Lately I have been struggling with patience in my parenting. Sometimes when he doesn't listen I lose my cool and I raise my voice. And I don't always take enough time with him. I'm too busy.
I have been taking care of a lady who is elderly and though her mind is extremely sharp, her physical abilities are quickly fading, causing her to have to depend almost completely on others. This is hard for both of us, her because I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to have to always tell someone else what and how to do things especially when you like them a certain way. And me, because I am sensitive and her impatience though not meant to hurt me often does. We both are trying and we both are learning to work together. I hear people talking about the balance with taking care of the elderly of leaving them room to do things and protecting their dignity and having to help them with so much, almost like a child again in an adult body.
It got me thinking about how we need to treat children very similarly, with as much respect and dignity as possible. If I can keep my cool with my elderly charge, I need to work just as hard to stay calm with my baby. It's frustrating and hard to communicate when we are adults with full vocabulary. How much harder it must be to be a child without as much ability to communicate.
Grace with each other is so important. Allowing room for old and young and everyone in between to just be and feel and sometimes have bad days and fall apart and to still love and care and not take it to heart but to cover, because love covers over a multitude of sins(1 Peter 4:8)b, right?
I have to share some pictures because it has been far too long.
I have been taking care of a lady who is elderly and though her mind is extremely sharp, her physical abilities are quickly fading, causing her to have to depend almost completely on others. This is hard for both of us, her because I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to have to always tell someone else what and how to do things especially when you like them a certain way. And me, because I am sensitive and her impatience though not meant to hurt me often does. We both are trying and we both are learning to work together. I hear people talking about the balance with taking care of the elderly of leaving them room to do things and protecting their dignity and having to help them with so much, almost like a child again in an adult body.
It got me thinking about how we need to treat children very similarly, with as much respect and dignity as possible. If I can keep my cool with my elderly charge, I need to work just as hard to stay calm with my baby. It's frustrating and hard to communicate when we are adults with full vocabulary. How much harder it must be to be a child without as much ability to communicate.
Grace with each other is so important. Allowing room for old and young and everyone in between to just be and feel and sometimes have bad days and fall apart and to still love and care and not take it to heart but to cover, because love covers over a multitude of sins(1 Peter 4:8)b, right?
I have to share some pictures because it has been far too long.
Throwback to my tiny baby only 3 months or so here.
And a picture of him and "Tato man" his new favorite toy, and yes he built him like that himself. ;)
Oh Anna, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! You are such a beautiful person! I treasure the way you care for others with such sweet sensitivity! And he is ADORABLE! Love that boy! and his precious mama!
ReplyDeleteLove you mom!
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