Latest / Homeschool Insights - Biblical Home Education Inspiration in Under 10 Minutes! / Stop Treating Parenting Like a Formula - Rachael Carman
Transcript
- speaker-0: It's something I didn't think I was doing, but I actually was doing. And I was thinking, if I do this, this, this and this, then you should do this, this, this, and this for me, right? speaker-1: Parenting obviously matters very, you know, so deeply. But how do we hold that truth without slipping into the belief that we're responsible for the outcome? So when we're weighing that the parenting and the outcome, like if I do this, then this will happen. So how do we deal with that? speaker-0: that little line you just said is the thing, right? Our brain is like running in an if then loop, right? And we want this formula. Even if we don't want to admit we want a formula, we kind of have it going. I mean, know that's true for me. I know I mean was just Yeah, no, I was warned against formulaic thinking when we stepped into this by several people who are very wise and very grateful. And it it you know It's something I didn't think I was doing, but I actually was doing. And I was thinking if I do this, this, this, and this, then you should do this, this, this, and this for me. Right. I was thinking that without even thinking I was thinking that, which, you know, maybe that's my issue. But I think what we need to remember is there are actually realms of responsibility. So if you would imagine a white sheet of paper that is endless, it's infinite in every direction, this white sheet of paper, that's God. He's limitless. He's limitless in knowledge, in power, and in his presence. So that's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, right? He's limitless in all of those. I'm limited by all of those. I'm just a mom, right? My knowledge of these children and their abilities and God's plan and their circumstances, their sin natures, their strengths, my knowledge is limited. Now, I would advocate all day long that we have an opportunity to really get to know our children well if we dare to dial into them and be present with them and listen well to them. We can know more about them, but even what we can know is limited. We have a limited amount of influence with them, right? And some of it has to do with their temperament. Are they willing for us to have more influence or not willing for us to? It's their own spiritual development, right? And we're limited in our time with them. Look, parenting your children is like a moment, like a a real hot, a hot second. I I used to hear parents. wiser older parents than me when my kids were young, tell me how fast it was gonna go. And it just felt like it was dragging. speaker-1: Especially in the early years. That's so true. Exactly. I'm like it's three thirty, can I start bed? speaker-0: I know, right? It's so true. In this time of year when the sun's not going down until later and we would put our kids in blackout curtains. You're going to it's bedtime. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. but God is unlimited. And so I think if we can remember our humanity and stop trying to infringe on what is strictly his responsibility, stop trying to escape our limits and stay in our lane as mothers. I think that can be a really powerful thing for us to do for our kids. speaker-2: This episode of Homeschool Insights is brought to you by BJU Press Homeschool, CTC Math, and the Explorer Bible for Kids. Visit the show notes to learn more about these excellent resources. And for more encouragement, listen to the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast at Schoolhouseroct.com.