Parenting All Ages – Helping my kids by enforcing what I teach.

I was just thinking. Yup, I do that. A lot.

Anyway, I was thinking that so often I am not consistent in enforcing our house rules with my kids.

You know, stuff like – don’t hit, don’t yell, obey Mom, don’t let the cats in your room, do your school work without complaining. Then there’s heavier stuff like the 10 Commandments and other Biblical things that I try to teach them.

They are good at whining and complaining and arguing and overall making me feel like a meany. They are great at making me second guess myself and think maybe I’m wrong.

        

But – BUT – BUT – this is only because even though they may think it’s good to do what is right and what is nice for those living with them, they want to do what is easy and what is nice for themselves. 

And I was thinking. Still thinking.

I am like that too! Imagine that. :)

I have ideas about some things that would make me a better mother or wife or Christian. But I have a terrible time following through on some of them. Like getting up earlier, or eating better, or having a more consistent prayer life. Or bigger things like serving others and not being angry. Even though I want to do what is right and nice for my husband and kids, I also want to do what is easy and what is nice for myself.

It’s that whole desires of the flesh thing. It gets in my way. It gets in their way.

Even though my kids and I both want to serve the Lord and we both understand that there are some simple things that we can do to love others and be nice, we both also have ourselves getting in the way.

It’s nice to realize that. Now I can be nicer to the kids because I understand. I can also be more consistent and not feel bad about making them be nice. Because I’m sure that they want to be, they just have that selfishness that wins so often when I let it.