Time For A Change

When you're doing something over and over again and it's just not working, you know it's time for a change.  That's where we were with some issues we are having with some of our kids.  Parenting the way that worked for some of our kids, just isn't working for some of the others.

Time for a change!

Unfortunately, changing your parenting style is a little more complicated and difficult than changing your toilet paper or laundry detergent.  After 18 years of parenting, you kind of get in a routine - a habit of sorts.  And habits die hard and then keep resurrecting themselves at very inopportune moments!

Here's the deal - a couple of months ago I started attending a parenting class at church called Parenting the Wounded Child (or at least I think that's the name of the class).  Regardless, the class is watching a DVD by Dr. Karyn Purvis, and truthfully it has been revolutionary in my life.  I started attending the class to get help with/for some of our kids and discovered that it has helped ME tremendously with myself.

I can be a very emotionally volatile person.  This is not very conducive to good parenting!  It has been something I've struggled with for all 18 years of motherhood.  I've prayed, I've begged, I've pleaded with God to change me or help me or do whatever He could to make it not so.  Finally, thankfully, I feel like those prayers have been answered.  Although I still occasionally get angry or frustrated with my kids, it is MUCH less frequent than before.  This makes me VERY happy :-)

That said, life around here has gotten MUCH harder.  You see, I mistakenly thought that with our new approach to parenting things would get better.  That didn't happen.  It seems that the new calmer Mom is bringing out all sorts of "issues" with some of our kids :-(  I'm hoping, and reasonably certain (today, at least), that the behavioral issues we are dealing with at the current time will subside, and the end result will be very good.  In the meantime, please pray for me and for us.

I'm sorry for being a little vague in this post.  I've been wanting to write it for some time, but because it involves my kids I need to be careful with how much information I give you.  That said, I would HIGHLY encourage anyone who's adopted an older child (age 3 or up) to listen to Dr. Purvis' Trust-based Parenting DVD.  Also, I would be happy to talk to any of you who want more information, you can reach me at barb.abts at gmail.com.