TO ALL YOU PARENTS OUT THERE...

you know that parenthood brings life's greatest joys and life's greatest challenges. 

I hope you experience more joys than challenges and I really believe that the challenges can bring us joy. They give us the chance to develop patience, recognize the good, unconditionally love, stretch our minds and simply just understand that we can't control everything! The beautiful children sent to us are people of there own, we simply have the privledge of helping them know who they really are and understanding their eternal potential. We do this by loving them and teaching them and showing them. And most days, that can be hard! In my short time as a mom I have found one of the hardest things for me is knowing how to handle all the different situations. How do you handle a baby that won't sleep, or a toddler that won't eat or a child that hits you or is too afraid to try new things? Sometimes it can be overwhelming to figure it all out...and I believe one of the greatest lessons we can learn as a parent is that we aren't meant to figure it all out. That being said, there is a lot we can figure out. For me, once I know how I am going to handle a situation, I don't feel so overwhelmed or frustrated. I focus on sticking with my plan and try to be patient as it all unfolds (or doesn't unfold.) I am super grateful for my family and friends that have shared thoughts and given advise when I am just not sure what to try next. And I am grateful for all the rowdy toddlers in the world that remind me that is what kids do, and for all the overwhelmed moms who remind me I am not the only one! There are also a few books I have come across that have really helped me. With a newborn I read "The Happiest Baby on the Block." It was awesome and it worked for us. I am now reading "The Happiest Toddler on the Block," and it is another great help. I am also reading one of the "Love & Logic" books that I find to be super insightful. The thing I like about these books is they don't just tell you how to deal with parenting, they help you understand your child, their abilities and weaknesses and how to approach life with them, rather than control it. And they are simple. Many of the things they teach have helped me and because of that, I can't help but want to tell every parent to give them a shot! There are so many great things out there to help us as parents, these are just some that I have found especially helpful.