Parenting Woes

Kids do not come with a manual.  There are a lot of people out there writing books on the subject.  However, are they writing from knowledge and experience or opinion?  Every child is different.  Though the same household rules may apply to each, personalities, interests, and the way their minds work are different.  Do we screw up our kids?  Probably on some level, yes – but we love them and do our best to bring them up as best we can.  Every generation has its obstacles.  I think we all hold our breath during the dreaded teen years.  While some parents are able to release that breath within a few years, others hold it for a very long time. 

Though my oldest son matured quicker than my younger, I still held my breath through his early marriage, Army career which consisted of six years - including a year-long tour to Iran and another to Afghanistan.  There were a lot of long, prayerful nights and days during those periods.  We are breathing much easier now that he is left the military and is solidly standing on American soil, especially since he and his family are only a couple of hours drive from us now.

The younger son has left us with many breathless moments, mainly because he took the longer road to maturity.  While he was busy singing in the rain, we were on our knees praying.  He was twenty-five when we moved across county, twenty-six when he married and became a step-father.  He may still have some lessons to learn but moving away from him and forcing him to stand on his own two feet helped us and him immensely.  (Please don’t consider that our move was simply a ploy to get away from our son, there were other more complicated reasons the move was made.) 

So what do you say when your child accuses you of screwing them up?  What can you say?  Yes?  Possibly?  No?  Stick to your guns.  Do what’s best for you and your children, even when what’s best is not what they want to hear.  You only get one chance to be a good parent.  We all have regrets in how we handled a certain situation or two.  However, whatever your circumstances, do your best and love them with all of your might.  What else can we do?  We are human, after all.