Letting go of control....

I am not advocating letting children run wild, with no training or direction. God gave parents the responsibility to protect and train children to grow into adults. However, I believe that this looks much different than we were led to believe.

~ RecoveringGrace :: The Tree of Knowledge

For me, it's all about getting rid of arbitrary rules... and being more deliberate in choosing my battles. There are so many times my flesh wants to resist or correct something my LO is doing... whuch has absolutely no basis. "Why not?" is a regular mantra around here.  Why shouldn't she do XYZ... !?  Is it because it's not safe/good for her... or is it just because it annoys me/etc...?

And if it comes down to a matter of personal preference... then I usually find it's because I need to do a little heart searching. Because, even though it would be so much easier to just assert my authority, and make her do what I want...  that's not going to teach her a thing. There is no communication, there is no respect! Just because I am the parent/grownup does NOT automatically make my comfort/priorities/preferences greater or more important than hers!  And, in the end, she responds so, so SO much more positively, when I treat her with humility & the respect she deserves!

Good reminder

This really resounded with me.  I needed this reminder! ♥

"Parenthood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that they are exactly the person they are supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, they just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be."

~ The Water Giver

:: Rethinking Sociality ::

A mama from our Conscious Parenting group forward this out to out to the board... and it was just way too good to not share!  Definitely makes one think....

THE DAILY GROOVE

by Scott Noelle, posted on 2007-02-02
www.enjoyparenting.com/dailygroove

:: Rethinking Sociality, Part 2 ::
If you did the mindfulness exercise in Part 1 you may have noticed that being socially appropriate (i.e., doing/saying the "right" thing) frequently requires you to be inauthentic.

For example, in certain parenting situations you may feel social pressure to control your child when you'd rather be relaxed and accepting.

Quite often the real purpose of "being social" is to protect others from their own small-mindedness. Such is the case when mothers are pressured to avoid nursing in public.

So being authentic — even when it seems "anti-social" — may actually be more social, because it creates opportunities for others to question their limiting beliefs.
When you honor Who You Really Are — and you look beyond others' disempowering beliefs to honor Who THEY Really Are — you contribute to the greater good of society.
Today, whenever you choose authenticity over conventional sociality, decide that you are being social... They just don't know it yet! :)

Archives for "THE DAILY GROOVE" can be found HERE. 

Quote: Follow your ♥

Do what you feel in your heart to be right|
for you'll be criticized anyway.|
You'll be damned if you do,|
and damned if you don't.|

- Eleanor Roosevelt