No Bad Kids, ONLY bad parents....SAY WHAT?

There is a nasty little lie spreading through society these days. Whether this lie started a while back or is more recent to my generation, it has become a coined phrase that I would really like to NEVER hear again. 

"There are NO bad kids, ONLY bad parents."

Genesis 8:21 - And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.


Hopefully you won't get angry and hate me right away as I would love to build my case for you. Get to the end of this post and THEN you can decide what you feel.

To me, this idea can be simply shut down by this verse.

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

But there are MANY other verses in the Bible that express clearly that we were born sinners.

Ecclesiastes 7:20; Psalms 51:5; Psalms 58:3; Romans 5:12; Romans 5:19; Ezekiel 28:15; Jeremiah 17:9; Job 15:14-16; 1 John 1:10

Let me say quickly that I would NEVER choose to describe my children as BAD children. My children are very young and with their age and lack of understanding comes a foolishness and a need to be trained what is right and what is wrong. I never had to teach them to be disobedient. It comes naturally to them to test their boundaries and to choose to do wrong at times. When I catch one biting the other or pulling hair I don't run to the bathroom and look in the mirror to give myself a talking to. When I hear one of them antagonizing the other I don't sit myself in time-out. That would be pretty ridiculous. 

Proverbs 22:15 - Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

How would I describe my children then?

My precious girls who are my pride and joy and can make me laugh and cry in an instant...these incredible blessings that God gave me...they are SINNERS. If I spend all my parenting days teaching them that they do no wrong and endlessly blaming myself for their choices at age 2 or age 20, what else are they to learn but that they don't need a Savior. Why would they need God if they are just fine on their own? As their Mom its my responsibility to teach them to own up to their actions and to train them in the right way. 

I struggle greatly at this new idea of YES parenting or (Never say no parenting). I think it can be an amazing tool for parents to use when they struggle with anger or reactive parenting (which most of us do at one time or another). It can give us a different perspective and it has its place. However, when my daughter bites her sister for the 4th time in a row I can promise you I will not be saying "Lets find a better way to express your feelings honey." I will be correcting. I will be telling her NO. I will be explaining to her that we are to "Be ye kind one to another" and when she says she is sorry I will tell her sister about the part that says "forgiving one another, just as Christ has forgiven you." and then I will teach her that there are consequences for her actions even when she is sorry. There is no greater disservice we can do for our children than to lead them to think they never do wrong. 

There are BAD parents out there. Awful parents that have done horrible things to the blessings they were given. They will answer to God. But you are not a bad parent just because your child is naughty. Your child is naughty because they only know sin, and they are responsible for their own sin. Its up to us to teach them what is right. You won't crush their spirit by telling them "No" when they are wrong. You will help build them up into the kind of person God wants them to be. 

We have to be discerning about the ideas and philosophies we adopt when it comes to raising our kids. Just because it sounds good doesn't mean it is right. 

Instead of "There are No bad Kids, Only bad parents" lets just admit to ourselves, "There are sinners, I am one of them, and so is my child". And lets be thankful that we have a God that loved us enough to offer us His mercy.

John 3:16 
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him, should not perish but have everlasting life."

Crocheted Rosette Pattern

I love how easy this Rosette is to make! I hope you enjoy making it too. Its a great flower for headbands, beanies and barrettes.

I used Acrylic Worsted Weight Yarn for both of these flowers.
Hook Size F
Tapestry/Yarn Needle

Abbreviations:
Ch = Chain
ss = Slip Stitch
sc = Single Crochet
hdc = Half Double Crochet
dc = Double Crochet

Pattern:

Ch 42. Sc into 6 ch from hook. *Ch 4 (Skip 4 ch). Sc into next ch stitch.* Repeat till you have 2 ch stitches left. Ch 4 and ss into last ch. Ch 1 and turn.

In first 4 ch space *hdc 1, dc 6, hdc 1, ss into sc.* Repeat across till the end. Tie off but leave a 12 inch tail.

With tapestry needle roll work into rosette sewing through the bottom with tail, tie off. 

Back

 Front

Ear Infections and Tummy Aches

My kids don't get sick much but this last time around was a rough one. Both of my kids had tummy troubles as newborns and it went on for a while. Seemed like everything bothered their stomachs. I started out with gas drops and gripe water which helped but I always hated giving them OTC medicine on a consistent basis. I mean, I was giving my oldest a dose of gas drops in every bottle and that just wasn't okay with me. I was told that it helps to put something warm on their tummy to soothe them but I didn't know where to find something like that at a price that wasn't ridiculous. This last time that they were sick they got hit with a 24 hour tummy bug and my youngest had an ear infection. The doctor prescribed antibiotics for it but said it was okay to hold off on them for a few days to see if I could use Essential Oils to help. I applied Thieves and Lavender on her little ear a couple times a day for a few days. I still didn't have anything small enough to use as a warm compress. I decided to make a little baby size therapy bag for these occasions. I made it with a removable cover so that I could wash it since I was placing it on her ear over the Essential Oils. It worked way better than a wet washcloth since that always cools off too quickly. It also works great on their little stomachs! Both girls are back to a 100% again and I am sooo thankful. 

