answering mail<\/a> here on my blog. This week, we’re discussing the challenges and joys of motherhood, plus hints for creating a happier, healthier home.<\/em><\/p>\nQuestion: How do I maintain peace amid the challenges of motherhood?<\/h2>\n
Dear Jennifer,<\/p>\n
I just wanted to thank you for your website<\/strong> again. I have spent time here the last two years now [reading] various posts, especially concerning planning, parenting young children, and some of your recent posts.<\/p>\n[They’ve made me aware of] ways I have let myself entertain thoughts of how difficult my life is now instead of wholeheartedly embracing my children. I need better answers for ladies at the grocery store who tell me how rough I have it<\/strong>, or the occasional comment like that by my doctor or even my dear relatives sometimes….<\/p>\nI need to tend to my minutes, hours, and days better. Admittedly, I’ve spent a shameful amount of time wishing for naptime or for bedtime, instead of disciplining properly so our home would be peaceful, or just somehow leading my children in having good and Christ-honoring days<\/strong>. Any thoughts here would be welcome, though I know your days are full!!<\/p>\nLove,
\nStruggling Mother<\/p>\n
Answer: Build better habits by changing your focus<\/h2>\n
Dear Struggling,<\/p>\n
The people in the grocery store who tell you how rough you have it with three little ones probably aren’t trying to be rude; they’re just attempting to empathize and acknowledge the fact that mothering can be hard work<\/strong>.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s all right for you to admit that, too, while still sending the message that you love your \u201cjob.\u201d Maybe answer with something like, \u201cYes, it can be challenging, but the rewards are SO WORTH IT!<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cYes, my hands ARE full, but it\u2019s the BEST KIND OF FULL there is!\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Motherhood](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Motherhood-is-Challenging-and-Rewarding-e1542668334264.png?resize=1024%2C489&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
I remember an older mom came to see me soon after my first baby was born. At some during her visit, she made the very innocent and heartfelt comment, \u201cDon\u2019t you just LOVE naptime?\u201d<\/strong> I didn\u2019t quite know how to respond to that comment, either. I didn\u2019t fully understand or appreciate what she was talking about at the time, and I mistakenly believed that making such a statement was somehow equivalent to confessing that I didn\u2019t enjoy the hours my child was awake, which certainly was not the case.<\/p>\nI’ve thought about that conversation often in the thirty years that followed. Experience eventually taught me that I can love and appreciate my children\u2019s sleeping hours and their wakeful hours for different reasons, and that\u2019s okay. <\/strong>When they\u2019re awake, we\u2019re learning and making memories together. When they\u2019re asleep, I can some work done and mark a few items off my to-do list (or, in those early days, get some rest myself).<\/p>\nI\u2019m glad God gives me both. There\u2019s plenty of love to go around! As for maintaining a more peaceful, productive home, try the following tips.<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"Monday](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/QandA-e1502117579745.png?resize=1024%2C367&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"Balance:](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/You-Need-Some-Balance-Ad.png?resize=1024%2C588&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Hints](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Motherhood-Hints-for-a-Happier-Healthier-Homelife.png?resize=1024%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"