Take the Long View

I once heard someone compare children to 'slow-ripening' fruit. Often, we are tempted to try and assess how are children are doing or what they are becoming while they still in diapers. Have you ever eaten a very green banana? It's not pleasant, the bitterness masks the flavor and if you didn't know better, you might vow never to eat a banana again.

When we take the long view of our children's lives, we can better separate the trivial matters from the serious.We can step back and see which habits might need addressing and what behaviors we don't need to worry about.

Day 4:

Talk to a more experienced mother about the 'long view' and what she thinks are more important issues vs. the trivial matters. Also ask her about the longer-term rewards of motherhood. Write down her answers for reference on those 'green banana' days!