Mum 4 Real Celebrating Parenthood
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Yes we sing ‘sweet mother, I no go forget you…’ but sincerely, part of what we will always remember our mothers for is their ‘Margaret Thatcher’s attitude. Fathers are always cool and calm, believe me I can count the number of times my dad struck me with cain, but my mum…..hmmmm…countless; stick, wire, slippers, belt and even her hand did the magic of reseting me anytime I need to be.
Now that I am a mother, I understand her frustration. I read this from one of my devotions and I am inspired to share so as to encourage us.
‘Many of us overestimate our children’s ability to exercise self-control, to stay focused on a task, and to handle social situations. Most of the ways they react are relative to their age group. Don’t be frustrated!
Too often, we let our own impatience take the lead and we scold with an angry voice because deep down we expect them to act better than they are. We lose perspective of what is normal behaviour for their age and stage of development.
We get angry because they don’t live up to our off-the-charts expectations, and then the Mummy Monster shows up full force. This happens all the way from the toddler years through the teen years and even into the young adult years.
It’s okay for us to encourage our child to do his or her best while keeping the balance of not having unreasonable expectations. Even a slight adjustment in our expectations can bring huge relief to a child who really wants to do his best, but is limited by his level of maturity.’
After reading this, I concluded that the monster is leaving my home for good; no more unrealistic expectations. So help me God. Mothers, will you like to take the same pledge with me?
