Showing posts with label step parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label step parenting. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

When Parents Don't Parent . . .

It saddens me to see a young woman head down the wrong path in life.
And it saddens me even more when this young woman is someone I love dearly and that I'm very close to.
The thing that saddens me the most is that she is right now crying out for attention.
Her parents, as many young people's are, are divorced. Both parents love her dearly, there's no doubt about that.
But sadly, she doesn't see her father as often as she could or should.
That leaves her mother.
Her mother loves her very much. But her mother has issues of her own. And, sadly, the young woman I speak of is very affected by these issues.
Her mother is often in bed, in fact, her mother (according to her children) is in bed more often than not - sleeping both the day and the night away. This leaves her children to fend for themselves.
And, of course, when you have a teenage daughter with no adult supervision . . .
I am praying hard for this young woman because I know all the wonderful things she is inside.
She is a talented artist.
She is a caring, loving person.
She is a devout Christian.
She is amazingly smart.
And I also know that she is hurting inside, aching so badly for the positive attention that she is not getting.
I pray that she finds herself and realizes where this path will lead her.
Before it's too late.

This is a hard lesson for parents.
So often we want to push our children into being responsible, before they're actually ready to be responsible.
Please, mom's, dad's . . .
Let your babies be babies.
And, for their sake,
PLEASE be a parent.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Making Your Home Sing Monday! Never take them for granted . . .

Happy Monday everyone!
It's time for Making Your Home Sing Monday!
Making your home sing Mondays
Wanna know how to make your home sing? Go visit MomsTheWord to find out how!

Someday I'll relate all the drama that is going on in our home right now. But as this is a public forum, I don't want to be accused of gossip or any mudslinging. There will be many questions and worries, I'm sure. If you want to know, feel free to email me and I'll divulge all our secret skeletons.

Short and sweet today, so to get on with it, today I am urging all of you to look at your children for who they are. Study them, get to know them. And LOVE them. Hug them every day. Tell them you love them and are there for them EVERY DAY. Play with them, spend time with them, do something special with them EVERY DAY.

Do not take any second of parenthood for granted.
Love to you all,
Have a blessed week.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Making Your Home Sing Monday! - Let Them Fly

Happy Monday Everyone! It's time for
Making your home sing Mondays

What are you doing today to make your home sing? Visit Nan at MomsTheWord and join the fun!

In honor of my children's first day back to school, my post today is about how to help your CHILDREN to sing. By letting them go and letting them fly.

It's not easy to allow your children to fly on their own. So often parents think that it's better to hold their children close all the time - to not allow them to do things outside the home or to experience disappointment or failure.  But by shielding our children from these things, we are hindering them rather than helping them.

Our children need to be allowed to make their own choices and make their own mistakes. They won't learn if they aren't held accountable for their actions. In fact, they will go through life finding others to blame for their problems.

This morning I had a hard time following my own advice, I'll admit. 

My 14-year-old stepson has made the choice to come life with his father and I and to go to school here. This school is about twice the size of the one he's used to - more kids, more classrooms, more teachers. He knows it's a fresh start for him, in a manner of speaking (he went to school here from kindergarten through fourth grade). But it's still frightening. This morning, I looked at him beside me in the car, he was nearly paralyzed with fear. We prayed together, and I told him I loved him and that God is in control. It was all I could do not to drive off with him and say forget it! But I also know that that wouldn't do him any good (many children thrive on homeschooling and do extremely well, some do not. My step son is one of those that do not). He needed to know that I trust him enough as an individual to make good choices in his day. He needed to know that I trusted in GOD enough to help him (SS) in his day.

I am praying that he has a wonderful day.
I am praying that he makes lots of new good friends.
I am praying that he shares his faith with at least one person this school year.
I am praying that his teachers post their homework assignments where they're supposed to.
I am praying that he does well and tries to be successful.

Even if you're a homeschooler, you can still let your children fly by involving them in activities outside the home such as gymnastics, youth group or bible study, soccer, swimming, or art or music lessons. 

Today I challenge you to think about and pray about some ways you can let your children fly this week.
God bless you all!

For more about Making Your Home Sing Monday, visit MomsTheWord and link up!

Friday, May 23, 2008

Summer in the midst . . .

I love Summer. I really do. But I get so worried. Am I going to be able to handle Emily and Jake 24-7 and NOT lose my sanity? Not to mention the weeks that we are going to have Garrett and Christin in towe. I love my kids. All four of them. But I am so worried that I am going to want to kill them by the time school starts again!

Even today, Garrett and Christin are out of school today, so we have them until Monday. They are every so slightly starting to drive me banannas. Christin is helping a lot with Jake, but Garrett can't seem to NOT be argumentative with everyone - including me.

I have a TON of cleaning to do. My house looks like four tornadoes, a hurricane, and a land-fill hit it. My kitchen is not just nasty - its NAAAAASSSSTYYY . . . I have stuff on the walls and cabinets that I never noticed before Ronnie pointed it out to me. Hopefully this summer will bring control. I have to control the clutter and not let it control me!

So this summer should be interesting. I just hope I don't become the wicked step-mother!

By the way - Jacob sat up all by himself this past week! It was the coolest thing. Now, he'll yell ("Eh!!!") and make sure SOMEONE is watching him before he pushes up onto his tushie. Then he'll smile and go "Yeeeeah!!" and clap. LOL. He's so fun. I love having a baby again!