Parenting Anxiety
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
"A truly open relationship between teen and parent is difficult to master because it takes the child’s willingness to participate, and their sense of value in the parent's opinion or judgment. This is impossible to gain without having worked and demonstrated year after year after year. This kind of relationship is built on trust, and trust can only be earned through unending, unfaltering love and commitment." (http://deseretbook.com/mormon-life/forums/general/102151 posted by alpha0037, but I took some editorial liberties for the purpose of adapting it to my train of thought.)
That statement had a profound impact on me. I am very concerned about what kind of a mom I am to Michael, both now and throughout the rest of his life. I know from experience that parents are a huge influence on their children (news flash), and my own experience as the child of my parents was not ideal. I doubt that my parents ever gave a thought as to how they raised us, and what impact their behaviors and lifestyle had on us.
Now I am hyper-aware of every little thing I do, as Michael observes and learns from it all. The result so far is that I just really worry for him. I never would have imagined that I'd be even a worse parent than my own were to me!
OK, before I get too hard on myself, I'm going to list all the things I feel I'm doing right:
raising him to know Jesus Christ
playing with him, indoors and out
trying really hard to get him interested in eating vegetables
dressing him and grooming him very well
spending tons of time with him...OK, 100% of the time (no exaggeration)
reading to him
talking to him
singing to him
teaching him words, phrases, animals, sign language, colors, shapes, numbers, letters...etc.
OK. That made me feel better. My brother has told me a few times that I tend to be very hard on myself. Well, if I'm not, then who will be?
But I'm not letting myself off the hook just yet. One of my concerns is that I want Michael to have parents who are completely unselfish. I am selfish. I snatch up any bit of "me" time that I can get. Hmmmm, well, I guess that's normal. Anyone who's ever caught an episode of Oprah knows that moms deserve a break sometimes. I miss Oprah. She's on at 9 or 10am here. Why do I always miss it? Hmmm. Well, I bet Michael wouldn't let me enjoy it anyway. Always watching baby einstein or something.
My computer time is almost always when Michael's asleep. That would account for the odd hours that these blogs are posted. Whenever I try to use the computer during his waking hours, he makes sure to punish me for it. lol
posted by Angela Marie at 5:10 AM
"
That statement had a profound impact on me. I am very concerned about what kind of a mom I am to Michael, both now and throughout the rest of his life. I know from experience that parents are a huge influence on their children (news flash), and my own experience as the child of my parents was not ideal. I doubt that my parents ever gave a thought as to how they raised us, and what impact their behaviors and lifestyle had on us.
Now I am hyper-aware of every little thing I do, as Michael observes and learns from it all. The result so far is that I just really worry for him. I never would have imagined that I'd be even a worse parent than my own were to me!
OK, before I get too hard on myself, I'm going to list all the things I feel I'm doing right:
raising him to know Jesus Christ
playing with him, indoors and out
trying really hard to get him interested in eating vegetables
dressing him and grooming him very well
spending tons of time with him...OK, 100% of the time (no exaggeration)
reading to him
talking to him
singing to him
teaching him words, phrases, animals, sign language, colors, shapes, numbers, letters...etc.
OK. That made me feel better. My brother has told me a few times that I tend to be very hard on myself. Well, if I'm not, then who will be?
But I'm not letting myself off the hook just yet. One of my concerns is that I want Michael to have parents who are completely unselfish. I am selfish. I snatch up any bit of "me" time that I can get. Hmmmm, well, I guess that's normal. Anyone who's ever caught an episode of Oprah knows that moms deserve a break sometimes. I miss Oprah. She's on at 9 or 10am here. Why do I always miss it? Hmmm. Well, I bet Michael wouldn't let me enjoy it anyway. Always watching baby einstein or something.
My computer time is almost always when Michael's asleep. That would account for the odd hours that these blogs are posted. Whenever I try to use the computer during his waking hours, he makes sure to punish me for it. lol
posted by Angela Marie at 5:10 AM
"