I read a lot. I read a lot about parenting. I even have books I recommend to new moms. Check out the Amazon link in my sidebar. But certain questions that come up as a parent, just aren't answered in books.
I've found motherhood to be a leap of faith. Not only faith in the God who gave me these children, but faith in myself to make the best choices for them. Sometimes I've done well, and sometimes I've failed. But I think even in failure I have learned lessons that are invaluable for our family.
I'm grateful for the experts who've taken the time to write books and share their expertise. Just as I'm grateful for the mom's who've shared their years of experience with me personally. What I've read and heard has informed my instinct and made me a better mother. But at the end of the day, sometimes I have to just go with my gut, and do what I think is best for the kid I know better than anyone else. Those are usually the times I'm praying the hardest.
This whole motherhood thing, is so much harder than I thought when I was a kid. But only because I care so much about doing it well and raising kids who are good people and who make the world better in their own ways. At the same time, parenting is so much easier than some experts would have us believe.
Good post Anne. I always tell new Moms that we have a God given instinct for a reason. Anything that goes against your gut or instinct is wrong. Only you can know what's best for your child. Don't ignore your heart.
ReplyDeleteThis gets a little harder to enact as the kids get older, in my experience, but as a whole, is the very best way to parent.
Anne thanks for this post - we're currently "suffering" through another bad cold which I refuse to take my little one to a western medicine Dr again, just to have him put on antibiotics. I have such doubts about what I'm doing (this is my first baby, 10 months old) but my gut tells me I need to help him get his immunity up to fight off the cold himself. I feel so incredibly sorry for him - I can see his throat hurts, but I just flatly refuse another course of antibiotics unless it's really necessary. Going with your gut is sometimes the hard but right thing to do. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteSandra, you may be on to something. Colds are viral infections, and if your child was put on antibiotics for one, that may have screwed up their whole system. Antibiotics are a miracle of modern medicine, but must be used appropriately.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, you probably know this but I wish every mother did, the doctor gives medical advice. It's up to us whether or not we think it's a good idea and want to follow it. We have the right to say no for ourselves, and our kids.
Its so interesting to me how it seems like God uses our "gut" instincts when it comes to parenting.
ReplyDeleteI was actually just telling my husband that I am getting better at simply "knowing" the children and knowing when to trust that gut feeling when dealing with them.