One of the most popular narratives I hear in person and on social media is that mothers are victims of their children's "nonsense." I get that perspective and sometimes *feel* the same way, as it can absolutely give major "you're doing this on purpose" vibes when your two-year-old calmly eats his yogurt, only to throw the half-empty container on the ground and SCREECH at the top of his lungs the moment you tell him it's time to leave for church--splattering your dress and the kitchen with white goo in what is obviously a planned attempt to take the last shred of your sanity.
The truth: very young (and even some older) children respond to the impulses (some of them sinful) that drive their urges, and, while they can be incredibly empathetic and sweet, often couldn't care less how their behavior affects us. They're "bullying" us. We are not at their mercy.
HOWEVER.
If we fail to recognize our role in investing very intentionally in their instruction, moral growth, knowledge of Scripture + the Lord, and training in both self-discipline and righteousness, chances are, no mattter how many times we remind ourselves that "children are a blessing from the Lord, " they still won't feel like they are.
The Bible has a fair bit to say about children who bring shame to their parents and are a source sorrow to their fathers and mothers. And while there's no perfect formula of "this amount of input produces this kind of results," the fact its that, sometimes, the fact that our children don't feel like blessings in a particular moment has way less to do with their bad habits and more to with our lack of fortitude in helping to train them out of those struggles.
If you're interested in practical steps for making strides toward raising kids you love AND like--kids who both are a blessing because God says so and feel like a blessing because of the efforts you've invested to help them grow in good habits, then this episode if for YOU!