Babies are the topic of this week's reader's question. I'd love for all you parents and grandparents to chime in with your answers, too!
As a mother and grandmother, what is the most important piece of advice that you would give to a brand new mommy-to-be?
This question comes at a perfect time for me, since my eldest daughter and her husband are expecting their first child this winter. (Aren't they an adorable family already?)
(Photo courtesy of Miranda Prusik)
I could rattle off a long list of helpful parenting tips for new and expectant moms and dads, but choosing "the most important piece of advice" requires more thought. So much goes into being a good parent that even the most effective parents can hardly accomplish it all.
But when I focus on what's most important, my answer boils down to two words: Be intentional.
Be intentional in nurturing your baby's physical needs.
Be intentional in nurturing your baby's emotional needs.
And perhaps most importantly, be intentional in nurturing your baby's spiritual needs.
Feed her body.
(Photo by Diana Prusk)
Feed her heart.
(Photo courtesy of Miranda Prusik)
Feed her soul.
(Photo courtesy of Steve Prusik)
I can't take credit for this advice, since it comes from scripture: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (KJV Proverbs 22:6).
And that "when he is old" part? Parents, hang on to those words. In some cases, it may take that long to see the fruits of your efforts.
Seasoned parents and grandparents, now it's your turn. Please share your wisdom with parents-to-be like my daughter and son-in-love in the comment section below. Help them prepare for that special delivery!
Speaking of delivery, I'm celebrating the release of my novel by that name: Delivery. On December 16, 2011, I'll announce the winner of my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway, just in time for Christmas. The contest closes to entries at midnight on December 14. That means if you enter daily, you have 68 more chances to win. What are you waiting for?
Diana,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful time of joyful anticipation for you and your family! I will share the following saying (given to me by my Mother) which guided me throughout the years.It hung over my babies' cribs in a red frame handpainted by my Mother:
" Oh ,give me patience when wee hands tug at me with their small demands
and give me gentle and smiling eyes;keep my lips from hasty replies
and let not weariness,confusion or noise obscure my visions of life's fleeting joys
so when years to come my house is still
no bitter memories its room may fill."
Amen and Blessings to you and your family,
Kathy
I LOVE this advice1 As the girls get older I see more and more the responsibility of raising them to be the kind of loving children I want them to be. I think that being intentional in raising them puts perfectly into words how I have been thinking lately!
ReplyDeleteKathy, oh how I LOVE the saying you shared! What a precious keepsake, and to have it framed with your mother's personal touch makes it all the more meaningful. What excellent advice for new parents! Thank you for posting it here.
ReplyDeleteHeather, one of the coolest things about Facebook is that I am getting the joy of watching your babies grow up, too. And what beautiful babies they are! No one can doubt that you are an excellent mom. Anyone that can parent as successfully as you--and twins at that--deserves a standing ovation!
Here's a poem about parenting that I cherish. I do not know the author's name, but I love the message!
"Cooking and cleaning can wait till tomorrow,
for babies grow up, I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I'm rockin' my baby, and babies don't keep!"
First of all, I love the picture of Abby's baby bump with the heart hands over it! That is just so cool!
ReplyDeleteMy advice to new parents to be is very simple. Don't be drawn in by their sweet little attempts at talking. Yes, the first, "Ma-ma", "Da-da", and "bye-bye" is adorable, but don't encourage this. This just lays the ground work for many years of non-stop talking! Once the floodgates are open, no one is safe! They will catch you out and public, look up at you with that little cherub face and loudly ask questions such as, "Mommy, why is that lady so fat?" and "Mommy, what's that smell? Did you do that?" This throws you into the Mommy Power Walk! You will be able to move faster than you ever thought you could. You will try to get as much distance between you and any other human beings around. Trying to squelch a sweet little voice is like trying to catch greased lightning! It can't be done! I strongly encourage teaching children sign language in the early years. They can talk when they go to school!
(I must add that I dearly love my children and grandchildren and wouldn't trade a single one for the world and all it's possessions!)
Thank you for the beautiful advice, Momma!! However, I have learned much of the parenting styles I want to implement simply by following the wonderful example I had, and still have, from you. You are a fantastic mom, and I pray that I can show Sophia the same love, compassion, and understanding you have shown me all these years. I love you!!
ReplyDeletePam, since I've raised four children (okay, three and 16/18), I got a chuckle out of your post. Silence was a rare commodity at my house, too. When the chaos rose, I often had to remind myself of my grandma's wise words: "Just be thankful your children are healthy." Now that all but one child is grown and gone from home, I sometimes miss the chatter. :-)
ReplyDeleteAbby, you brought tears to my eyes with those words. Thank you, sweetie! You are going to be an AMAZING mom--you already are! Even before her birth, Sophia is blessed with something many children never have--parents who love each other, love her, and love the Lord. That's a combination that warms a Nana's heart. I love you, too!
As a mother of 9 and grandmother to 10, my best advise is take them to church but also teach them your world view...what you believe and why you believe it...pray with them often...and encourage them to pray as well...Jesus said "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3 In Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Be a parent and not a friend to your child...there's plenty of time for friendship when they are adults!! margie at mijares dot net
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice, Margie! I love it!!!
ReplyDelete