Parenting By the Book Pt. 1

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 Sleep escapes me as I stare into the darkness wrapped snugly about me. Thoughts are whirling through my mind like a merry-go-round that won’t stop turning.

“Why didn’t I listen better to my troubled child today? How should I have handled his dishonesty differently? Why did I yell? Will these children grow up despite my shortcomings as a parent?”

A blanket of doubt begins to smother me. During my growing up years, there were many things I could do well. I loved school and tended to be an overachiever. Handcrafts and sewing came easily. Cooking was as natural as breathing to me. For the most part, if I set my mind to something I could do it. Then I married and began having children. Parenting has been the most humbling and daunting task I have encountered.

This is the beginning of a series of articles I wrote for my friend Amy at Raising Arrows over a year ago.  Thought I would share links to this three part series this week.  Read the rest of the article at Raising Arrows Parenting by the Book Pt. 1.  Part 1 is all about parenting through our words.