Joy in Mothering
Two nights with little to no sleep. Toddler falling out of his new, “Big boy bed” and crying out for Mommy’s help. All night. For two nights.
This morning as I rub the sleepy from my eyes and try to wake up for school lessons and errands and housework, I remember that little voice calling me in the night. “Mommy! Mommy!”….as I rush into his room to rescue him from those dreams. Ever have them? Falling, falling, falling. Poor little guy.
Then there’s the task of teaching him to stay in his bed. I want him to stay until I tell him he can get up. So I listen by the door. I sit quietly with a book or my computer and wait for him to get up. Then I swoop in and tell him, “No, no. Stay in your bed, buddy,” and go back out to wait. Training.
I’m not complaining. Not at all. These times are all a part of that great calling as a mother. We lose sleep, we miss appointments, we sacrifice our own time for the sake of our children.
So many times when I give this advice to a young mother she will reply, “Oh, I am sure I should do that, but I don’t have time.” HUH? You don’t have time to properly raise your children? If you don’t have time to spend teaching your children how to live, then you need to cut some things out of your life.
I would love to be watching a movie with my older kids or sewing or…oh heaven….sleeping. {yawn} But my time is not my own. Sitting by the door training my three year old to stay in his bed is my first job.
And the amazing thing is, once you have done your job of mothering well, you actually have MORE time for doing your own things. Once Levi stays in his bed, I can sleep again. I will have time to myself because I can trust that he is safe and not in there creating more messes for me to deal with tomorrow.
My daughters are feeling sorry for me this morning. They can tell I am really tired. “Don’t feel bad for me,” I tell them, “I am so blessed to have you all and training you is a joy in my life. Sure I’m tired, but that’s part of being a mother. It’s no big deal. I am delighted!”
So now, not only have I trained my toddler, but I have shown my daughters how to be joyful in a difficult situation. Two birds with one stone….sweet!
Enjoy every minute with your children. Easy or hard, every moment is a gift from the Lord and your job as mother is the most important thing you will ever do.
I love to know someone else takes this role with such passion – not that I do everyday! Somedays I want to stay in bed and call in sick, but then I remember I don’t have sick days:)
I have put the number 7 next to our girls’ clocks and they can come out of their room when the clock matches their sign. It works, even for our just now 3 year old.
I would love to put an 8 on there- but I’m pretty sure the girls couldn’t handle that.
But what am I saying? I have a 5 & 3 year old – you have been through this more times than most!:)
Thanks for sharing. I know how tiring it is to be so diciplined. I need to work on that.I tend to get lazy and to lax. Then I have a big problem on my hands. I admired a young mother of five boys the other evening at church fellowship.She was nursing her five month old, got up took the toddler by the hand(while still nursing)to go have a correction.The babe went right along and mother was calm and firm. I admired her follow through.She knows she can’t allow the toddler to see an opportuntiy to get away with bad behavior simply because momma was busy.I am so gratful to the Lord for living examples of biblical parenting.I have a long way to go.
Hope you get some sleep soon.
oops sorry I intended to change the sign in. It was Shannon not Mimi.
LOL! Thanks for clearing that up Shannon! I was wondering! LOL! Lisa~
You are a good mom and a good example. 🙂 Hope you get some sleep tonight…
Thank you for the gentle reminder. My favorite saying is “start as you mean to go”. I started my 9 year old with asking “up please” from his crib and LOL he still asks (as do his 2 brothers and baby sister). My hubby laughs and says that he will go to college asking “up please”. Hope you get some rest.
Wow!! I am so pleased to know I am not the only who makes their kids stay in bed and not allow them to get up and do whatever…
It is hard work – but it is worth it too.
Green Gracie Home, I love that! It will be one of those funny stories that you all tell on years to come when you’re sitting around the Christmas table. Its so sweet! Lisa~
Lisa,
What a good example you are! It is so important to train our children and to be diligent in it.
I know that your daughters are learning good things from you!
So true. Training children is hard work or it would be called lounging. 😉 As mothers, we have to die to self every day. Especially when training for the difficult things. Some days I die better than others.
Wee Babe did great for months after moving out of his crib, then after a bout with a stomach bug he realized he could leave his bed in the night. Had to do some training. Rough nights and rough mornings, but so worth it.
I love the gift of parenting older (not as old as yours) and little ones so they can be training and blessed in ways those with younger siblings can’t be. It’s a delight.
And it really is a joy to train children. I think it’s one of the reasons children “rise up and call her blessed” in days to come.
Drats… I really shouldn’t post comments after 11pm. Meant to say:
I love the gift of parenting older children (though not as old as yours) and littles ones so they can be trainED and blessed in ways those with younger siblings can’t be.
Thank you for your wise words and encouragement. I would love to know how you train your todders to sit quietly in church. I am finding my little guy a different kettle of fish to the girls….. 🙂
Grateful, you are so funny! I love what you said about caller her blessed. You’re so right….thanks!
Mrs. M, I have been working on a post about that. I’ll try to get it up soon! 🙂 Lisa~
I will try so hard to remember this advise when dealing with my teenage daughter! I love her to bits, and she is generally a great kid, but there are those times. She knows what buttons to push and when to be difficult. I know my reaction should be the same no matter what. Thanks, just came across your blog and I’m reading through old stuff. I have one child and I’m trying the best I can to raise and train her well.
That’s what it’s all about.
A “mothering” scripture I love is:
2 Corinthians 8:11:
‘Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.’
I have the time, the heart, the desire.
I will do it, Lord.