Click HERE to order one my Kiddie Therapy (Heat/Cold) bags from my Etsy shop!

What Really Happens During Naptime

Is it just me or does it seem that the busier I get as a SAHM the more I end up sitting on the couch losing hours and hours of valuable time staring into the abyss? I think there should be a name for being so overly busy that you end up accomplishing nothing. 

I have to admit, I have been seriously blessed for the past 4-5 months that my 1 and 2 year old take naps EXACTLY at the same time and usually sleep for around 3 hours. That's every Mommy's dream right? You would think I could get loads of stuff done during those 3 silent hours...but if you were a fly on the wall in my loud echoing apartment here is what you would see. I fill by lungs quietly to hold my breath as I carefully close Munchkin 2's door and begin to tiptoe down the hall. Right as I think I can relax my foot collides with one of the many dolls that cover my floors. I feel like I go into slow motion in these moments as I clap my hands over my mouth and watch as the worlds heaviest doll goes flying across the floor and slams into Munchkin 1's door and time stops. I wait.............and as relieved as I should be that I don't hear any cries building, this has set me on edge for the rest of my beautiful 3 hour bliss. I head into the living room going over my to-do list in my mind, quickly crossing off any task that might make a sound that could possibly disturb the peace and then right as I settle on task number one I remember that there are like 10 other things that were already supposed to be done. At this point I've sat down and am slowly scanning the room taking notice of the dishes piled in the sink, full laundry baskets, the bananas and Cheerios smeared down the legs of the high chair, the Total Gym that misses me,  and...SQUIRREL!...I've just been sidetracked by my huge pile of yarn reminding me that I have got to get going on my new batch of inventory for the boutique. I'll never get it all done. By the time I've finally decided where to start I've only got maybe 45 minutes left before I hear the sweet voice of my oldest yelling MAMA, MOM!, Mommmmmyyyyy! Over and over and over in the span of 2 seconds as if I took a hundred years to get to her door. "SHHHHHHH baby girl, PLEASE don't wake up your sister yet!". And then as I plop her in front of the all too familiar babysitter and introduce her to Mowgli and Baloo, I'm mentally slapping myself for this classic Mommy fail. 

ITS CHAOS being a mom. No one tells you how hard it is to always make the best choice as a parent, or the struggle between the times that your kids come first and yes even the times that you and your husband need to come first. Face it, even if they told you, none of us ever listen until we are dealing with it. There is no training manual that makes it easy. BUT its still the best job ever because its the most fulfilling thing in the world to raise another human being. To be loved no matter if you decided to wear pajamas all day or if you woke up in a terrible mood. To get to be the one that teaches my little girls that they have a Creator; that they are fearfully and wonderfully made and that they have a purpose. There is nothing better than that. So I wade through the chaos (quietly) and remind myself that its okay that I didn't get everything done today. Tomorrow I'll write out my to-do's instead of trying to remember them, I'll put on my Stress-Away, and I'll at least do Number 1 on the list. PRAY. 

Felt Flower Essential Oil Car Diffusers

I dug for a while trying to find a HOW TO video to make a vent diffuser for my car. I just could not find anything that fit the bill! SO I learned how to make felt flowers and decided to make the video myself. I use these in our car vents and LOVE IT. I love diffusing Joy and Orange together in the car to reduce feelings of stress and road rage ;).  I am selling these diffusers in the Etsy shop that I share with my mom. Click Spool-Full Of Thread to order them :) If you would like to make these yourself I have posted this video to show you how. All the items can be found at most craft stores or I have also listed links below to purchase each of the needed items online.

Click for Hot Glue Gun

Click for Hot Glue Sticks

Click for Felt Squares

Click for Mini Clothespins

Mom First

Being a Mom had to come First. Two years ago after I had my first baby, I decided to focus on my family. I left my full-time job of 5 years as a Medical Assistant and began my new life as MOM. Now I have 2 baby girls (Munchkin 1 and Munchkin 2) and yes I am still a Mom before I do anything else, but along the way I have become passionate in other areas as well. I am crazy about Essential Oils and using them to better my home life and the health of my family. When the girls are playing or sleeping you will usually find me with a hook in my hand crocheting. I have plenty to keep me busy these days and I love to share my passions.