Parenting Contemplations

Me and Kaleb on our Wedding Day :)

I had a moment of contemplation as I thought about the kind of parent I want to be. With a baby on the way, I've developed an increasing interest in the ways that other people parent their children and what values they deem as "important" in their homes. Though I know that this is a major work in progress and my ideas will undoubtedly change throughout parenthood, these are 3 things that I am positive will not change and remain important in our home:

1. God's Love

I am totally understanding of the fact that I cannot hand over my testimony or force my children to believe what I believe to be true, however, I can show my children what God's love is and try my best to teach them the principles of the gospel, just as Christ taught. Although I am undoubtedly imperfect, I know the power of God and know what living His gospel can do to the lives of His children, so I hope that my children will also choose to follow His teachings.

2. Family

Again, I never want to force my children to do anything, but I want them to see what I value as important. Family is, in my book, definitely something I consider to be monumentally important. In my home, I hope to include family gatherings and family time that includes activities like Family Home Evening, family dinner, family scripture study, family support at sporting and other events, and family vacations. We may not live luxuriously, but we can live and enjoy our time together.

3. Mom & Dad's Love

I was lucky to have grown up in a home where my mom and dad were the leaders and examples. I knew that they loved each other and they showed their love in lots of various ways. This is the kind of impact I want to have on my own children. I saw a quote not too long ago that perfectly communicated my thoughts on this, "I want the kind of marriage that makes my kids want to get married." I want to be an example to my children and I am really happy that my husband and I have started out with such a great relationship already that will only get better as the years go by.

Most of my overall thoughts on parenting are influenced by my degree and experience in Elementary Education. I've learned through countless instances of trial and error that kids do not do well with force, and when given the choice, they will accept to face the consequences. Good or bad. This is how they learn. They need agency and love, lots of love. Oftentimes I found myself in a classroom where I could tell the child really struggled at home and just needed some extra love and care. Unlike these students, however, I can control how much love my own children receive and my actions and reactions to their behavior. I can only hope that I can be the type of example that they need to help them become even better than I am.