“Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.” – Garrison Keillor
Jenny’s Take: All the hard work that you pour into becoming a better parent is worth it. Every second. You may not “see” any great result for quite some time, but you aren’t dealing with growing vegetables….you are dealing with growing adults.
I know that it’s nice to be appreciated, but seeking that appreciation actually makes you less likely to get it. If you can put aside your need to be recognized by your children, you’ll be much more relaxed and comfortable with the variety of roles you have to play in their development.
-Jenny Runkel, Director of Content for The ScreamFree Institute
The Confident Mom’s Take: Parenting is hard work! I know for me, once I feel we have one situation under control we are tossed into another. But if you are willing to grow as a parent and as an individual you will amazed at what you can learn to change about yourself when you put forth the effort. You can certainly see the changes in yourself as you move forward, but you won’t always see the impact you are having with your children until long into the future.
For me, I certainly just try to keep the end in mind when making decisions on a daily basis when it comes to my kids. Looking at the big picture is much better than always looking at the here and now. Do you find this true? What helps you look beyond the issue at hand and not get caught up in those details?
If you find yourself at a loss with parenting issues, maybe the time is now for some personal coaching to help keep the end in mind with your children? I would love to help you navigate this road of motherhood in a ScreamFree Way!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
It is so easy to get wrapped up in the details of this moment and make them bigger than they really are. I just try and think ‘will I even remember this problem in a month?’. It doesn’t work every time, but it does help keep things in perspective sometimes.
I love that – “will I even remember this in a month”. Great line to keep in the back of my mind too. Perspective is a great thing to have in parenting. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
A corollary to the point you’ve made so beautifully: sometimes we need to slow down and practice patience to pull us out of the immediate task and think of the long-term goals. While I might want to tear my hear out and just stick the coat and shoes on my kid rather than letting it take half an hour, I focus on the goal of promoting independence. It’s often quicker and easier to pick up after our kids, but to patiently helping them establish the habit of putting their toys away, we are getting to the long- term goal of fostering responsibility. Taking the long view can really help us exercise tolerance and manage our frustrations.