Perhaps what you need to know most as a parent, is that you’re doing a great job.
Oftentimes when I open up social media and scroll through my feed, I don’t realize the stress that’s building inside from the information overload.
It seems like the more I read, the more I’m convinced of just how inept and ill-equipped I am as a parent. In the information-rich cyberspace, there’s always some important fact I’m not incorporating that I should have months ago.
But if becoming the most well-informed parent is my main goal and aim, I will never achieve that goal. I will only be serving a master that I can never satisfy and become increasingly discouraged as a result.
Yet, do I have the right to tell myself that I am doing a good job as a parent? Who am I to believe it, to receive that affirmation? And are those words even true?
When I look at my attitude, when I examine how often I’ve fallen short of my own expectations, the answer is a definite “no.”
I’ve lost my temper. I’ve been short. I’ve lacked compassion and understanding. I shouted when I should’ve hugged. I stress over how much we’re learning and the amount of chapters in Sagebooks we’ve gone through rather than treasure my little one the way I want to.
And yet what do I need to help me set all that aside? What do I need to get away from the stress and anxiety?
The little girl inside me is hungering to hear those words I am depriving myself of: “you’re doing such a great job!”
When I act as my own judge, researcher and secretary, I fail. When I endlessly scrutinize myself, add to my already full agenda and continue reading things I’m not doing, I crush myself with a heavy burden I cannot bear.
But when I give myself a break. When I take the morning to just enjoy breakfast with my daughter. Rather than stress over the amount of things that I need to get to, joy and peace begin to flow back into my heart and into our home.
As a Christian, I hear God reminding me to rest in His truth of who He says I already am. Rather than continuously fighting for something I already have, a unremovable place in His house and heart, His grace helps me rest in His unchanging love towards me.
Whether you are a Christian or not, I hope you’ll hear His truth that He speaks over you: “you’re doing a great job!”
As you rest in those words as a parent, believe in the truth of who you really are, a beloved child of God…..as you let that little child inside you hear those words…..all the other things you need to do will seem much easier to handle. Because then, we’re not doing them to establish our identity and worth. They become the mere tasks that they are.
Isn’t it freeing to know that you’re going to mess up? . . . We will fail. We will have regrets. We will have grace.
Sarah Mae
More Goodies
For some more encouraging reads, check out the following posts:
- 5 Things That Keep This Mom’s Heart Alive
- 7 Secrets to Chinese Retention: How I’m Still Fluent Despite Immigrating at 8
- Top 5 Resources to Help You Do Devotions as a Family in Chinese
- Me and My Daughter’s Language Adventure
- Getting out of the way for God to Perform Miracles in My Home
- Allowing God to Multiply My Meager Mama Offerings
Don’t Do It Alone!
For more support and to commiserate with likeminded parents, please join us at Christian Parents Raising Bilingual Children in English & Chinese.
Other great FaceBook groups for parents raising bilingual kids:
Follow me on my FaceBook Page & my Instagram accounts where I share fun Chinese activities (@spotofsunshineChinese) we’re doing and encouragement for your heart rooted in Christ (@spotofsunshine)
