Intentional parenting

This past Saturday we celebrated our sweet little Eli's first year of life.  It was a busy week, with a wedding, two Thanksgiving celebrations, Black Friday shopping and getting things ready for the party.  With sleep issues (less than an ideal transition) thrown in the mix, it was an exhausting week.  Yesterday was his actual birthday, and, being home, I've had a bit more time to process.

It has been such a crazy year for our family - full of change and transition, as I went back to work after maternity leave, we sold our house and moved into my parents, we moved to Charlotte, and I transitioned to being a stay at home mom.  Each day I see my son learning many new things, which is exciting, but it's humbling to realize I've learned so much more than he has.

I am constantly learning this thing called parenting.  As I think about the mom I've been this past year, and the mom I want to be for the rest of my life, one word comes to mind:  intentional.

This is not a post about breast feeding vs. bottle feeding, disposable vs. cloth diapers, what types of solid foods to feed, or whether the mom should stay at home or continue working.  It's not a plug for a certain book or way of doing things.  It's simply a call to make all parenting choices after careful consideration.

For me, it is so easy to go about life following the status quo - to do things the way I always have.  Change is hard, and I'm much more comfortable just going through the motions and following the norms.  This is one reason I thank God that JP didn't get into UVA.  If he had, we probably would have stayed in Charlottesville, in our house, and I'd be teaching at Red Hill full time (despite my conviction that I should be at home).  That's just the way I am.  I think God didn't let that happen because he knew we needed a little kick in order to change things up.

I'm digressing a little bit, but my point is this:  I want to parent intentionally.  I want to pray about my decisions and follow the Lord's leading to the best of my ability.  I want the foods we eat, the things we do, the vacations we take, and the way we celebrate holidays to be the result of thought and careful consideration.

I've been thinking about the holidays most of all, because, well, we're in them.  I'm trying to think of the traditions I want to create in our family and the ways I want to celebrate different holidays.  Eli is obviously still pretty little, but honestly, that's the best time to start (in my opinion).  Last year I read Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper.  I'm looking forward to reading through it again, as well as considering other ideas, and then settling on what we want to do as a family to celebrate Christmas, Easter, Birthdays and Thanksgiving - as well as our daily "traditions".  It's fun to think of our kiddos coming to love these sweet ways we celebrate.

It's been a good year.  I'm looking forward to intentionally parenting this next one - making the best decisions I can for my family and praying that God will use them to bless our kiddos and draw them close to Him.