Parenthood is hard work at all stages. Some of us go into parenting thinking, “When we have a baby, there will be more JOY and more FULFILLMENT!” We will have
Beautiful holiday cards to send to family and friends
Father-son bonding over little league
Heartfelt mother-daughter conversations while cooking and shopping
Family dinners filled politeness and manners.
Realistically there are MOMENTS of joy and MOMENTS of fulfillment in-between the
Toddler meltdowns during the photo shoot
Hectic schedules of driving to practices and games
Eye-rolls, attitude, and silent treatment
Too many Mac-and-cheese dinners because that is all they will eat.
Unrealistic expectations create disappointment. Normal is not always pretty – rarely glamorous. Everyday parenting life often looks like
An overtired toddler with BIG feelings
An active 10-year-old boy who is having a hard time sitting still
A moody teen’s one-word response to all questions: Yup. Nope. Fine. Good.
Piles of paper, laundry, and to-do lists
Feeling tired, overwhelmed, and juggling too many things.
Most days will be survival days. Me-time will be rare in the early years; more will come later. However, don’t be discouraged. There will be days that you THRIVE! Sometimes you need to survive now so that you can THRIVE later.
In this season’s parenting focus, we will look at surviving versus thriving. The difference? A bit of planning ahead!
Be sure to check out our online seminars where we will be talking about Freedom: Surviving and Thriving – In the Midst of Busy, With your Differences, Through the Holidays, In the Releasing Process, In your Marriage, With your Teen/Young Adult, In Family Conflict, With Technology.