Patience

I always thought that I was a relatively patient sort of person. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't love waiting or anything like that but patient as in with people. I know that I should have the most patience with my boys. After all, I adore them. Some days though, it seems like I am constantly griping at them, either to pick up their toys or don't wake up the baby, don't climb up there or get out of that stuff!Of course, the griping does nothing but make me more nervous. It sure doesn't get them to listen.

I watch the Duggar's. They are a family from Arkansas that have 17 children & 1 on the way & the mother is so calm & collected all the time. Of course, it's edited for TV but I really can't imagine her raising her voice. The funny thing is that her children listen to her even when she DOESN'T yell at them. She doesn't follow them around begging them to help clean up a mess they made because they automatically clean up the mess. That's what they've been raised to do.

I wonder, sometimes, how I got so very far away from the calm person that I used to be. I am not a loud or boisterous person by any stretch of the imagination. I am reserved, quiet & pretty shy to be honest. I think that my boys have found me to be a fairly easy mark as far as getting their way. They seem to have decided (probably together) that if they push me just enough I will give in. I think that if I were more calm & more firm maybe, just maybe they would listen. I realize that we train our children to mind & cooperate. I'm not saying that my boys don't ever listen or don't ever mind because they do. I'm actually very fortunate to have really kind little boys that love to please me & do what I ask. The problem is with me. I have to learn to be calm & firm at the same time. I sure don't want to turn into some tyrant of a parent that they don't respect & don't want to be around. I'm not really the tyrant type & I want nothing more than to be with my family!

Anyway, that is what I have been thinking about for a couple of days & I like being able to get it out! Maybe this will encourage me to work on myself!!