Kellyskorner http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ is hosting a Linky about raising teens. I thought that I would write a post about my experience with teens.
When my children were all preschoolers, my goal for the day was often just to survive. I wanted to hug them and love them and play with them and affirm them, but it often didn’t happen. I was just too busy. I called myself the ‘Queen of the Undone.’ Everything I did was quickly undone….straightening up the house, washing the dishes in the sink, doing the laundry, cleaning up the toys, etc. I was so frustrated that one day I ran away from home. I ended up meeting God in a new way, and changing my life. (I kept notes for the next 20 years and put it in an e-book, and a self published hard copy called Recapturing the Joy of Motherhood. You can find it here.)
I rearranged my priorities and attitude, and poured love, affirmation and time into my children. Now that my children are 14,16,18,20,23,24,26, and 28 years old, I see the fruits of the seemingly unending efforts, love and sleepless nights for the many years of raising them. NO time spent loving them and serving them was wasted!!!! Keep going moms of young children!!! Live and love one minute at a time! It is all working for their good and furthering the Kingdom of God!
The only normal that our children know is what they see, feel and learn in our homes. That is NOT to lead us to feelings of condemnation or fear. It should spur us on to take the time to live lives with our children that we feel honor God.
One example that has worked wonderfully in our family has to do with helping others. My husband and I wanted our children to be responsive to the needs of others, so we visited nursing homes and made snacks for nurses and patients at hospitals, and volunteered at our local Hospice. We chose not to lecture them about helping, we tried to live it, and it is wonderful to see them now as adults choosing to continue our traditions.
I realized that a good way for my 3 daughters to learn or see biblical examples of submission, I would have to live it. Yikes. That was a hard one for me. I still fail miserably more often than I’d like to…….But recently, for Mother’s Day, my 18 year old daughter thanked me for teaching her ways to be submissive when parents disagree. Even though I fail many times, God is faithful and she learned despite my failings!
I think I’ll continue with some tips that I’ve learned about ‘choosing your battles’ with teens on Tuesday!!!!
Photo includes 2 of my teen daughters on a trip to Washington, DC with their homeschool American Government class last month!
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