For those of you who know me, and for those of you who have read this blog before, you probably know that I have pretty definite opinions on a lot of things. Sometimes my opinions are appreciated, most of the time they are not. I'm slowly learning to become okay with that, working hard to keep my mouth shut most of the time.
I'm also a mom. And a Christian. And, for several years, I was an employee in the church. You put all three of those together and it creates a combination of experiences that make it hard for me to keep my mouth shut in certain areas.
It's difficult being a parent. Social media has made it more difficult. I constantly see posts from other moms, on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or what have you, with activities they are doing with their child, or are planning to do with their child. I have been guilty of thinking to myself, "I'm a terrible mother. Most days we just are trying to make it to bedtime without loosing it." I don't believe I'm alone in that. The other day I came across a post on Facebook that was something like "50 activities to keep your 1 year old entertained." My first thought was "I'm supposed to be entertaining my one-year old?" This thought was followed by a flash of mom guilt. Then I looked at my baby, toddling around the house, pulling all the magnets off the refrigerator, and decided she was doing a pretty good job entertaining herself.
It's considered a bad word in our house to say that you are "bored." When I was growing up, my mom would tell us "Only boring people get bored." When my seven year old uses that word, which she has learned to not use it often, I immediately give her all sorts of ideas of things she can do to occupy her time: clean her room, read a book, sweep the floors, etc.
When I see posts like the one I referenced above, it frustrates me. What is with our culture that makes us feel like we need to entertain our kids all the time? So many kids are growing up, not knowing how to play, to explore, to sit quietly. As I type this, my four year old is in his room, quietly coloring. Occasionally we will do a special little project, but I love that he can spend a day entertaining himself. No mom guilt here.
It's okay for our children to learn to sit quietly. I posted a link on Facebook this morning to a post entitled "Sunday School is killing the church." This post discussed the danger of having children in a service separate from the adults, never learning what it means to be a part of the Body. I have always felt very strongly about this topic. As a mom, I want my kids there beside me. I want them to learn the liturgy, to sit still, to listen, things that many of our young adults struggle with. They will learn, they will form opinions, and hopefully, when they are older, participating in church will be a part of their lifestyle. Hopefully, they will also learn, that church can be fun, at times, and those times that may not be labeled as "fun" can be very fulfilling.
Thanks for sticking with me through my ramblings. May you find joy in the simple things.
