Why I'm Not a Happy Parent

That's ME!  ~squawking at my kids.

Why I'm not a happy parent...
 
   I now know why I'm not a happy parent, why WE are not happy with day to day life...

We live in a world of selfishness.

We live in a world of instant gratification.

We live in a world of "the next BIG thing." ~always looking to what is next, instead of being happy where we ARE.

We live in a world of "fast paced", "filled to the brim" schedules. ~feeling the need to ALWAYS be doing something.

I feel the guilt. The guilt that comes with not being able to give your children EVERYTHING you think they need. 

    The constant sea of emotions that comes with trying to keep your children HAPPY every second of the day, can crush parents like a tidal wave.

I am that parent; I feel that guilt, that frustration.  I deal with the questions, "why can't we..." on a daily basis.  The fact is, I screwed up.  I DON'T need to keep my kids "happy, happy, happy," every second of the day.    I don't need to take them to Disney every summer, or have a schedule with no free time to be bored.  KIDS NEED TO SELF SOOTH; TO BE CREATIVE AND MAKE THEIR OWN FUN!  They just NEED to KNOW they ARE LOVED!

I've learned this late, like "this morning" late.  I JUST CAN'T TAKE THE GUILT ANYMORE!!!" 

I try to show my kids LOVE every day; that is of course the MOST IMPORTANT. THERE'S NOTHING wrong with a full schedule or trips to Disney.  Those parents also feel guilt and frustration in other areas.  No one ever, ever says that "parenting is easy," and "I have got it all figured out."

I think we all agree on that.

So I'm gonna try, and fail, and try some more, to be a good parent, to get rid of the guilt.  That guilt does NOT come from God! 

As my kids grow older and older, I want to think that I'm training them and preparing them to be content.  Contentment is different than happiness. I really think that being content is WAY MORE IMPORTANT than being HAPPY.

God says...

Matthew 6:25-26

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:32-33

32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

I just wanted to share my thoughts with you this morning and encourage you.  Get rid of the guilt!  Let LOVE be FIRST! 

Have a sweet day friends!

Sweetly,

Samantha

Great Teacher Gift

     Teachers work hard to help our children.  It's always a nice gesture to present an end-of-the-year teacher gift.  This year I decided to draw inspiration from the novel Tuck Everlasting, which was the novel my kid read this year in school.  This is one of my favorite books so I chose a quote, printed it, and using my paper craft skills, placed it in a dollar store frame.
       Here's how it turned out and the teacher LOVED it!...

Teacher Gift

Bargain Teacher Gift

The frame was purchased at Family Dollar for $2.50 ~ a great bargain! I used three layers of paper, hand torn and craft scissored, to create this look.  :)

Thank you TEACHERS, for all you do!

Sweetly,

SE