Mud Pies & Minivans: Ain't No Mountain High Enough!

If you are a parent, then you probably can relate to this next post. Kids are constantly growing & changing, 1 minute you might be completely satisfied with your sweet lil' angel & feel like you've got it all figured out & then less than 2 seconds later you find yourself asking, "Where on earth did they go & what on earth just happened!?!". It is important to remember in parenting that there will always be hills & valleys, this is the journey that we take with our kids, guiding them through & helping them with each new challenge that comes along while ALWAYS loving them unconditionally from the beginning to end.

There are a few important things to remember when you run into a new hurdle with your child. First of all, you did not necessarily do anything wrong. I know for me personally, that is the 1st place my mind seems to go. Things seemed to be going so well & then suddenly total disaster strikes! Don't blame yourself. Kids are always sorting through new challenges as their world expands. Maybe they are dealing with new emotions ("Mine", not really feeling like sharing), maybe they have been thrown into a whole new situation or experienced a big change (starting in a new class at school, potty training, moving into a new house, a new sibling, etc), maybe they are mimicking different behaviors they've picked up from other kids they have been hanging around & trying to test them out on you, maybe they are going through something they don't know how to tell you so they are acting out. 1 thing is inevitable, challenges with kids are going to happen, but success or failure is determined by how we handle it. Are we going to let the temporary challenge just beat us or overcome?

In addition to not always blaming yourself, being a parent that is "ON IT" & consistent will help you overcome trials. Some mountains are more challenging than others & after awhile we may feel like we are being stretched to our absolute limit, but do not allow yourself to lose heart! Sometimes its hard to believe it, but if you stand strong & do your homework then "this too shall pass". Potty training is what I hear a lot of parents getting frustrated about, "If I have to clean up just 1 more accident....". Do I know how you feel? Absolutely! But if you give up, give in, & slip those pampers back on your lil' 1 then no 1 is going to learn anything. Your breakthrough might have been just right there on the horizon & it was all about to "click" for your kid, but you gave up. Parenting is definitely not a sprint, it is a marathon!

Recently, I have been pushing through the "terrific two's" with my Aussie. She is a wonderful kiddo, but has those moments where you can just see it in her face that she is struggling between the desire to do what she wants to do or being obedient & doing what she knows is right. The majority of the time she opts for the right choice of staying obedient, but there are times when she chooses to do otherwise. As her parent it is my duty to be consistent & correct her EACH & EVERY time she gets off track whether I feel like it or not (of course also giving her praise she deserves for the times she makes a good choice as well). This is going to help us both be successful & help us push past this temporary struggle more quickly.

Another important thing to stay conscious of when experiencing trials is if you have multiple kids remember that they are not all the same. They aren't always going to experience the same trials or maybe what helped 1 child push past something might not be as affective with another child & that's okay. We can't let ourselves get frustrated by this & we have to do our best not to compare them, "Why can't you be more like your brother/sister?"(It's hard enough for them not to compare themselves to their siblings on their own). We need to accept that each child is a different formula & that is a good thing. We can "crack the code" with some patience, love, & consistency.

Remember, you are not the only parent out there sorting through things with your kids. Stick with it & know that you are not alone. It may feel a lil' challenging right now, maybe even feel impossible, but when you finally do conquer that mountain the victory will be so sweet! They may not know it now yet, but someday your kids are also going to thank you for it!

So stay consistent, confident, & keep conquering!

-M&M Momma

P.S. Guess who is officially 6 months!