Parenting Prep – Dawn Elu
Parenting Prep
Isn’t all parenting ‘Parenting under the unexpected?’ Haha.
Nothing quite prepares you for it – from the day you conceive to the moment you give birth, from the first few weeks of uncertainty and cluelessness, sometimes helplessness, and sometimes even hopelessness – nothing quite prepares you.
We’ve had a few laughs lately with a few of my siblings and I, of how we were all the best parents ever prior to having children, only when time came and rubber hit the road, we were in for the rude awakening that all our greatest theories and advice weren’t so greatly appreciated or even necessarily right prior this moment.
A few weeks prior to lockdown we were sitting at the breakfast table sharing stories of how our kids were driving us up the wall – we all burst out laughing when my sister said…
“Oh no! the best one is this, when one of them is crying in the car, and after asking why are you crying? Getting the reply of “She’s looking outside my window” “.
… The look of disbelief, is this seriously the issue? And then, just as were about to build on each others stories even more – our mother is actually laughing out loud – she simply says…
“OH that sounds so familiar, I know a few kids that use to behave that way – then she said Enjoy your season!“
“Touche Mother, touche” hahaha.
I don’t think I’ve apologized so much to my mum prior to having kids, but oh have the mighty have fallen! Hahahahahahaha. Such a humbling experience to be a parent, and I am so much more grateful, thankful, to our mum who did it singlehandedly.
Now in reflection, I can see why grandparents love their season so much: they get to watch us suffer for a little – watching mini me’s running around wreaking havoc and having the time of their lives doing it. Who said our God is not Just? He’s got a great sense of humour.
Seasons change, and circumstances change – parenting styles, attitudes, mindsets change – and hearts change too. Every season has the capability of being the worst, but it has just as much potential to be the best – its what we make of it.
I guess, what I’ve learnt most in this season of parenting during the unexpected, is to just laugh at myself, roll with punches, don’t be so hard on yourself, take the good and the bad, dwell on your failures for the length of time God holds on to them (and He doesn’t once you’ve repented from them), learn, love, live, move on.
Our kids are gracious, and they’re precious, and they watch and observe how we tackle life – apologize to them for the parts you play, and give them license to be disappointed, and just feel. If we can build character in our children and ourselves like kindness, integrity, faith, hope, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, and build them up to be warriors in our faith – then we’re doing good. “Don’t grow weary of doing good…”
Just keep going. (Dory singing: “JUST KEEP SWIMMING, JUST KEEP SWIMMING, JUST KEEP SWIMMING”)
Gods got this, and He certainly thought the best of you when He entrusted you with little ones, so let’s just have a great time doing it.
Dawn Elu
LIFE South Kids Pastor