2010 Resolution

I don't know about your household, but my children quarrel a lot! Actually, they brawl! Hitting, crying, and yelling are part of our daily lives. I took my concern to the Lord recently and felt propmted that if I would get the children together to read scriptures and have family prayers in the morning in addition to our nightly routine, we would be blessed with more abundance of the Holy Spirit in our home.

So I have, and the biggest change I've noticed has been in me. I explain what is happening in the few verses we read and describe how it relates to our family. I doubt the children remember to be forgiving right before they swack their brother or sister, but I remember. I still become upset when they fight with each other, and that's what I want to change. My appraoch and example of how to handle situations.

Do you ever raise your voice or violently pull children apart only to remain exhausted and with your spirits down?

Crying and whining drive me to give in and provide my children with snacks or fun trips out to places. My three-year-old daughter threw a fit all the way home from the store because we didn't get her toy horse that she carried to the check-out stand. It was difficult for me, but I felt a sense of satisfaction once arriving home for NOT giving in. When I prayed about it I thought, "Heavenly Father, you don't withhold things from your children or send us through trials because of any other reason than that you LOVE us."

I have to take care not to give them things at the wrong times or for the wrong reasons. Special trips should be earned or for special reasons. If snacks were given to the children at a time when they are all playing nicely with one another, then they would learn that they don't need to whine to get food.

I have got to learn and exercise my self-discipline when it comes to my response to the things that drive me mad. When I am at home or with my children, I have to be available to them always. At least be aware and paying attention to their needs before they get too tired or hungry. Boredom also is an antecedent to quarreling, which is why it is important to stop and play with the children throughout the day. Sorry laundry, you'll have to wait til later tonight!!

I remember when I was in 1st grade and I didn't do well on a spelling test. My teacher kept me in to do it over again. He told me to number my paper and I asked, "do I have to?" "Yes." He simply said. I am still being taught and trained in my life today. We are to teach and train our children and however we do it, we need to do it lovingly. That is my 2010 New Years Resolution.