Being Present the key to freedom!
March 15th, 2008
I am finding the more I am willing to submit to what God is doing in my life and be present to the season He has me in, the more fufulled and content I feel. Let me “splain”:-) Parenting young children 5 and under is a very taxing and physically intensive season of parenting. The more you have and the closer they are the harder it is. There are days you wonder if you will ever have you body back and not be constantly doing something for, or cleaning up after your young charges.
But I am here to say that as your children grow and mature (mine are now 6,4.5 and 3) that exahustion disipates. I don’t want to send them away or have a break. You enjoy them and their little thoughts and games and songs and general sillyness. We take walks together now and I don’t need all the parifianalia. I don’t have to hold all three of them while we cross the street, they just stop, look and cross along with me of their own valition. No more diapers or diaper bags.
I will say that some good family habits have helped me feel a bit more free. All of us having alone time every day was a great first start. Mom’s night out everyonce in awhile after the kids are in bed, family walks and clean up time before bed helps me keep the house in order as a team and consistent dates with the hubby all makes for a happy, healthy, Mommy. So, now I don’t want to send them away, I want to learn with them and from them and enjoy this very litte slice of time that I have with them.
Being Present helps me see all that God is doing in me, through me and around me. I highly recommend it. As soon as you stop thinking about that grocery list, or something you need to do next week, and start observing the space you are in and digging into what God has you doing at that particular moment, the better you feel as a Mom with young ones.
Just my 2 cents for the day!
Peace to all~
Entry Filed under: Family
3 Comments
Add your own1. Cathy | March 16th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Hi Amber,
Thank you for this post!! It is very encouraging. I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Although getting to the tunnel means cleaning up the trains tracks left on the floor and realizing the “light” is a flashlight that some little person left on!! I’m looking forward to learning with my kids too and can’t wait to see what God has to teach me through teaching them!!
2. Jeff Morgan | March 16th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Amber,
As a homeschool dad(well ok Carol homeschooled and I was the principal) of a 26 yar old and a 24 year old, I can tell you that you are on the right track. They wont be this wonder-filled age forever. I think empty nest was about one of the worst things I have gone through. Carol and I ran our buisness in those days and eventhough I wasn’t in the home much, our office was just across the yard and the girls felt like they could open my office door whenever they wanted to be with dad.
Enjoy these years…you’ll be planning a wedding and baby showers soon enough. Carol and I have!
Jeff
3. Amber | March 16th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Cathy,
I completely understand. There was a point in my parenting that I made a very strong and conscious decision to encourage every Mom with young children I meet. I found that comes around very seldom. Most people would say to me, “Boy you have your hands full.” or “Are they all yours?”like I had a dozen or something and “You actually go grocery shopping with ALL of them?”. There were days I felt like saying, “What do you expect me to do, leave them at home?” Now I just say, “I have my hands full in the best possible way!”
On the other hand I felt like I was being judged by families with older or fully grown children, like I didn’t parent enough, discipline enough, whatever, whatever. Then my friends with out any children, couldn’t understand why I was so overwhelmed, cranky and tired. I remember someone actually saying, “What is her problem. She chose this path.”, and another dating couple pulled Mike aside to “speak” to him about me. Being 4 months pregnant, throwing up and sick with an 6 month old and a 2 year old, I was a bit too cranky for them. I had offended them in some way, or they felt like I was controlling Mike with needing to get home quickly. Well, they apologized a year later after being married and newly pregnant they understood.
Now, every Mom I see at a play date, park or grocery store, I smile and say, “Good job! You are doing great, it gets easier and in about X amount of months, you will be having the time of your life.”. Then if they ask, I casually offer a few tips that helped me make it and explain that in the beginning, you are learning to survive. Give yourself a break, enjoy the moment. I find the most encouraging words are “I understand, you are not alone!” and “You are doing a great job!” evoke teary smiles from weary Mama’s who are praying they make it to the next day. Christian or not.
So sistah, with 4 all a year apart! You are my hero. You are doing a great job! Your kids are beautiful and anyone who is organized enough to send me an abacus gets a standing O from me that is for sure:-)Jeff, I am very aware of how fleeting time is, so we are making every effort to be present with our kids because we know the time spent now, will build deep, long lasting relationship for eternity.
Blessings to you both!
a
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