"McParenting"

So last night our Parenting class met. We raced through 3 chapters, but still managed to have a good time discussing what we learned. One of the most striking concepts for me was Short term vs. Long Term parenting. Which would you choose for your child when she is 30? Ivy League education/career and life with no morality OR a job she finds fulfilling and a heart for God and others. That is not to say that life will be "either/or" but often we parents get caught up in the external measures of success vs. the internal growth in our kids. I know I am guilty of getting sucked into the pursuit of straight A report cards. Do I spend that much time cultivating strong character traits in my kids? I'm going to give that some serious thought over the next few days...

WordPic

Thanks to Conner, I can post the word pic now!

A Wordle...

Follow the link to a Word Picture of the Parenting course. Wordle is a cool toy! (couldn't figure out how to make it a clean link)


title="Wordle: ParentingCourse"> src="http://wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/33000/ParentingCourse"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"
>

Video Stars

So, I'm trying to be consistent about blogging... at least while I'm participating in this Parenting course. We've had a couple of weeks off due to Father's Day and summer vacation schedules. Last night I contributed to a video that RCC is creating to let folks know about an upcoming session of the course. I had the benefit of watching another couple answer questions first, so it was a little less weird when it was my turn. The questions I answered were:

Q. Why did you like this course?
A. I read lots of books. Participating in the course is better for me for several reasons a) it keeps me motivated to read regularly and retain the material for discussion; b)in discussions with other participants you hear the same material through a variety of experiential lenses; c) you learn that their kids are not perfect either - they are normal/average kids just like yours.

Q. Have you applied anything you've learned in the course?
A. I'm really slow sometimes, but I eventually catch on. See my "Yes or No" post for an example.

Q. How has your parenting changed as a result of the course?
A. The course reinforces the concept of the husband being the authority figure in the home. I've consciously tried to step back and let my husband take the lead where I may have micromanaged a situation. It really works better when he is in control.

So, that's it. Coming to a church sanctuary real soon. I'll be a video star. AND I'll sink into the seat in embarrassment to see myself on the screen. So will my kids!

Yes or No?

So I've been reading this parenting book by John Rosemond. One of the ideas that stuck with me is "let your yes be yes and your no be no". This will drastically reduce whining, cajoling, and begging from your kids. Now in my brain this sounds good. In reality, I fail to live up to this advice - daily. Yesterday, I had an opportunity to see the principle at work with one of my kids. It was dinner time and M. didn't think she would like what I made. She asked if she could make a sandwich to go along with it. Unthinking... I responded like this:

• Mom: You know, I bought the sandwich stuff for your lunches this week.
• Kid: Well, there is plenty of bread. Can I just make a sandwich for me?
  
• Mom: I'd rather you not.
• Kid: Would you just tell me yes or no? I don't know what you want me to do.
• Mom: (still reasoning and explaining...) I was hoping you were mature enough to figure it out.
• Mom: (coming to her senses...) Oh, the answer is no. Eat the food I made for dinner!

Hooray, God showed me with a very clear example - directly from my own kid's mouth, that they really want clear, concise answers. Let yes=yes and no=no. Keep feelings and hints out of the situation.

Summer is here

Welcome to Louisiana, summer is here. The kids are out of school and completely bored already. I can hardly blame them. I understand how quickly you can become bored when one day is just like another. I've been looking to shake things up lately. Maybe a few work projects will get me excited again. Until then, I'm so much more interested in my home life than my work life.