“I’m the worst mother in the world. I think I’m ruining my kids,”
Tears began to roll down my face. Once again “Miz Edith,” my elderly next-door neighbor, wrapped her arms around me and replied, “Susan, you are not the worst mother in the world. You are just in a hard season and you are doing a good job. You will be all right. Your kids will be all right.”
I was in a hard season. We had recently moved to a new town and I had 5 children-7 and under (including colicky 6 week old twins), a husband with a demanding new job, and no friends, no family, and no help.
Except “Miz Edith.”
Many times during those early years I would run across my lawn, often in bare feet and pj’s, knock on her door, and burst into tears. Miz Edith didn’t always give me advice but she always comforted me. What she gave me was perspective. She reminded me that although this season was hard, it would not last forever. And she reassured me that I was doing a better job than I thought I was.
One of the hardest things about raising young children is that we don’t feel like we are making any progress.
We discipline them and they turn around and do “it” again. We teach them to speak kindly and they are rude once more. We think we are making progress in sibling rivalry and then a fight breaks out. No matter how hard we try and how many times we tell them, we don’t seem to make any progress.
Recently a father with three young kids said, “If we didn’t care how they turned out raising them wouldn’t be so hard!” But we do care—so much. One of the things we have to remember in this season is that we are sowing and we are not going to see results for many years. In other areas of life we often see results soon. But not in parenting. Training is a repeated endeavor over and over and over. We will be less disappointed if we realize they may not get “it” for several years. Just keep at it and don’t expect fast results.
The problem isn’t just our child’s behavior. It’s us. We lose our tempers. We overreact. We get frustrated and we get tired. And when we make a really big mistake we wonder if we are ruining our kids. Our kids are not looking for perfect parents. There aren’t any. What they need is an honest parent. A parent who is willing to say, “I made a mistake and I am sorry. I should not have reacted that way. I need to ask you to forgive me. Will you forgive me?” When our kids see us asking for forgiveness they will be more likely to grow into to men and women who are humble enough to ask for forgiveness themselves.
When you feel like you are ruining your child remember:
Your ability to ruin your child is not nearly as great as God’s power to redeem her.
“For nothing is impossible for the Lord.” Luke 1:37
Seek out a “Miz Edith” for your life. Each of us needs someone older who will give us perspective. But we can also be an “Edith” in a younger person’s life. We can become “sandwich women.” We are the peanut butter in the middle with the top bread representing an older mentor above us and the bottom bread someone younger for whom we care.
Just think how our culture might be changed for good if we all made a commitment to become “sandwich women!”
Damaris says
This is exactly what I feel most times. My 4yrs old toddler told me yesterday that she gets scared whenever I yell at her and that made me so sad even after apologizing to her. Thank you Suzan. It feels better to know am not alone and also not ruining them. God bless.
Karen says
You talk about this when you spoke at our family life women’s retreat and it encouraged me so. Thanks for reading this post so that I can share it with all my other friends and family here on Facebook, Susan.
P.S. the painting that you made at that Retreat that you gifted to me is sitting on my dresser and making me smile. #beStill
Susan Yates says
Bless you Karen. I loved my time with you Family Life women. You have a special place in my heart!
Love, Susan
Artemis says
Wonderful article. I feel exactly like this at times.
Susan Yates says
It’s good to know we are not alone Artemis!
Blessings, Susan