Okay- not really- but I do feel like we have learned so much over the past 5 years and are learning more each day about being a great parent. So I thought it might be nice to share one small nugget that we have been learning lately.
Obviously the true key to parenting is to do your best, to love your children and to give them time.
However...what we have just come to learn is that if something is not working, then change it. Sometimes as a parent you just get frustrated because your kids won't go to bed, or won't eat their dinner or won't {insert anything}.
Sometimes even a small change can really turn things around. Just a couple of small examples from recently.
-Our kids have always been really good eaters- but they do tend to get a little grumpy after 5 pm and especially if I am not home then Shantel really has a lot on her hands. Recently Shantel starting moving dinner up from around 6 to 5:30 pm. She noticed the kids were much happier and things went even better.
-Multiple times over the past year Lydia has had a hard time going to sleep. For a long time, we just suffered through as she got out of her bed and came downstairs a million times each night. Then we made a chart where she did 15 minutes of listening, 15 minutes of reading, 15 minutes of journal (coloring), and then 15 minutes of cuddling with a stuffed animal. Immediately things got so much better. When she started struggling again, we changed and she did something very similar, but she was in the guest bedroom and we moved her to her room after Austin fell asleep.
I know these may seem small, but recently we have had numerous examples of changing just the smallest thing and it having a big impact. I think that a lot of that inspiration comes from Heavenly Father and I hope he will continue to bless us to know how to care for our dear children each day and help us to know when a tiny change might make their lives even better.
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