Daily writing prompt
What’s a topic or issue about which you’ve changed your mind?
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Parenting! Parenting is hard! Being a mom is hard! I used to think many things about parenting, a lot of I will never let my kids statements rolled off my tongue and around in my brain very easily. I can only imagine it was because I hadn’t hit whatever stage we were at yet. From I will never let my baby sleep in my bed to the baby will only sleep if he’s in my bed and I need sleep for my sanity to I won’t let my kids go to sleepovers or eat junk food. There have been countless things that I said never to and have since changed my mind(Spongebob). Most recently though, being a mom to three teenage boys, I have changed my mind about one really hard thing, control. I can’t control what they choose to do. I can tell them no and they can choose to disobey. I hope and pray that with each piece of advice and guidance we offer them as their parents that they will hear us and make good choices, but it is their choices to make. If they choose to hang out in an environment where people are making bad choices, they might get in trouble or be guilty by association. If they choose not to study for a test and put their best effort in at school they might not have as many options open to them for their future. These are just examples as I won’t get too personal with my kid’s choices as this is my story and not theirs, but as their mom, I now realize that the best things I can do are to keep being there, keep offering them guidance, and pray for them continuously. I also know that some of the dumb choices I made are the ones that helped me to overcome, grow, and choose better. While I don’t want my kids to suffer the consequences of bad choices, I also want to see them grow and mature. Through these teenage years I will cling to my faith and my relationship with Jesus to sustain me, fill me with wisdom, and guide me so I can continue to offer my teens wisdom and guidance as they grow up.