Safe and Loved

This morning my littlest one was trying to fall back asleep after being fed and getting a diaper change.  She kept stirring, and couldn’t quite settle. Then she grabbed onto my hand and stilled. As parents, we struggle often with whether we are making the right decisions for our children and our family. We’ve had to make a bunch of big decisions for our family this year and none were easy or chosen lightly.   No matter what decision you make about anything, you will have 10 experts from the other side saying that you’re doing it wrong and will permanently mess your child up in some way of taking that path. We homeschool and that’s not ok because socialization or since I’m not a trained teacher I am doing my children a disservice.  We discipline too much or not enough. We get told by strangers how well behaved our children are (last night someone told us this, and it always feels good to hear), or have them sneer at us as they misbehave or are loud in some way (bless them, these little ones take after their loud Mama). I hold my babies too much or am horrible for letting any of them ever cry it out.  So many everyday things that no matter what you do, you are wrong.  

My littlest this morning, by grabbing my hand, taught me something.  I’m doing this parenting thing right, at least in some ways. She finds safety and comfort in me.   She knows that as long as she is with her daddy or me that she is safe and she is loved. We kiss boo-boos.  We hold them when their hearts are broken (and wish we could take all the pain away). We tell them we love them and are proud of them.  We pray with them and for them. We aren’t perfect, not at all, but I know all of our children feel safe and loved, and today, for me, that’s more than enough.