Ouch, my toes!

There has been a little red flag waving in the back of my mind recently. It has to do with the behavior of my children. I know that kids will be kids, but I don't think that is an excuse to let bad behavior go on. In a general way, they are just flat out mean to each other. They snap and bark at each other. They do not want to help each other. They are worried about whom is treated fairly. It wears a mother out. Really, one of the main things I want among my children is a love of family and each other. Every mother just wants her children to grow up to be close. I know that it is important that we train for that now. As I've been pondering this, I get a devotional email from Nancy Campbell, auther of Above Rubies, a magazine I love. I'll add her ministry to the links. She highlighted the verse:

"As is the mother, so is her daughter." - Ezekial 16:44 (KJV)

Ouch! I was telling a friend yesterday, that I do believe that they learn how to treat each other from me. I tend to snap and bark at them to get them to move and obey. I don't think I realize how much I do it though.

My prayer is that I will be a reflection of Christ. Isn't that what we should be striving for anyway? Now, I want to apply that to my parenting - or focus on applying that. I need to be a gentle shepherd, not a tyrant. My Saviour is definitely that gentle, loving Father to me. He only thumps me on the head when I truly stray. He doesn't thump me to make me go in the right direction in the first place. His guidance is gentle, yet firm.

I could go on and on, but I am going rest on babbling about this and work on applying it to my heart. The main steps for me to execute will be for me to lower my voice, relax my face, and speak matter of factly. Then, I want to make sure they know why they shouldn't act/react the way they have and how TO act/react instead. I appreciate the action of making them repeat, word for word, the right thing they should've said. That, I believe, is the best training and practice. The main thing is that they will apply it to THEIR hearts, and I think that will come with the attitude in which it is presented.

Pray for the mommies around you. Motherhood is a physical job, true, but that is not the hard part. Motherhood is an extremely emotional job. Mommies are emotional people in general anyway, and the emotional aspects of the job is what makes it physically hard, to me. "As is the mother, so is the daughter." That's a big line to swallow.