Nothing in the world compares to becoming a parent, especially a mother. Whether adoptive or not, being a mother is a very special gift in many ways. Like I mentioned, this post is my thoughts after seeing a picture online that stated (not grammatically) that nothing would ever come before this mother's children. Although I believe our children are very important part of our lives, I also disagree that they should come first. Here are the things I put before my children and why.
My Faith
My faith in God is very powerful and one of the strongest relationships that I have in this life. Telling my children what and how they should believe isn't something I do; however, seeing my faith and my daily practice will encourage them to ask questions. Asking questions is just the start. Letting my children see me spend time in the word encourages them to do the same. I want to show them why it is important to spend time with God, learn the word, and to follow it. Teaching them to put their faith and trust in God teaches them more about prayer and patience as well. My faith in God, my prayer, and my time with him are important in maintaining a positive outlook and a happy home environment, which is why I put it first.
My Relationship with Dylan
Along the same lines of modeling my faith, letting our children see our relationship shows them what a healthy relationship should be. Our relationship is built on a foundation. That foundation requires maintenance, time, and effort. Putting time and commitment into our relationship shows our children that it is important to think of others before yourself. It models to them the importance of investing in the people that you care about. With the rise of the abusive relationship, unhealthy marriages, and ultimately failing families, it is important to us to put our faith and our relationship on the top of the importance list. I want our children to see our love story. It didn't stop after we met. It won't stop after we are married. Our relationship is an ongoing love story. I want to be that couple that our children look at (at even our grandchildren in the future) and say "eww!"
Self Care
This is the place that many will call me selfish; however, hear me out on my reasoning. Have you ever heard the saying that you cannot pour from an empty cup? No matter how fulfilling my faith is, no matter how satisfying my relationship is, I still need time for myself. Giving to others is something that I love to do; however, I cannot give to others if I have nothing to give. When I do not spend time in self-care I become frazzled, emotional, and sometimes downright anger. Self-care is my way of filling my cup so that I can turn around and fill the cup of those around me. Self-care can take on many forms. It doesn't have to take up hours a day. Just a few minutes to myself to calm down, center me, and treat myself. My children know when I am not at my best, so I have to work at always being the best version of myself each day.
These are the things that I put before my children to not only show them about life but to help them to grow and mature as a person. What are some of the ways you encourage your children's growth by modeling that behavior to them?
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