Our Parenting Journey: Disclaimer

So before I start in on the lessons we have learned in our time as parents, I wanted to put a few disclaimers out there.

1. I am certainly not an expert

I can in no way claim to be all-wise in the area of parenting. The conclusions we have come to as parents are not necessarily the “right” ones.  Now I would be lying to say I don’t believe them to be the best for our family.  Naturally since we have decided to do what we do, we think it is the best decision.  But I realize in parenting there are a lot of gray areas and often what works for one family will not work for another.

2. Although I am not an expert, I have a few qualifications that I believe make me worthwhile to read

First of all, I pray consistently about this topic.  And I do believe in the promise of James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”  I have prayed for wisdom in the area of parenting probably more than any other area in my life.  Secondly, I have a wise and godly husband who helps me to work through every area of parenting you could think of.  I am so thankful for Joe’s leadership in our family, but mostly for his own pursuit of God.  I do not know of another man who spends more time in the Word and prayer and seeks to honor God in all areas of his life as Joe does.  Countless people come to him for wisdom, so I feel pretty confident having worked through all of these issues with him.  And lastly, I read a great deal on parenting.  I have tried to read as many theories on parenting as possible.  Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to be a research nut.  If I am bought into doing something, I want to do it the best I possibly can.

3. Our journey is still under way

I realize that our children are only 4 years, 2 years and 10 months.  I in no way think that I have arrived yet.  I know that the coming years will bring change of conviction in areas.  I expect to continue to learn and grow in this area.

4. Focus more on who you are than on what you do

The biggest mistake I think we can make as parents is focusing too much on our theories/camps/techniques of parenting instead of focusing on becoming a person we would want our child to grow up to be.  So yes, I have convictions on the “what” we do, but am always trying to remind myself that in the end, it is more important for me to be a woman who loves God.

So please keep these disclaimers in mind as I write my posts.  And for those who may jump in mid-stream, I will try to always post a link to these at the bottom of each post.