The 4-1-1 On Motherhood

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Let’s face it, when it comes to motherhood, we’re clueless–but we THINK we know everything. The moment that stick turns up two lines to show a positive, we suddenly are knowledgeable about being pregnant, giving birth, and caring for an infant. Most of us inhale books, some sit back, relax and say, “Let the good times roll,” while others are on their knees praying for divine intuition about motherhood. But in most of these versions of mom’s I’ve seen, we act as if we know it all.

If you ask me, giving birth (my youngest was over 10 pounds, so I can freely make this statement) and caring for a baby is easy compared to the “Why” years and the “I Know It All” years. Trust me, all three of my kids are in these stages. Here is where we need 411 on raising kids, especially if you have adolescents or a child with special needs. These are the years when we are trying to balance schedules, sanity, build character, hold a job, and love our kids. These are the years when we need to remind ourselves why we are mothering in the first place.

Tips to Avoid the 4-1-1 Burnout

  • Find a mentor mom, someone with the credentials of, “Been there, done that, got a tee-shirt.” Ask her if she would be willing to pray for you, and allow you to call or text her with your questions about parenting.
  • Forget how the house looks, no where in the Scriptures references that we must have a clean and orderly house to raise good children. When I first began to stay home, my priority was clean, clean, and clean. After I recovered from a stay in the mental health ward, my perspective changed. Most days, you’ll find me playing with my kids on a floor that is covered in dust and dirt. Remind yourself and your husband that caring for your kids is more important that clean counter tops.
  • Rest. Sleep when they sleep, even if they are eight and five years old. Go to bed around 8:30 to 9:30 pm. When you are well rested, you are likely to be less cranky.
  • Know your kids. I use the acronym, H.A.L.T. (I’ll post another one entirely about this later). When your child is having a meltdown or being sassy, pause and ask yourself this: Is she Hungry, Agitated, Lonely, or Tired. When my three-year-old is screaming and clawing her siblings, it’s generally because she has low blood sugar. Assess what is going on with your children and find ways to remedy the situation.
  • Pray. Pray often. I keep a prayer journal on each of my kids. It sounds time consuming, but I want my kids to see the prayers I’ve prayed and perhaps have leverage blackmail later with their childhood incidents. Okay, I’m teasing about the blackmail part, but I’m not kidding about praying. Pray for their future, pray for their future spouse, pray for their weaknesses. Pray that God helps you set the example of good character.

Finally, if you have any tips about Motherhood and avoiding the burnout, post them here. We all would love to connect and add to our arsenal of supplies!

By Heather Riggleman

Stephanie Shott
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