Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The Bad Guy


Okay so I admit-- I’m the bad guy.

I stay home with my daughter ALL day and devote about 85% of myself (my energy) to whatever she needs or wants… the other percent is taking care of myself to ensure I am able to take care of her.

I bathe her.
I rock her.
I cook her food.
I do laundry
I do dishes (sometimes)
We run around and play outside.
We go for walks.
I read her stories … A LOT of reading.
We go to library time for tots.
We dance.
We laugh.
We joke.
I kiss her boo boos.

But I’m the bad guy.

When I spank her.
When I correct her.
When I remind her to listen and obey.
When she goes into a time out.

That makes me the bad guy – when the people at the next table over at a restaurant send glares at me for disciplining my child. (scolding or otherwise and the tears start falling and she's crying because she isn't getting what she wants)

When Ellie gives me that look of disappointment, sadness that Mama corrected or disciplined me kind of look.

I am the bad guy.

I come to her at night when she wakes from a bad dream.
I soothe her fears.
I encourage her to keep trying when she says she can’t.
I praise her for just trying.
I hold her when she’s sleepy.
I tickle her so she will laugh when she’s sad.
I change her diapers and teach her to use the toilet, clean up her accidents.

But when I am occupied with table conversation for a few brief moments with other guests around inevitably -someone else, a friend or a Grandpa or Grandma or an Uncle or an Aunt takes those few moments that I look away to chat or take a bite to actually eat food … they pay attention to my daughter and make her laugh or just keep her out of mischief. I feel like the bad guy.

When my daughter is being a bit unruly (running around like a raving lunatic, jumping and climbing on everything and everyone) yet EVERYONE keeps saying she’s fine and she’s just being two – and I am the one to reign her in and remind her to be calmer or to sit still and if need be spank her – Then I get the stares or glares or other people “feeling bad for HER” I am the bad guy.

I feel like I cannot win - if I let her run around I get the looks from people "Why is that kid misbehaving" and If I don't let her do what she wants and she cries ... the look is either "Make that kid be quiet" or "what do you do to that kid?" I can't win. :-)

My prayers are that one day this “bad guy” will have instilled in my children good manners, good behavior, a good attitude, and a politeness that cannot be found these days. And MUCH more… much more than that. :-)A respect for all people, a love for fellow mankind, a joy in serving, a thankful heart in receiving- a heart of gratitude, a servant's heart for helping.... and on the list goes. A person after God's own heart.

"Whoever spares the rod hates their children,
but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." Proverbs 13:24

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

What are your experiences with disciplining your child in public or large gathering of family? Share a time when it could not have been helped and you HAD to spank /correct immediately. Was it at home with a lot of family visiting? Was it in a grocery store or a restaurant? Was it in a kid’s playground /park? Was it at the Doctors office? Share your story here. :-)

Friday, July 12, 2013

Lean Green Machine

Is it July already? WOW!! Where does the time go? I wanted to get a post in before July flies by on me.

My Dad, bless his heart, has always taught me by example how to reduce my ‘carbon footprint.’ Now I’m pretty sure if I got the definition right- it means to reduce how much I consume/throw away etc.

Of course back then my Dad didn’t know about a carbon footprint – but he always had a sense about being responsible in taking care of the Earth while we are here. That pretty much sums up what I am talking about right there.

When I was a kid my Dad and I went on long walks around the neighborhood and we made a sport out of collecting cans to recycle. It was fun to see who would come home with the most. Gross you say? Well maybe. But my Dad was instilling in me a big green monster- recycling monster that is (usually recycling containers are green)!  I owe it to him and Mom too for teaching me that value. Today I have an extra garbage can inside the house that is for recycling whatever is allowed to be recycled at the recycling center in my town. Paper, plastic, glass. Etc.

My hubby and I have even taught our daughter to recycle by having her put plastic containers or cans into the special recycling garbage can.  And she's only 2 1/2! ;-)

Other ways I like to try to GO GREEN:

• Use hard plastic or metal water bottles instead of disposable plastic water bottles
• Wash my clothes in cold water (I read that someone didn't use their dryer for 1 yr! WOW!) :-0
• Turn off lights in any room in my house not being occupied
• Use a cloth grocery bag – I found a really triple large one at Aldi’s for only $1.99
– and I use it over and over again.
• I sometimes forget that cloth bag because I’m new to that one- so always reuse any plastic grocery bags by
using them as small garbage can liners, to dispose of diapers
• Okay you got me there- I haven’t gone to cloth diapers – but that is a good one to do!
• Reuse and re-purpose items as often as you can
• Donate instead of throwing away household items that can be used by someone less fortunate than you are. You
may not consider yourself rich with many worldly possessions, but hey one man’s trash is another man’s
treasures.  You never know who might be able to use that old bookcase in your garage or that old night
stand in your basement.  So long as it’s not moldy or broken beyond use


What are some ways that you like to Go Green? Please share by adding comments! Thanks!