New Year, same me but better. I am not picking a resolution (as mentioned in my previous post), but I am still making changes. One of these changes involves my parenting style. I know many of you have read the unstoppable force that is our daughter, but I found myself struggling with parenting a strong-willed individual. The changes I am making are based on a couple of books (Thank you, Dr. Dobson and the authors behind grace based discipline) but also prayer. I get frustrated, and I raise my voice so she gets frustrated and raises her voice. Both people are now frustrated and overwhelmed with nothing solved. The change I made was finding the intent behind the behavior and being consistent. If my children’s behavior was not okay yesterday, it would not be okay today. Through this, they are learning expectations, and I am learning to modify my expectations. Perfection is not something that we should expect from anyone, but I tend to expect it from myself, so I worry that I will place that expectation on my children. The funny secret I have learned is that I have to change how I speak to, or about, myself in order to avoid my little ones picking up these habits. Learning patience with my children has given me patience towards myself, funny how that works out. It is currently day two into the New Year, and I have been successful and also failed, but I am picking myself up and will continue to move forward with being the best mom I can be.