Pushing Through

I've been a little sick lately- last week there were two days in particular that I really felt sick. Friday was my split day teaching at the middle school so I worked from 7:30-9, and then had to return at 1:45-3:30. It was very difficult for me to return to school feeling so sick, but I wasn't able to find a substitute and didn't want to leave 24 7th graders alone and unattended so I knew I had to "push through".


This got me thinking back to the character building and refining times in my childhood that my parent's would encourage me to push through how I was feeling to do "the right thing" of the moment- very often it was Thursday mornings after a particularly late mid week church service. But sometimes it was when I had a cold, or a broken heart!  My parent's were training us to push through because in life we often have to push through our feelings to be what we need to be- to better imitate Jesus. 


A close friend of mine told me about how her two year old was driving her crazy the other day and she had to literally leave the room and scream into a pillow to keep from being unkind to her little munchin. She was pushing through (while pregnant and irritated...) As you know from previous posts I am focusing this year on BOUNDARIES.... (that word is starting to feel like a bad word because I am so bad at this healthy concept). So I have been struggling with how to keep boundaries while in those "pushing through" moments...


How do we determine when our kids need to push through something for their betterment? 


This whole concept really boggles me.  I want to be considerate of my soon to be two year old, and to protect him, but not from things that will be better for him in the long run (even with a momentary challenge). Having taught middle school for eight years I have seen what good intention-ed parenting can often produce in kids who life is modeled around.  This level of entitlement is well discussed in this article here. 


I am most aware of not building my life around Wil, but he is young and has a lot of needs.  How can we meet our kids needs without having the entire family revolve around our little ones? Every kid is so unique and what might be "pushing  through" for Wil might be torture for a friend of his.


And how in the world do we consider boundaries in light of all this?!


I went to my Bible for counsel...

Proverbs 20:11-Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright?  

Proverbs 22:6-Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.  

Proverbs 29:17-Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire. 

Ephesians 6:4- Fathers,^[a] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Titus 2:4- Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children

2 John 1:4- It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.

There were over 400 scriptures on children but these are the ones that stuck out to me. What do you all think? I'm dying to know- please comment below:)


I want to close with my favorite parenting scripture.... 
psalm 78: 


³ things we have heard and known, 
   things our ancestors have told us. 
⁴ We will not hide them from their descendants; 
   we will tell the next generation 
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, 
   his power, and the wonders he has done. 
⁵ He decreed statutes for Jacob 
   and established the law in Israel, 
which he commanded our ancestors 
   to teach their children, 
⁶ so the next generation would know them, 
   even the children yet to be born,    and they in turn would tell their children. 
⁷ Then they would put their trust in God 
   and would not forget his deeds 
   but would keep his commands.