Friday, April 15, 2011

Advise from the Trenches

After a very late night chat with #1 son a few nights ago and a bit of a follow up dialogue this afternoon, I've been thinking about parenting (and how little I actually know). Somehow I thought when my kids passed some magical age (which has yet to be determined...but apparently it's not a number in the teens), I somehow would have accumulated so much wisdom I would have at least some confidence to be that Titus 2 woman I always imagined ladies should be my the time they reach "my age".

The reality is, now that I have three teens and a tween (soon to be three teens and a twenty-something ), I think I have more questions than when I started this parenting journey. Sure, I've learned (and failed) some lessons along the way, but I still feel wholly inadequate in this parenting journey. What I have learned is to hobnob with people a whole lot smarter than myself, and reading blogs seems to be the perfect way to do that.

Yesterday I was catching up on some blogs and found this worth passing along, especially since I have so many wonderful nephews and just found out one of Patrick's nieces is expecting her first baby. I'm thankful for wise, articulate ladies - my virtual friends, if you will. Some of you don't even know who you are, but I thank you for your help.

Okay...did you go read it?  Here is is again...a great tip for raising boys.

So, go ahead.  Even if you aren't a southern girl and would never consider yourself a steel magnolia, let those boys do the heavy, or even light, lifting.  I know one thing, I've probably carried my laundry hamper to the upstairs laundry room for the very last time.  "Kevin, can you came here, please?"

4 comments:

  1. Interesting you post this. Just the other day at one of Haley's softball games, Nolan and Cullen insisited on carrying the chairs to the field....and the cooler, too. I didn't decline the offer and now I know, in the future, to automatically just hand them all the chairs, totes and coolers to lug around at her tournament games for me(<:

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  2. Love it Aunt Natalie! I'll take any advice you might have :) I think you are a terrific example of a mom who's living for the Lord. I want to be like that. My heart is filled to the brim when I see the way my cousins follow after Him...Praying for His grace and wisdom to do the same with my own!...and if it's a boy, He can carry my stuff any day :)

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  3. Lisa, I thought of you and all the paraphernalia you must have to haul to all those games when I was typing this post. Love it that the boys were being chivalrous without your prompting. Someone must be training them well. :-)

    Katie, we are soooo very excited about Baby Bailey. You and Dan will be terrific parents. That's one blessed baby!

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  4. Loved this, especially because I am raising two boys in a southern culture which is very different than what I grew up knowing. It's a constant pecking in my brain to remember that I need to let the men be men - and working with nearly all men and no women on top of that becomes a daily reminder to their "uniqueness". Thanks for introducing this blog to me. Her #2 tip too is a good one. I don't succumb much to humiliation or embarrasement pressures, have always been too strong headed on that front so hopefully I will have a leg up on that one to use the moments as teaching tools for their hearts vs. discipline out of my reaction.

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