Getting it right

This parenting business is Hard.

I always knew it would be. That was part of the reason we waited so long to start a family. I honestly wasn't sure I'd be up to the task.

Now that we're 6 1/2 years in, sometimes I feel like I have more days when I miss than get it right. Every once in a while though, it all comes together and I know I got it right.

The boys were being their typically rambunctious selves after church, so I suggested they go run around outside instead of tearing across the platform or up and down the aisles. My parting shot as I prepared to follow them, "and no playing with the rocks!"

So, as I rounded the corner to head out the door, what do I see through the glass panel? Bug grabbing a handful of landscape gravel and scattering it across the sidewalk!

Normally I'd end up shouting after him, "Hey! I said no rocks!" But in one of those rare flashes of wisdom, I said "You're going to have to clean that up." I got an over-the-shoulder, "Ok," as he scampered off.

I located a broom and retrieved him from the playground to sweep the gravel back into the border. He didn't do it perfectly, (he is only 6), but it was one of those times he got to see the natural consquences of his disobedience.

It wasn't a big thing, but for at least that moment of the day, I thought, "Hey! Maybe there's hope for me after all!"

I bet you've had a moment like that recently too. A simple situation, no fanfare, no pats on the back; just one instance in a day that might have been otherwise frustrating, annoying or just ordinary, where you knew you got it right. The right word of encouragement, the right correction, the right life-lesson. A confidence-building moment for you as a mom. Share it here, tell a friend...make note of it and give yourself the credit you deserve.