The Ups and Downs of Parenting: How Gratitude Helps

A few weeks ago I had my third child and since then I've experienced a range of emotions.  I am grateful to have a sweet, new baby boy.  I am grateful that I could get pregnant, that my baby is healthy, that I have a supportive husband, and that I have health insurance. 

But being a parent is a mixed bag.  Sleep deprivation takes a toll.  Last weekend I felt really stressed when my two year old woke up in the middle of the night hardly able to breathe.  We took him to Urgent Care and he has croup.  I constantly worried about my newborn as I tried to figure out how to keep a coughing/feverish two year old away from the baby he adores.  It’s tough when all three kids need attention.  It’s tricky to find a balance between kids, husband, family, church, community, and household responsibilities.

I've found that gratitude serves as an antidote to my negative attitudes, and can act as a buoy in trying moments.  As I make an effort to focus on the good, my negativity and annoyances decrease. 

I am Grateful for My Children

I love my children.  It amazes me to watch them grow and learn.  I love conversing with my two year old.  I love the art my four year old creates.  I love seeing my children interact with each other.  Every morning since I've been home from the hospital the first things my big kids do is run to the baby’s crib to check on their new brother.

I am Grateful that I am a Child of God

I believe that I am a child of God.  That Heavenly Father knows and loves me.  While that idea is at times hard to fathom, it is also very comforting.  When I look at my peaceful newborn, I get a glimpse of the immense love Heavenly Father has for me.  I can’t help but be impressed by the amount of love I feel for my child.  I then magnify that love 1,000 fold and think of the love Heavenly Father must have for me and each of His children. 

I imagine Heavenly Father’s love for me is similar to the love I have for my small children, only with infinitely more wisdom and patience.  I encourage my children to learn and grow.  I help them.  I rejoice in their successes – just what our Eternal Father in Heaven does for us.  I am young in the gospel.  I make many mistakes.  As President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the Church’s First Presidency, stated:

We have all seen a toddler learn to walk. He takes a small step and totters. He falls. Do we scold such an attempt? Of course not. What father would punish a toddler for stumbling? We encourage, we applaud, and we praise.

One of my favorite scriptures is 1 Nephi 11:17.  Nephi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, sees a vision and is visited by an angel.  The angel asks if Nephi knows “the condescension of God.”  Nephi replies: “I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.”  I am grateful that I also know that God loves his children.

As I face my own ignorance, frustrations, and mistakes, I try to remember God’s love and patience for me, His daughter.  When my children make messes, clamber for my attention, or as I sooth a fussy baby in the late night hours, I try to remember to be grateful.

Published by Cali

</ a>