Oooh, I’m totally late posting this. My only excuse is that it is Spring Break and clearly my brain knows it.
So I’m participating in this LDS Writer Blogfest which means I’ll be writing another post about our General Conference. Sorry if you’re conferenced out, but read on.
When I was twenty-three, just after my husband and I graduated from the BYU, we found out I was pregnant. We were very excited because this fit in nicely with our plans of when we wanted to start a family. My husband was about to start law school in Cleveland, Ohio, which meant a move across the country, but no big deal. I had a teaching degree so I knew it would be super easy to find a job in another state. And then once the baby came, well…
We didn’t really think that far ahead to consider what we’d do.
Sadly, we didn’t have to because I miscarried a few weeks later before we even moved to Cleveland.
And then I miscarried again a year and a half later.
And again a couple years later after we’d moved to California.
But then we finally did have a successful pregnancy. And by successful I mean one in which I threw up at least three times a day for six months, yet still managed to balloon to the size of a blimp before going through four days of induced labor until my doctor finally performed a C-section.
It’s not really how I had imagined things would go before I got pregnant. But when I held my daughter for the first time, I decided to stop being mad at God for the miscarriages and start being grateful he knew better than me when I should actually have children.
Letting go of control is a lesson I have to learn over and over. I’m kinda slow when it comes to that one. Which is why Heavenly Father sent me that first baby and why he made me wait for her.
She doesn’t like to be told what to do. I remember trying to nurse her one day thinking I knew for sure she needed to eat. But she wouldn’t do it. I was so frustrated with her until I got the very clear impression that I would not be able to control this child Heavenly Father had sent me.
I have to remind myself of that moment A LOT. Especially now that baby is eleven and almost as big as me. I can’t pick her up and put her in time out or back in bed or anywhere else I want her to go. I can’t force her out the door to school, I can’t threaten to spank her if she’s naughty.
I don’t have control over her. I can give her a consequence if she breaks a rule, but I can’t make her follow the rules.
Which is a real struggle for me. So Elder Wilson’s talk Only Upon the Principles of Righteousness was a good reminder of that first moment of inspiration I had eleven years ago as I tried to make my too full daughter eat. Especially this part:
Great blogfest post. This is truly a difficult principle to live by. Wouldn't it be easier if we could make our kids choose the right?! New follower 😉
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I love participating in the blogfest every year because I get the chance to remember all the talks I loved from conference. I especially liked how in this talk he differentiated between concern about someone's sins versus concern about their personal choices and opinions. I think we often fall into the trap of wanting to strong-arm someone into doing what we think is “the right way” when it's really just a matter of personal preference. I love how you related this to parenting, and can I say I also love the name of your blog? My stepfather used to use that expression with us kids all the time whenever he was trying to get us to do something. ;-)By the way, I contribute to a blog called Mormon Mommy Writers (www.mormonmommywriters.blogspot.com) and we'd love to have you come by sometime! 🙂
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Thanks for your insights! I really like this talk as well. My kids arne't old enough for their stubborn streaks to come out completely, but I know I'll be needing it when they do. Thanks for the post today.
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I loved Elder Wilson's talk too 🙂 It is so wonderful that during conference we can feel the general authorities speaking to us 🙂 Thank you for sharing your story!
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I love this post. It's so easy to fall into the control trap as a parent and it's a great reminder to try to inspire rather than require. 🙂
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Great post, great talk. It's hard because we want our kids to do the right thing, but we can't make them. We have to teach them what's right and then let me be. I don't have teenagers yet, but I know that will be a hard principle for me to learn.
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Such a hard lesson to learn as parents, but so very true. Great post!
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Great post Brittany. I blogged on miscarriage a couple weeks ago. I guess I missed the control talk–maybe I was out in the hallway trying to control an errant child or something 😉 I definitely need to read this one!
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Yes, that one hit home with me too…
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