Mitherhood is the best and most challenging thing inhave ever encountered in my life. No matter how smart, witty or even charming you are, every mother has to go through stages of frustration , challenges and difficulty in handling your child. Especially in this day and age where mothers have been preoccupied with work and worldly pleasures, we have neglected our mothers' instinct and have depended so much on ..... Technology ( tv as a nanny) and househelp.
When i had caitlyn, i have realized and appreciated so many things about motherhood and how God has designed mothers. I appreciate how out master architect has designed everything in our lives - how we got pregnant, how He deaigned marriage and how we rear our children. If we all go back to God's design, how uncomplicated the world will be.
I have some rules i live by in raising my children. I believe that God is our master arhitect and should be the center of our marriage, our family, our child rearing and our work. By achoring our life in God's promises and going back to His design, we will uncomplicate our complicated lives.
1. Pray.
We often times react to everything that happens in our life. We are so reactive. But when we react, we say things we should not say and we do things irrationally. We need to learn to abide in the vine and allow God to work in us. We need to allow God to speak to us about His purpose and design. We need to pray and go back to the vine - connect to the source to make good and wise decisions.
2. Prioritize
Many times we have prioritiZed our work over our family. It shouldnt be the case. Many time i myself fall into this failure. But the more i do this, the more i realize i have been depending on my own strenghh and capabilities and not on Gods. Our children dont need toys and extravagantvtravels. They need time and attention. They need dinner time together where webtalk about what happens in our day and what we are goig through. They need time to share stories, jpkes, dreams, future plans and even emotions. They need time.
3. Plan
I am a major planner. Inplan everything. From the route going to a place to my life's direction to mu child's day schedule, i plan. Ive been plannig all my life. And it has given me security and stability. Withhout my plan , i feel so lost. Without the end in my mind, i feel unmotivated. Plan.
4. Positive thinking
Have you been around parents who just complain about everytjing their chcildren are going through? Their teachers , their doctors, their school, their yaya , their friends - except them are at fault. Isnt that unhealthy?? Focus on the positive. Lifes too short.
5. Listen
Children say the darnest thing. But they do tell yiu what you dont see. My nephews and nieces for that matter share so many things to me that i myself have never realized. They are intelligent and remarkable persons and i thank God for them. Listening is one of the complex skill for a person - but it tales somebody who is mature in life to realize the importance of listening to others - especially to their children.
6. Synergize
In our marriage, dek and i have always balanced each other- hlgave each other stabilty anf strength which meant to so much in our family and work. Its our teamwork that enable us to go through the roughest strong and come out victorious. Now talk anout having a helpmeet. Dek is an epitomy of helpmeet and i jope i am to him.
7. Sharpen the sae
Life long learning is our goal at Oaktridge and it sure is our goal in our family. Being open to criticism and improvement will enable all of us in the family learn from our mistakes and move forward. And it sure is our family's rule for our lifetime.