Attitudes

I often get asked how I "do it" with four small children. I'm not always sure people want an actual answer when they ask me this(Hello, complete stranger at the grocery store!) but mostly I think there's a genuine curiosity about how I handle them.

I don't know if what Erik and I have chosen to do regarding child rearing would work for everyone who wanted to have stair stepped kids, and I still have a lot to learn so I'm not sure I'd be the person to ask anyways. But there is one tip I can give, and I am fairly confident this will help anyone regardless of how many children they have or how close in age they are.

Your attitude will almost always determine the outcome of your day. If I wake up in the morning complaining to myself  about how tired I am, how these kids are driving me crazy, how all I want is to have 10 minutes without someone crying, or just be able to go to the bathroom by myself, then chances are I've ruined my day before it's even began.

On the other hand, if I wake up in the morning with an attitude of thankfulness my day will go much smoother.  That doesn't mean I have unrealistic expectations, it just means I'm trying to trust God with my day instead of getting through in my own strength. Because there will be discipline issues, there will be boo boos that need kissed, and there will be fights to break up. But if I can surrender my attitude and day to the Lord, it is much more likely I'll be able to respond in the proper way.

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