Mommy Knows: Happily Stuck

Most know that parenting a strong willed toddler, especially a girl toddler, is well, trying. I am blessed with a two year old daughter that has somehow bottled up the vigor of a lion inside of her little frame. She is hilarious beyond her years, and stubborn to the point of maternal mental break downs. Yes, she is going to be a woman with grit I have no doubt. I am so thankful for her just the way she is! I constantly pray for wisdom as her mother, and I am one to hold my parenting to a standard that sometimes, well most times, has to be replaced with the Grace and Forgiveness of God. And after a moment that happened in the shuffle to get my daughter to bed in a timely manner, I heard the whisper of the Lord remind me what my roll is in her life right now as her mother, and that is to “Remind her what she IS”.

This may seem like something a little intense when raising a toddler however, I have found that its actually the simplicity that makes it so difficult. With there being billions of parenting books, blogs, suggestions (most often times unwanted) from family members and friends, and the stigma that haunts most mothers: our compulsion to compare our parenting to others. With all of these forces combined it seems impossible to know what path or style to choose for your child. We all have this idealistic way we want to parent, because we have the idealistic way we want our children to turn out in our heads. Honestly, what parent doesn’t WANT their children to be Happy and Ambitious about their faith and their life! That is the best as a mother, to have happy children! But in the midst of a Toddler melt down, and trying to steer the discipline boat, I ran onto a mound that encouraged me to redirect the sails of this ship.

When my daughter gets tired there is a FINE line between going to bed peacefully and the tipping point where all emotion, and reason fly out the window and she becomes a mess. Last night was one of those nights. As I put her in the bed and tried to reason with her, I told her “You are not listening to mommy, you do not scream at mommy, you are not being kind, you are not doing what mommy and daddy are asking you.” And then she stopped crying, looked at me and quivered her little lip and burst out, “I don’t have Jesus in my heart anymore!?” With a questioning look on her little face. I lost it. I cried out and scooped her up. And in that moment God whispered, “Tell her what she IS!” So I expressed to her that even if we do things that are not what we should that NOTHING and NOONE can take Jesus out of our hearts, not even ourselves! One he is in our hearts he is what we call “Happily Stuck”. She calmed down and we were able to snuggle, I felt so compelled to tell her how much she is loved by me but by Jesus EVEN MORE! I couldn’t believe that at her age she is already thirsty for these type of reassurances and answers in her life. I don’t think that it was wrong to discipline her in the way I did, but now when I want to correct or direct her, I want to do it by reminding her WHAT SHE IS, and that is a Child of God. THAT is the most important thing I can do as her mommy.

3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in Truth.”

Have Grit Sweet Ones,

Kiersten