www.1001TopWords.com |
Parenting: The Road I Chose
Tripping over the shoes and toys that seem to clutter my living room floor on a constant basis, just seems to be part of the game of parenting. I realize it doesn't have to be that way. I could spend my time picking up after the little hon-yocks, and screaming at them to do their chores, but it's more fun my way. (I never know where I'm going to land.) A night of walking over hot wheels and leggos has special meaning for me, and I doubt I will ever forget the night of the little tykes tractor story, but life does have a purpose - and for me that purpose is in the form of children. It's the loving, the kisses, the hugging, the owies, and all the problems and hassles of parenthood, as well as the joys of being a mother. Nothing else compares. I can't imagine life without my *treasures* or living without the fun of parenting teenagers, toddlers, and tweens, and yet somehow I can imagine that life without them, for someone who never had children is pretty much the same as mine - FULL and SATISFYING. My friends who don't have children seem to find ways to utilize the spirit of nurturing that God gave them, and it seems to give them pleasure in the same way. I meet people throughout life who have children who do not feel the need or desire to be fully involved parents and I wonder if they realize what they are missing. But, when I share the joys of parenting with them, they just don't understand. So, I suppose there are those among us who just don't get it, but for those, I'm sure God has a plan somewhere in his massive order of life to satisfy. I just really wonder what that plan could be. For me, the oatmeal kisses, band aide covered knees, broken trophies of my past, and scattered clutter are all made worth it by the years of love and honor that my children bestow up on me in the single moment when they proudly introduce me as mom. Copyright © 2001 ? Jan Verhoeff Printed in the USA Jan Verhoeff is a business consultant who specializes in the development of new businesses throughout the Greater Great Plains States. She educates business owners in the process of developing business and marketing plans for their businesses that will encourage them to set and meet productive business goals. She is the author of a variety of articles published in a variety of business and trade publications throughout the USA. Visit her blog at http://coffeeclatter.blogspot.com She may be reached by phone at 719-336-4036 or by email at: janverhoeff@yahoo.com.
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Effective is Attend in Helping Children with Attention Disorders? In 1996-97 we were contracted by VAXA International of Tampa, FL to provide clinical, "real world" information on the effectiveness of their product called "Attend." Their product was a homeopathic nutraceutical medicine, meaning that it contains homeopathic medicines, plus nutritional medicines. The product has over 70 selected ingredients including specific amino acid combinations, essential fatty acids, phospholipid complexes, vitamins, minerals, and more. What You Should Know About Counseling for Attention Deficit Disorder At the ADHD Information Library we are big believers that you should not just be giving a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medication without also providing some sort of counseling or therapy. There are good, long-term studies that show that medication by itself over the long term is not a whole lot better than no treatment at all (Satterfield, et.al.). Medication for Attention Deficit Disorder is far more effective when it is combined with counseling of one type or another. But not all forms of counseling are worth the investment of time or money. Read on to learn what works and what does not. What About ADHD Teens and Driving? This is one of the most common questions asked of me by parents of teenagers who have ADHD. Public School Sex-Education Classes --- Bad News For Parents and Children One of parents' most important duties is to protect their children from harmful sexual values and behaviors. Yet many public schools force potentially harmful, sometimes shockingly explicit sex education on their students. Life Lessons in a Glass of Beer It was blisteringly hot last Saturday. As I took that first sip of a cold quality beer I knew it was sure to ease my thirst. However, I never expected that in that same frosted mug were also lessons on how to be a better Dad. Parents --- Your Childrens Report Card May Be Rigged Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose students consistently fail standardized tests can be shut down. To protect their jobs, teachers and principals are now under intense pressure to cheat - to fudge test scores and report cards to fool parents and school administrators. What Should I Know About Strattera for ADHD? Strattera came out around January of 2003, and is becoming more and more popular as a treatment for ADHD. Strattera is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that came on the market in 2003. It is becoming more and more popular as a treatment for ADHD and is available nationally. Strattera is a type of ADHD treatment that works differently from the other ADHD medications available. Bedtime and Sleep Habits Bedtime and children's sleep habits can cause nightmares - for parents, that is! Often at the end of a long day all you want is a little peace and time for yourself. After all, you have probably devoted the entire to the service of children in some form. Choosing Names For Twins There are many reasons for treating your twins as individuals rather than a pair. But if you must choose names that go together here are a few suggestions. The Ten Things That Successful Parents Do 1. They are leaders as well as parents. They don't rely on the schools, the government, television, the movies or music to teach their children values and the difference between right and wrong. They do it themselves. Where Is Your Homework, Lisa? Is Homework Really That Important? The Importance of Fathers There is no doubt that mothers play an all-important leading role in the lives of their children. They are the obvious heroes of child rearing. But what about a father's role? Just how important are the dads of the world compared to the almighty image of mother? My belief is that fathers play just as important a role as mothers. Different, yes. Possibly not as nurturing, not as all-sacrificing but just as important in the developmental and emotional well being of a child. Healthy Eating Alone Is Not The Answer Along with eating healthier we need to be more active. The two go hand in hand. Healthy eating + physical activity = a healthier mind and body. The Courage to Be a Loving Parent Most of us really don't like it when someone is angry at us. We don't like it when people go into resistance to helping us when we need help, instead of caring about us. We don't like it when people withdraw from us, disconnecting from us and shutting us out. We don't like it when people make demands on us and do not respect our right or need to say no. Many of us will do almost anything to avoid the soul loneliness and pain we feel when people treat us in angry, resistant, demanding and uncaring ways. Over-Focused ADHD The least flexible character in all of the stories of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin has got to be Rabbit. Oh, he can get a lot of things done, and he's the one character who will be prepared when winter comes, but he has a very hard time shifting from one activity to another. He is absolutely "task oriented" and is focused to whatever that task might be. School Days - Top 10 Tips for Establishing a Good Routine Teachers know that children thrive in an environment withroutines, boundaries and rules. Unfortunately, parents oftenforget it! And yet by establishing good routines andencouraging children to help you maintain them, you have anopportunity to set a pattern and a discipline that will staywith your children for the rest of their lives. You willmake school days easier and far less stressful, reduce thechances of starting your day late or dragging on foreverwith the homework, put an end to nagging and shouting, andhave happier, more relaxed kids. Lead with Love:How Mothers Can Use Their Greatest Strength to Manage Around Their Technical Weakness My wife and I have been working on a video scrapbook for our son now for about a year. The project originally started out as a movie of all of our video clips but it was immediately apparent that this scope was far too great. As time went by and as more and more full DV tapes stacked up, we narrowed the scope to be just the first six months of his life instead. How Can I Teach My Child Respect? A common theme over the past 20 years has been how much children have changed from when we were growing up in terms of how they show respect. I know that for the most part in the 1960's, anyone in a position of authority commanded respect which included parents, teachers, police officers, principals, bosses, coaches and anyone else we viewed in some way as a person in authority. We in fact were taught to "obey" and do as we were told; no questions asked. Many of those people did command respect but unfortunately many of them abused their position of power and felt they were licensed to say and do whatever they wanted simply by virtue of the position they held. Give Your Child Life Skills for a Lifetime Many parents struggle with solutions to put their child on the fast track to success, and one such solution is not usually far from home. It is your local martial arts school. How To Teach Children Loyalty and Dependability Individualism is a common thing in today's modern society. Many people care more about themselves than others and do what they like with little consideration for people whom may be affected by their action. It is quite a sad thing. You can see that there are is a general lack of loyalty and commitment to people own belongings. For example, |
© Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |