Part 2
• What if i make mistakes in my parenting techniques
• Their education( a good school)
• If their nutrition is well balanced
• Am i modelling what i would like them to be
• Do my children think im a good and fair parent
What if i make mistakes in my parenting techniques
From time to time such questions may arise because we all want the best for our children. You will often wonder if your choices as their parent are as good as the intentions you have for your children.
I have mentioned before that we all want the best for our children but we adopt different techniques in raising our children. However we all want the same things, that is healthy children, we want our children to be safe, to be loved, to grow feeling secure and knowing God.
How can we be confident in our choices for our children
The human opinions fall short! But we have a Father, we have God who dwells in us and through His Word we solidify our connection with Him. It is His spirit that knows all things and His spirit dwells in us when we receive Him as Lord and our personal Savior. You cannot raise a child the right way without submitting to God.
I question myself from time to time if every decision we make concerning our children is God’s will for their lives and leads them to their purpose. This just makes me realise my dependence on God i know in Him my children’s peace is guaranteed!
God uses different people to reach out to us. It is important to keep our hearts open to learning continuously.
Do not stop learning and finding better and wiser ways to guide your family.
If their education is good enough
You always want to give your children something better than what you had yourself. So whether you homeschool your children or not, you are very concerned about their level of education. You want to make sure they attend a good school too.
I had have been homeschooling our children myself for a year before i found a teacher to continue since i got burnt out from office hours to school hours.
I learnt so much about my children though in that period. I learnt about what my children are passionate about and how the education system should support that. We grew up in a time where it did not matter what we liked as long as we worked hard at school. Which is fine however what someone is born with (gifts and talents) they need to nurture it without being made to feel it is silly.
How to be confident in their education
Involve yourself from time to time and be that support as much as you are at home. Take time to know for yourself their strengths and areas that need improvement as a parent. Often we assume children are pleased by what we think will pleases them. They appreciate you cheering them even when the world is not there to witness.
Children are just pleased by sitting with them for a simple chat on their bed before going to bed.
Do your research too about children, how well they learn, what kind of an environment they desire to learn in to be very engaging, what makes learning hard for them and better yet know your own children and their passions.
Is their nutrition well balanced?
Parents prioritise their children’s health because we know what they eat will affect them negatively or positively in the long run. We know the things that are healthy however our children do not like them in most cases.
We now have to find ways to get them to eat healthy food consistently without depriving them from their snacks.
I believe whatever you train your child, they eventually dance to the beat of your drum. It does not happen overnight but a commitment to change a habit.
Our children used to love eating too much yoghurt until we decided to give them cooked food daily without yoo much snacking on yorghut even if they complained. They can survive a good month without much snacking, only really well cooked food.
How to give them a balanced diet daily
What really helped my husband and i was i committed to cooking daily for our family. Even though the menu needs to be reviewed right now. This has helped us not only in nutritious meals but to save a lot for weekend outings.
If cooking daily is not an option for you, i understand our circumstances can never be similar. You can ensure your nanny knows how to cook good meals children can enjoy daily that are balanced throughout the day. Do not forget to give them water from time to time.
Have a menu that’s easy to use for lunch packs too and in between meals.
I cook once a day in large pots so i have time to rest.
Am i modelling what i would like them to become
Life can put immerse pressure on us that we live life on auto pilot and hardly intentional about much in our lives. The pressure balancing work life and home life. Children model who we are more than what we say. We are their leaders and in life we imitate our leaders.
Leading someone does not become easier because they are young. It becomes even more challenging knowing you are shaping a being who will become what you planted in their lifetime.
Its easy to become very insecure about whether you are presenting your best self because we have mistakes too. Making a mistake does not make you a failure but points you to an area that needs attention and improvement.
How to be confident in modeling what you want your child to look like
I say this often! Be very intentional about about your engagement with your children even your habits that you think they may not notice.
Write down areas you need to improve and it may be as simple as unforgiveness. You are already setting a tone for your children and future generations to come. Your children know exactly who you are whether you like or dislike other people, they know and notice!
Actually you would be surprised if you would ask them about yourself.
We are all evolving and growing, it is ok not to be great at something but when you become aware it is time to improve. If confidence and self awareness is an issue to you then work on it daily so your children drink from an overflowing cup.
Will my children think i am a good and fair parent
I am so funny with this one but i always notice just how much they stare when i give one child too much attention. It may be because that child needs it at that moment. However children do not understand things like we do as adults.
That is why you find when one of our children gets injured and we attend to him/her, the other children also tell us about how they got injured last week.
I notice how they stare when you give one child attention and you want your children to know you do not have favourites and appreciate who they are as individuals.
When we had our third baby i realised just how much my parents were doing all the best they could. I appreciated my parents more however children do not see it that way.
How to intentionally show fairness to your children
Children want to know that you appreciate them for their uniqueness and that you notice them.
When children get their one on one with you they become confident in the relationship and build trust overtime.
They want to be included in everything in the household activities. When i buy them clothes for example, if possible ill include all of them.
When you notice one child feeling left out maybe while attending the other child find a way to bring in the other child. Attend this before it can grow.
Watch the words you speak to your children. Apologise when the need arises.
I love this verse that always encourages me to continue trusting God on everything concerning my life.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths.
We learn every day to become better parents. Let me know your views on the comments section. I would love to learn from you!
Sharing my mother’s recipe for an immune booster
It can be taken daily if you wish and its a natural drink.
Recipe
1 Ginger (thumb size), 1 clove garlic, 1 lemon with peels and seeds (whole lemon),1 apple ( with everything) and 1 cup of water.
Enjoy!
All Things Godly and Pretty 