single time?  Oh-me-oh-my!  This has been a HUGE practice of me filtering through God.  It seems I take lots of deep breaths, walk out of the room often, regain my composure and back at it I go.  He's our in-between kid!  Not a young child and not a teen!   Navigating these waters to challenge him up!

• The 3rd grader loves school until he experiences the anger of his other brother (about school) to which some how it's like an awful spreading virus!  Mom has to use her mom skills in quarantining the angry child to not contaminate the sorta healthy I don't want to do school kids but I will.  This child is also learning how to handle a 4 year old brother who wants EVERYTHING you touch.  First we have to end the volume at which he and his younger brother protest one another!  Then it is a matter of teaching the 3rd grader how to problem solve through an issue with a younger brother that doesn't always understand.  Yelling is NOT one of them!  Tackling is NOT one of them!  Chasing him down is also NOT one of them!  Stealing so toy and running off is also NOT one of them.  This seems to happen multiple times in a day.  Then a few days of wonderful freedom...and then BOOM! we are back at it!  Parenting is on going!

• Then we have the precious 4 year old who seems to figure out his life goal is to frustrate his older brothers and yet throw that cute grin and win us all over!  WE have to see through the mischievousness and walk him through right behavior!  Not an easy task when your family is on the go with this event and that, people are in and out constantly, his life is not as normal as the other kids.  So we gently guide him through the chaos all the while holding a standard of obedience.  

Doing that parenting thing...not easy...but very rewarding the older they get!  Stay on course and the blessings will be many.  The best thing is knowing we are not alone in parenting.  In a flash of a moment I can call to the Lord to speak to me when I am at my wits end! 

"What do I do now Lord!"?   He has always answered!  

Doing-that-parenting-thing-we-do with YOU!  
What stage are you battling?