Am I the only one?

 

Being  “Beth” is harder some days than others.  I know a few different Beth’s.  To name a few, I know the Beth who feels blessed to be a wife of a man who strives to do and be the best for our family.  I know the Beth who tries really hard to be a “good girl”.  I know the Beth who has high expectations of herself.   I know the Beth who will apologize for everything… even it if isn’t her fault…just so everyone will be happy.  

As a stay-at-home mom, I feel because that is my “job”,  I need to be the one responsible for all the day-to-day duties, chores and routines.  I think I feel that I don’t have any accomplishments made if I’m letting, or asking, anyone else to do them instead of me.

I still make my kids’ lunches each morning before school.  I do all the laundry myself.  I dust the furniture and I sweep the floors.  I clean the tubs and toilets.  I even pick up the clothes and toys off the floor in our kids’ room! 

Now they’ve done all of those things…occasionally.  And they set the table, take out the trash and make their beds every morning.   Please don’t get me wrong that I do everything for them, because I don’t, but why do I have a hard time instructing them and training them to do other chores themselves?  Am I the only one?!   I want them to learn the importance of why we have to do those "not-fun-to-do-things” and to learn about responsibility and about being thankful for the things we have to take care of, so why do I still do them?

Is it because I don’t want to hear the whines?  Is it because I don’t have enough patience to wait for them to do it?  Is it because I simply feel responsible for it?  Is it because I hope that if they’re watching me do those chores that one day it’ll magically click and they’ll do them every day without me having to ask them?   Is it because I’ll feel useless if I’m not doing those things?

I have many friends of whom I admire for how they train their children when it comes to chores and duties and responsibilities.  They enforce those house duties and are pretty consistent with it so I know it can be done.

I know that parenting isn’t easy. It’s learning in progress…and it’s not only just children learning, but their parents also.  I’m so thankful for our church family who’s holding special classes for training and how to do that with extra love.  I’m thankful for friends who support each other because we’re not doing this alone.  I’m thankful for our parents who raised us and we turned out OK. 

I’m thankful for the only Perfect Parent who has so much grace and patience and love that is unconditional.  Those promises are what keep me going!

 

Many thanks to God this past week for…

#1044  celebrating my husband’s grandmother’s 90th birthday

#1045  our niece’s baptism and being with family

#1046 gift in window…sunny, blue sky day after many days of clouds

#1047  our freedom as Americans

#1048   freedom from bondage only through Christ

#1049  our country’s foundation…in God we trust

#1050   the start of a new discipleship journey

#1051   gift in window…green plants from summer on porch now in sunroom

#1052   gift in window…seeing birds come to get food now that colder weather is here (but a few have flown into our window after getting something to eat!)

#1053   helping with my daughter’s science fair project baking cookies and giving neighbors and friends taste tests

#1054   starting a new discipleship journey

#1055   talking with Grady and Libby about election and government and our faith as believers in relation to it.

#1056   the challenge to lead bible study…prayer needed!

#1057   kids playing in the raked leaves

#1058    revival at church and seeing in the row in front of me people from age 5 to 85 and from at least 3 different nationalities.