There is nothing like parenting to bring you eye to eye with your weaknesses. This week mine seemed particularly glaring. I completely forgot about our piano recital until the teacher called 5 minutes after it started and wondered where we were. I mixed up swim practice times– 4 days in a row. I took my kids to their 9:00 Thursday morning piano lessons on TUESDAY and just drove away because my doctor had called and I was engrossed in that conversation. One afternoon I was out grocery shopping with some of the kids and left Jonah at home babysitting a napping Ian. I was driving home around 3:42 when I listened to a phone message about someone giving Jonah a ride to Cub Scout Twilight Camp and panicked. They needed to leave at 3:40! He needed a dinner packed! He couldn’t just LEAVE before I was home– he was the babysitter.
I’m not going to list and list all of the other things. I had several not so good mom days this week.
I am not a naturally organized person. I’m pretty flighty and easily distracted. I can sit down in the morning with my phone and planner and know exactly what needs to happen that day.
Then I still forget.
Whose idea was it to put me in charge? My poor baby falls asleep eating Cheerios.
I had a good mom week too. I got my boys new swim suits and water guns and they had lots of friends over to have a battle in the back yard. We actually had family prayer and scriptures each night, even with Barry gone. I took six kids to the swim team party– complete with a salad and cookies– and we were there 5 minutes EARLY.
It is just that my mistakes really seem to out weigh my successes. I also know those mistakes breed new ones when my internal voice keeps reinforcing how hopelessly unorganized I am. How do I switch that inner dialog to be more positive?
What do you do when your weaknesses rear their ugly heads and demand so much attention?
June 9th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
What is working for me lately is to either set an alarm on my phone when something needs to happen, or set an alert on my phone calendar. Because my phone is always with me, this usually helps. As long as I remember to put it in my phone.
My other thought is to choose one weakness to work on. Let the rest go for now. As long as you have six alive children at the end of the day, you’re good.
June 9th, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Oh Jess,
I think that’s the sign of a good mom, when we feel like our weaknesses seem to overwhelm us and we want desperately to do better and be perfect for our kids.
I always try to remember that Heavenly Father made me just the way I am, and that he gave me beautiful children that He knows I can teach best with the gifts and talents I have been given. Do we constantly strive to be better? Yes, but feeling down on ourselves doesn’t help, and that’s not what the Lord wants.
I look at you and I see strengths of creativeness, love of nature, the ability to play and have fun, a beautiful strong family who love to DO THINGS together and with other people, you can let go of the mundane and see every moment for its best potential, and so much more! I love those things about you and wish they were my strengths as well
Think of one positive thing every day as you try to organize everything–when you feel that negative creep in, say it to yourself over and over. And pray.
You’ll feel better when your “better half” gets back. It’s always harder when they’re away. You’ve had an emotionally stressful week too.
And the baby falling asleep with Cheerios, I think that’s more a function of the fact that she’s #6 than anything else. Life gets busy and I know I often mistake the “hungry cry” for the “tired cry.”
Good luck…and big hugs.
–RaeLyn
June 9th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
I remind myself that I am on a journey, and I won’t make it to my final destination for a long time yet. As long as I am moving (ever so slowly) forward, I don’t beat myself up anymore.
And if I make a mistake, I like to remember the tune from Brite Music’s Someone Special “I made a mistake, but that doesn’t make me bad. I have learned one thing I didn’t know before. That way won’t work, got to try a little more…”
I also like to remember Edison “failed” about 1000 times before he got the light bulb right, just gotta keep moving forward.
And my favorite thing to remember is that (at least I think so) all change comes from Christ. I ask for His help whenever I want/need to change. I think change and repentance are pretty much one and the same…
I think you are a great mom!
June 9th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Jess,
I know it may feel like it sometimes but our weaknesses don’t define us. I have certain weaknesses that I have struggled with for years. Many many years! While I still haven’t figured out a way to completely overcome them, I know that when I am close to God the burden of them is lessened. As I stray just a little or a lot, these weaknesses always lead me back to Him. So in a little way, I’ve come to appreciate and understand why we are not perfect.
Love you
June 10th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Oh my goodness, what a week. I LOVE YOU
and I can totally picture it… I love the fact that you shared this beautiful picture of Eva. It makes me smile and laugh. One of your strengths is humility. Not everyone can share the way you do.
It is not really that you aren’t organized, it is just that you have SO MUCH on your plate. You are awesome and do so much. The phone alarms sounds like a really good idea.
I love your friends!
xoxoxoxox MOM
June 10th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
This is why we are friends. I’m exactly the same way. I keep feeling like I should bow out of Cub Scout car pool because I forget *every* week when it’s my month, and when I remember, the boys are late. If I get them there, I forget to go get them…
I don’t know how to reverse it. I try to celebrate when we make it somewhere on time, on the right day. When I get my kids where they are supposed to be (and want to be!) without messing up. When we all get to bed at a decent hour. When I get dinner on the table before 8…
June 10th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Yes, Jessica, we are kindred spirits… I guess it’s a good thing we’re not in Cub Scout car pool together. I was super excited to be called to Activity Days because it’s hard to forget when everyone shows up at my house. Too bad Brenna just turned 12…