Day 154: Something New

I'm thinking about doing things a little differently.

The benefits of this journey in parenting and blogging have been many, but sometimes a certain issue or concept slips right through my fingers. I recognize it, write about it, then move on to another post on another topic and leave it behind me, not fully grasped and far from adequately implemented.

The things that are hardest to soak in and live out are crying out for more than a post's attention, and so I want to give them that.

I'm going to pick a single concept and stick with it until I've beaten it to death...uhhhhh...until I feel ready to move on. Given my last post on being a dweller, I'll try to make sure I'm not feeding that monster, but I do want to give myself time to get it - I mean really get it. Because if I'm not doing that, then what am I here for?

And what better place to start than with the thing I'm 'getting' the least right now!

I'm finding myself feeling result-oriented rather than relationship-oriented, which means I'm slipping into punitive discipline. This comes from an external focus - reacting to behaviors instead of seeking my childrens' hearts through their words (or babbles as the case may be) and deeds and meeting them there without judgment.

So until a greater need arises, I'll be tackling this issue and sharing whatever comes along the way. With any luck that'll be insights and epiphanies, but more likely it'll be some roadblocks, some scary self-realizations, and a few small victories that remind me that it's worth all the energy and time it requires.