Thoughts on being a parent

“Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. … Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried”
Gordon B. Hinckley

I love this quote. I especially love the part reminding us that our children are children of God, that He was a parent before we were parents, and that He hasn't relinquished His parental rights or interest in His little ones.

This is such a comfort to me as a parent to my children. Knowing that I am not in this alone is an awesome blessing and gives me more confidence as a parent. As I am sure you would agree all our children are different. What works for one child may not work for another. They each have their own distinct personalities and spirits, their own unique strengths and weaknesses. It is my responsibility to bring out those strengths and help them to overcome their weaknesses.

One of my boys has certain subjects in school that can be a challenge for him. It doesn't come easy to him which requires more work on his part and my part as his parent. The other day he came home with a graded paper, in a subject he struggles, and it wasn't good. I remember feeling overwhelmed. I could feel the hopelessness and despair seeping in. I remember thinking, "What can I do to help him? I don't know what to do!"

I pondered this throughout the rest of the day. I eventually had the thought that these feelings of despair are like a roadblock for the spirit, a lack of faith. It was like a light-bulb went off in my head. I remember thinking, "Heavenly Father can help me. He knows this child. He is interested in him and wants him to succeed just as much as I do!" Instead of despairing I needed to come to my Heavenly Father in prayer. He would direct me in what I needed to do.
Maybe this seems like a no brainier but it was a great learning experience for me. I could literally visualize a physical roadblock(despair) blocking my progress (through spirits guidance) down the road to help my child.

What I learned from this is that I should never let fear and despair get the best of me. If I did than I would have no hope and faith. (I don't think those feelings can exist at the same time.) I learned that fear and despair would hinder me from progressing and relying on my Heavenly Fathers help and guidance. I am so grateful for moments of growth and learning like this one. I am also so grateful to know that I have an all knowing Heavenly Father to co-parent with my husband and I.