An easy one that can be summed up in one word: Motherhood! It's crazy hard, especially when you're trying to do it in a godly manner, which means you have to be counter-cultural in a lot of ways. Clothes, for example. I have an 11 year old girl, Ellie, who has the body of a 14 or 15 year old. Trying to find things that fit and are appropriate for her age has become near impossible. And there's all those things I feel I need to teach her about being a good wife and mother before she leaves the nest. I don't just mean all those practical things like cooking and cleaning, as important as those are. I mean how to love and appreciate your husband, how to serve your family joyfully, how to live for the Lord. And then there's the boys. Ian, age 9, is quickly growing into a man. He has such a tender heart that I fear for him in the big, tough world. I know God created him that way for an amazing purpose. I don't want it to change, but, at the same time, I know how unkind the world can be, especially to a sensitive boy. Balancing keeping him tender and "toughening him up" is a constant juggling act. His future wife is going to be a very lucky lady, I can tell you that! He is going to love her with all he's got!! And then there's little Ryan. He's 2, so there's a whole slew of issues with that. I have to constantly remind myself that I cannot let him get away with disobedience just because he's the "baby". I do NOT want a spoiled brat on my hands. And I still have age 3 to get through. It's a dirty, little secret no one tells you before you have kids, but 3 is WAY worse than 2. And then there's potty training! UGH! I won't even go there! 
Anyway, I praise God daily for 5 things in particular when it comes to motherhood. 1) That He has allowed me the privilege of raising these amazing creations of His. I'm not perfect and it is harder than I ever imagined, but it's awesome to watch them grow and I understand God in a way I never did before. 2) I get to stay home with them. I seriously don't know how working moms do it. They're all heroes in my book! 3) I have an awesome hubby by my side! I cannot imagine doing this without him. 4) I have awesome girlfriends, most of whom are also struggling with these same issues. It helps to know I'm not alone. 5) I have God on my side and He loves these kids more than I do and has promised to never leave me or forsake me. What more do I need?
I obviously have no kids, but after doing daycare for five years, I honestly thought 4 was the worst age of all. They have learned to sass, they know just enough to get into trouble deliberately, and they are trapped in that awkward, frustrating wilderness of no longer being "a baby" and not quite being a "big kid" yet, so they are prone to whining, tattling, being mean and being overly dramatic. I felt like 3 set the stage for 4. And that's when I retreated into my room with my "under 2" crowd, where it was safe. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSee, with my kids at least, 2 was bad, 3 was awful, but 4 was much better. They had the vocabulary to express what they wanted and that led to a lot less frustration. I think 4 is a great age. Of course, I don't tolerate a lot of whining or being mean. It really is different, I suppose, when it's your own kids versus day care kids.
DeleteIt may also be the size of the group as well. One 4-year-old isn't twenty 4-year-olds. I swear when you get a group of kids together that are all the same age, they manage to bring out the most challenging aspects of their developmental age-group. For instance, they are definitely more able to communicate verbally at 4...but that also means they have the verbal skills to whine, sass and be mean to one another on a whole new level. I always have to remember that what I know of any age group, I gained that knowledge while they were in "pack mentality." LOL!
Delete