I have been going through old files this week, throwing things out in anticipation of our move. I found some of my old college papers and took a trip down memory lane reading some of the papers I wrote. I was in my 30's when I returned to school...so many of my papers were about my husband and kids. Interesting stuff. Most of it wasn't worth keeping, but I found this entry in a journal that I was required to keep for a social psychology class:
October 7, 1990
My kids decided to see how it would be if they were the parents. So for today, my daughter is playing me, and my son is playing dad. They told us that our bedtime is no later than 11:30, so I'll have to finish in a hurry in order to make it to bed on time!
It has been very interesting to see them acting out how we must appear as parents. Jaime, my daughter, really took on my characteristics, and Jon, my son, was amazingly like his father. This has definitely been an eye opening day.
Being a parent is a scary job. Especially knowing that we all fail our children somehow. How can we be perfect parents when there are so many life pressures?
I'm realizing that my dreams for kids are probably very unrealistic. I want them to grow into adulthood un-scarred by my poor parenting. I don't want them to make the same mistakes that I made. I want them to know how to make it in this world as loving, caring adults. However, I'm sure that just as my faults, so glaringly shown by my daughter tonight, have affected them for life, their faults will affect everyone they come in contact with.
How do we do it? How can we teach our kids to be better than we are? How can we keep them from making our mistakes over again? I guess my prayer is that somehow my children catch not only my faults, but also my faith. Faith that although we live in an imperfect world there is a Hope. Not everyone believes in God, however it is my faith that reassures me that although I'm not always the perfect parent, their Heavenly Father will take care of the things that I louse up. If the dream that they come the realization that they have a Heavenly Father to depend on comes true, then I guess I've given them all a mother could ask for.
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2 years ago
3 comments:
HA! I loved reading about this and actually have a faint memory of that day (surprisingly enough)! What a great example of a prayer that I can pray for your grandkids! You've been (and are) a wonderful mom!
Jon(athan) :0)
Wow. That's exactly how I feel right now. I suppose every parent goes through those feelings. Thanks for sharing!
As the mother of an adult daughter, I look back on my parenting mistakes and pray that God will work in my daughter and fix the damage I caused. I believe that He is able and I trust that her eyes are open to a Heavenly Father Who has perfect parenting skills.
I know your son and he is a wonderful man and an incredible professional. You did good!
Tina
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