Joyful Noise

THOSE WHO HEAR NOT THE MUSIC THINK THE DANCERS MAD.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

It's all new for me!

My first post. I better do it right.

Have you ever felt that way about anything new?

I'm also a new mom. I better get that right.

Just so you know, I'm the sister-in-law to Life in the Shoe, the aunt to the By-log, and long time friend and singing pal to ITF. And, in February, I just had a baby. His name is Blaine. He's just the sweetest thing that has ever happened to me. Two and a half years before that, I married Phil. He's the growingest thing that ever happened to me. I have lots of thoughts on marriage and mothering. Today I'll give you random parenting thoughts.

Parenting is so important. Why on earth wouldn't you take every opportunity to do it well. Read books, attend classes, watch videos, search the Scripture...there is so much godly parenting advice out there, why wouldn't you seek it out and use what fits you and your situation? Do you really think that children just raise themselves and that the way you were raised is the ultimate in parenting?

I have friends that just float through parenting with seemingly little thought about how to do it best. They aren't bad parents; they just don't seem to feel any urgency. I feel urgency. I want nothing more for my children than for them to grow up to serve God. Really serve Him. Make a difference WHEREVER God calls them. I ask God almost every day to help me be an effective parent so that Blaine will choose to follow Christ as a teenager and adult. I ask God that he will give us wisdom to train him up in the gifts that he has been given so that he has the skills in place to do the work God will call him to. I don't want to waste God's time with my children. I want to do everything I can to prepare them to be effectime emissaries for God. (I only have one at the moment, but anticipate more in the future--no, no, no, none on the way, yet!)

So, "Babywise" or "Along the Infant Way" by Ezzo and Ezzo. It works. Sleep, eat, wake-time. It's a great concept, and it works. Train your child to go to sleep on his own. It works. (This is also known as Ferberizing your baby; Ferber is some sleep expert that I saw quoted on the Baby Center's website. Interestingly enough, his ideas lined up with Ezzo.) So, if your baby is three months old and not sleeping through the night, you might want to check Ezzo out. Blaine was around four months when I started the sleep, eat, wake-time routine and began working on teaching him to go to sleep on his own for naps and at night. A week or two later, he was consistently sleeping through the night. Now he is five months old and sleeps from 8 or 9 p.m. throught till 7 or 8 a.m. Sleep is a wonderful thing for both of us.

My time is up. More thoughts in my brain. Maybe tomorrow.

13 Comments:

  • At 5:41 PM, Blogger Dorcas said…

    Welcome, Rosie!

     
  • At 1:44 PM, Blogger Mrs. Darling said…

    welcome to blogging. Look forward to reading you!

     
  • At 5:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I agree w/ you. Going to sleep on their own is a very important thing to me. I have a friend (bless her heart) that rocks her baby to get it to sleep. So she rocks for 15-20 minutes and the baby sometimes wakes up when laid down, or just sleeps these little cat naps. To me that would be so frustrating!!

     
  • At 6:09 PM, Blogger Claire said…

    It'll be neat to see your perspective as a college-educated Mennonite mother and wife.

     
  • At 8:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Rosie! I'm glad you're blogging. It'll be a nice way for me to see a bit of your world from time to time. Sounds like you're parenting as wholeheartedly as you sing!

    I wasn't familiar with Ezzo so I did a quick Google search and hope what I found is not a fair representation - a behavioristic method of child raising that claims to be THE biblical one, churches voting to use that method, undernurished babies, etc. etc. etc. - Whew! There's some nasty stuff out there.

    I wish you all the best as you pursue godly parenting!
    Sharon (formerly from FCS, now Granstville)

     
  • At 11:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Why shouldn't Blaine choose to follow Christ in his pre-teen years also?

     
  • At 5:13 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The thing about parenting is that it is so "all the time." It never ends and can be so wearying. That is when we forget to look at the big picture. It is very worthwhile and can be enjoyable. Good to read some of your thoughts. It has been a long time. I wonder when the next FBEP reunion is? God Bless
    Glen

     
  • At 5:13 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Rosie! Wow everybody is getting a blog these days, so nice to se you on too. I shall certainly enjoy reading about your life and hearing about Blaine.

     
  • At 8:15 PM, Blogger Mrs. Darling said…

    Anonymous asks why Blaine shouldnt choose to follow Christ in his preteen years.

    I will offer my unsolicited comment here. I dont think that Rosie meant that he shouldnt. She only mentioned the teen years because that is when kids have the hardest time staying true to their convictions. The preteen years are easy. Mama says it they believe it.

    In the teen years a parent needs extra wisdom and grace to guide that young independant soul down the right path. At this point in life, too often what peers have to say matters more than what mama says.

    With that in mind Rosie prays that God will keep her child through the the rough years of being a teen.

     
  • At 11:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hello, Rosie! Never having met you before, I have gathered from this one post that you are a woman of passion!! : ) Good for you! And I think it will be good for me to hear a freshly passionate perspective on parenting. With 3 kids, 2, 4, and 6, the urgency to "do it right" that I felt with the first one has mellowed (dulled?) some.

    One thought from my mellowed perspective: I believe there is wisdom in the Ezzo perspective, and a lack of wisdom in a completely unstructured schedule for a baby. The "Ezzo" plan worked pretty well with our babies (to the extent that we followed it - not religiously) but from the comments I have heard from other moms, the Ezzo plan "works" better with some babies than with others, even within the same family. So, when I see a situation where a baby/mom doesn't appear to be following "the plan", I try to withhold judgment and unsolicited, dogmatic opinions. Helpful, cautious suggestions, yes. To me, it can only be harmful to get on a soapbox about an extra-Biblical issue like this. (I know, the principles are somewhat Biblical, but their application of them is extra-Biblical. [not anti-Biblical]) For me, the same goes for potty-training methods, and for home-schooling vs. other schooling. (Obviously, schooling has broader, more profound effects than potty training.)

     
  • At 4:57 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I hope Ezzo works for all your babies. What works great for one may not work for another. The mother who rocks her baby to sleep just might enjoy that part of bonding with her child that she may not be able to get any other way.
    Just make sure selfishness isnt a part of this all. (so I can have more time for me ect.)

     
  • At 9:54 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    * What one mother views as bonding another may view it as an unnecessary inconvenience.
    * Remember you can only rock a baby for about two years if your lucky because they soon wont let you do it anymore.
    *One day when your children are all grown up you'll say why did I ever follow such a silly idea.

     
  • At 7:44 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Rosie! Hopefully your first post isn't also your last! I'm watching for another one and I don't care if it isn't a perfect work of art! Just sit down, hit those keys, and let your fingers fly! Sharon

     

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