TODDLERS TEACH
Living in Thailand has produced many frustrations as a parent, I cannot lie. With all of the transitions over the past 6 months and having our third baby, I find myself completely worn out and exhausted a lot. This in turn has caused some impatience with my kids.
I have had many guilty mom moments in which I feel as though I am not cut out for the job. However, God is still using me and my situations to teach me and grow me into a better and stronger mom, despite my shortcomings. Recently, He used my oldest daughter to show me a new way to help encourage and teach my kids. Can you believe it?! My kids gave me parenting tips...how ironic!
My middle child is only one year old and is FULL of life (and energy). I have struggled to give her the one on one and focused learning time that I WAS able to give to my first born. Then recently I witnessed my girls playing together.
It was one of those sweet moments that makes you want to cry. My oldest was teaching her younger sister colors. She was going through a book and on every page very calmly asked " What color is this?" Sometimes she got the right answer and sometimes she didn't. When her sister answered correctly she would say "That's right, good job you did it!" but when she answered wrong she didn't get upset, impatient or correct her negatively. Instead, she simply said "This is the color____. Can you tell me this color is ______?" to which my younger daughter would repeat the right color and my oldest would say " That's right, good job, you did it!"
I mean come on! My oldest is only three and she was very calmly and patiently teaching her sister in a positive and effective way!
This is the same way God responds to us. Never short or impatient and always loving. He even gives us the answers we need and then turns around and gives us praise and calls it our victory! Isn't God an incredible and loving Father?! I'm so thankful that God doesn't teach me the way that I sometimes try to teach my kids. God is the best example of a parent and gives us every opportunity to try and be the best we can be. Never underestimate your children or the unlikely people in your life. God can teach you things through unexpected people in unexpected ways.
