The Whole Mama - A Podcast with Jenna Gibbons

Episode #49 Patiently Raising Toddlers

April 29, 2021 Season 1 Episode 49
The Whole Mama - A Podcast with Jenna Gibbons
Episode #49 Patiently Raising Toddlers
Show Notes

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience" (Romans 5:3).

Generally, the saying goes that God gives you opportunities to test your patience and boy does He do it with a toddler!  Many cite the verse I just read.  However, why don’t we instead reflect not on asking for patience itself, but rather, in how we ask for it.

Maybe if we are yelling at our kids a lot lately; acknowledging our yelling will help us direct our prayers more to how we can grow as Christians and mothers.  So, instead of being more patient when our kids frustrate us, maybe instead we acknowledge that they WILL frustrate us, but maybe we will focus on how we respond - by yelling less.

So, in my opinion, we can always ask for help or guidance or grace or even patience.  As seen here:

"If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?" 

If an earthly father will not answer his son cruelly when he asks for food, why should we expect our Father to be cruel when we honestly ask for help in some area? He will not upbraid of scold us when we ask for wisdom (James 1:5)

I am confident that He will not treat us meanly if we ask for patience.  This transitions directly into raising toddlers doesn't it?!

As our children grow into 2 and 3 year old kiddos, they are learning right and wrong, cause and effect, how to express feelings, and more.  It is amazing to see them grow, but it is also quite challenging at times.   

3 Ways to Survive the “Terrible Twos” and “Trying Threes”

1.  Give two choices that still result in what YOU want them to do, but you are giving them the freedom and independence to start make their own choices .

2.  Stay firm with choices, decisions, and consequences.

3.  Sit on the floor at their level when discussing or providing a consequence.  Reasoning with a toddler can be hard, but we can still explain why we made that decision, what would happen if we didn’t intervene, or “if this…the that” scenarios. 

And also…breathe…remember this isn’t forever…remember to enjoy even these challenging times…and always have WINE on hand!

"Spend some time being still before the Lord, waiting patiently to hear from Him. Pray that He would keep you from fretting over evil people who seem to prosper, over the ones who carry out evil devices. Ask that the Lord would help you to refrain from anger, and forsake wrath,

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