Louisa at Silver Falls, Oregon
The problem with being a mom is that you are always and ever being watched and copied. From what you read in the bathroom to how you act when a car cuts in front of you in traffic, your behavior is all being carefully recorded in the minds and hearts of your children.
ARGH! That is a truth that causes me pain! You mean they are going to turn out like ME?! Help!
This is the bad news. It is also the good news. God set you up to be a model of Him for your children. You say in a sense, “Come follow me,” to your children. Your facial expressions, your food preferences, your attitude towards keeping the speed limit, your treatment of the elderly, your gratitude towards your husband for the paycheck you live on—it’s all up to you how your children will learn to act, will learn to live.
I’d like that sobering thought to govern my daily actions, but it sure is easy to forget . . . until I end up correcting my child for imitating my bad behavior!
If we don’t want our kids to depend on sweets and chocolate as a way to cope with stress, guess what? We’ve got to teach them a better way! If we don’t want them to criticize or talk badly about others, guess what? We’ve got to model daily for them how to deal with other people’s shortcomings in a positive way. If we want them to respect authority, guess what? Yep . . . .
We are hopeful that they will do better than we do, and often they far excel our behavior. But in many ways, when we’ve finished raising our children, we’ll be looking in the mirror! I’m thinking on that today.
May I recommend:
