Parenting Is Hard! Learning To Pray, Stay and Play
Since Becky and I had our third child, Clara, our time, energy, resources, sleep, alone time has dramatically changed. Ok, let’s be honest. We’re depleted and in survival mode. However, recently I’ve realized we are not alone.
A couple times this summer Becky and I have mustered up the energy to take our hoard on day trips to the Zoo and Rocky Mountain National Park. On these adventures I’ve overheard parents saying things like, “I just can’t get my child to sleep at night,” “I feel so rundown,” “I feel like I haven’t been alone for weeks.” This is not to mention what I’ve observed, yelling, reminding, grabbing, forcing kids into timeout, etc. But, I get it!
If you are a parent, you totally understand these thoughts and feelings. So, what do you do? Here are some things I’ve been trying to do recently, and maybe they will help you too.
PRAY
I’ve been spending time praying for my girls by myself (when I can) and with them. I try to pick one of Our Family Values to pray over them at bedtime. I’m also praying for each of their future husbands that they would be men of God who exemplify our values. I find that praying for my kids softens my heart towards them. I definitely still have those momentary prayers of “God, help me!”
STAY
Stay engaged and sometimes stay away from your kids. Let me explain. By stay engaged I mean being intentional with our kids since we only have a limited amount of time with them and they are watching everything we do. By stay away, I mean that we all need time to rejuvenate and recharge. Figure out what that is for you and do whatever you can to make that a priority. Becky and I are still figuring this out, but we realize this is extremely important.
PLAY
Playing is how children relate, especially younger ones. Figure out what they love doing and enter into their world. I find that when I stop making excuses to say, “No” or “not right now” or “can’t you see that I’m busy,” that I have fun and am making memories with my girls. Playing is also one of the best ways to build your relationship with your children. Here are some examples of how my girls play. Jocelyn loves for me to make up obstacle courses at the park, and time her to see if she can beat her previous record. She also loves playing board games, woot woot! Charlotte loves to play with the water table outside and pretend to cook food. She also loves to eat food, which is a game in itself. Clara is our little steamroller. She rolls around the floor from toy to toy. Lego to train to a doggy chew toy, she doesn’t care. Just me being on the floor with her is enough.
Parenting is hard. Over this next week pray for and with your children, be intentional as you stay and enter their world of play. If you are looking for a board game to enhance your play time with your kids, check out Our Family Values.
