Odds 'N Ends

On advice:

I'm all for experienced moms giving advice or telling a relevant story about an experience they have had with their child. It's especially helpful in a context where everyone understands that all kids are different and if one person's solution doesn't work for you, you haven't failed, you just need to keep looking for the solution that works for your child and your situation. And, all good advice should end with prayer. The advisor should pray for the advisee, and the advisee should take the story, the advice, the idea, and pray about it. God has spoken to me many times through my interaction with others, their advice, and ideas generated through our conversation. So, you experienced moms are not allowed off the hook just because you don't want to give advice. Well-spoken advice and encouragement can help us newbies feel less alone, less inadequate, and less intimidated by the job God has handed to us. Whether your idea works or not is beside the point. The point is that you care enough to try to help.

On Ezzo:

Formulaic parenting is not the answer. Hint: read more than just Ezzo. Think, filter, pray, read the Bible, discuss your ideas with your friends and family and other parents. Another series I want to see sometime is called "Shepherding a Child's Heart." I saw the first session one time and it really ministered to me. I forget who was speaking, and I believe the speaker also wrote a book by the same name. (I think.)

On Parenting:

I learned when I was a teacher that it would have been much easier if children acted like little adults; then I realized that if that were the case, my position would become partially irrelevant. As a parent it's the same story. As a teacher, the more I understood about the subject matter, the easier it was to teach it. As a parent, same story. The state has many requirements for teacher education and certification and none for parents. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the state should necessarily venture there, but who really makes the biggest contribution to the child's development and his or her ability to reach their potential and become contributing members of society? The parent or the teacher? Therefore it is my opinion that it behooves parents to read and study and learn and ask questions sooner rather than later.

On Education:

Knowing how to think is far more important than formal education. Or, as my sis, the doc, mentioned last night, the goal of education is to teach one how to think. That goal can be attained at any level beginning with an elementary education; for example, my dad only went through eighth grade and was one of the most informed people I have ever known. He self-educated himself through reading, observation, and conversation with knowledgeable people. One anon posting seemed to indicate that us educated folk look down our noses at the uneducated commentators--whatever gave you that idea? There are many moms I admire who never went to college. It is not the lack of formal education that bothers me in some parents. Instead it is the lack of desire to learn about parenting and a lack of personal reflection about how they are parenting (except when dealing with a "crisis" type of "acting out" situation and such like) and a lack of setting attainable parenting goals...they don't read books, they don't attend seminars, they don't watch video series, they don't pursue conversations with other parents, they don't have family devotions, they don't make their family a priority over work or hobbies or whatever, they don't recognize that God may have a different plan for their children's life than He had for their own life (i.e. Even though farming is my life, God might not call my sons to farm.), they don't seem to have a passion to "train up their children in the way they should go with the gifts they have been given..." This is what I react to when I see it.

On Good Parenting:

I've seen a lot of it in spite of the negative description above. That's how I know it can be done. In a future blog, I plan to solicit your favorite parenting tips, so be thinking.

On Feeding:

Blaine has been eating rice cereal for almost a week. And since I'm a new mom, I get excited over small things. Yesterday morning I excitedly called to Phil from the kitchen, "Blaine just opened his mouth for a bite three times in a row." He has progressed to getting more food in his mouth than on his bib. I had no idea that infants needed to learn how to eat. I think that I thought once they had their first bite of food, they would automatically figure it out and would immediately desire a regular serving size of food at every meal. It's been fun to see the learning process and how it progresses in minute increments.

On Lots of Comments:

Wow! Thanks for commenting. We must, however, watch the chatter. When ITF comments too often, I question the depth of the conversation. (How DO you write with inflection so everyone knows exactly what you mean?) I did appreciate the lessons in blog etiquette since I am new in blogland myself.

Being a mom has taught me: Little feet and cute toeses are more fun to kiss than big feet and hairy toes.

Blaine's newest skill: Using his hands to remove the cloth over his face when playing peekaboo. Before he would just kick and thrash wildly; now he knows how to pull it off.