6 Ways to Be a Better Parent

Children are like plants - they need water, fresh air, gentle pruning, and room to grow.

Parenting a child is such an amazing gift.  To be able to raise and mold a little being.  To guide and shape a small person.

What an amazing, incredible, EXHAUSTING opportunity.

So how do you keep it up?  How do you mold and shape and love this small person or small people without your own well running dry?  Well, here is the real deal people.  Your well WILL run dry from time to time, because the world isn't perfect.  However, I believe you can cut down on those empty moments by following a few guidelines for yourself.

By finding your times, maximizing those times when you can fill up your own tank.  And cultivating a thankful heart.  And building a support team.  And....well read on.

It is so easy to get caught up in this culture's way of letting us know we are not good enough, smart enough, thin enough.  But to that special little person you ARE enough.  You are the best parent for the little one(s) entrusted to you.  And now comes the big work for you - keeping yourself, your mind, your body, your "tank" healthy for them.

How can you do this?  There are lots of ways, but here are 6 I have settled upon for myself at the stage of life I am in:

1. Get as much sleep as you can.  This means different things in different stages of parenting, but to me this is huge.  I do everything better when I have more rest.  Get off facebook, put down the pinterest and let your mind & body rest.
2. Fuel your body and mind well.  Try to limit to junk that weighs down your mind and body.
3. Find time for refreshment.  I have long struggled with the guilt of sitting down for a quiet moment and have determined that to wake up early and get in both exercise and quiet time is the way to go for me.  I also value highly our bedtime routine and the chance to have a few quiet moments at the end of the day.  Create, write, photograph, pray, find something that fills your insides and make the time to do it.
4. Move your body.  Good things happen when you move your body - get a dvd from the library, challenge your child to run up and down the hallway with you, enter a race to get motivated.
5. Build your support team.  Different people from different walks of life will make up your support team.  You need someone who can listen when you have a bad day, someone who can physically help you with your child raising, someone you can share your wisdom with, someone you can let loose with.  Maybe you need someone to clean your house, walk your dog, mow your lawn.  Remember you need to be a friend to make a friend, but no friendship should be all one sided.
6. Finally, you need to figure out how to be thankful & grateful.  Our world begs us to be unhappy with what we have, what we do, and who we are.  Buck the system, find ways to be content with your world.  Find ways to show others you are thankful for their help.  Look at the intentions behind the actions of those around you, especially your children.

These are six things that make a difference in my day to day parenting.  Your list of six might be different.  The important thing is to realize that this time, these little ones, are a gift for this season.  A wonderful, sticky, loud gift.  Enjoy the journey.

What choices do you make to be a better parent?  What are your thankful for in your parenting journey?