Reading Really IS Fundamental

Do you ever read something that really resonates with you? Something you find yourself going back and reading over and over?!

Maybe its a verse from the bible that really means something to you. Or a book that quickly becomes your favorite. Maybe its an article in a magazine or a newspaper editorial that strikes a chord somewhere deep inside you.

Recently, I found an article on BabyCenter on dealing with a defiant child -- and how to best handle the different situations you might find yourself in over the course of the day. The things to try that work, the things you think would work that really are counter-productive. What will really help your child to thrive, and what will stunt their growth.

I found myself growing more patient with S. the more that I read it ... and she wasn't even in the room. As soon as she was up from her nap, I had a better attitude. I was happier, somehow. Like I had some new found confidence that I really could mother her in a way that would make a difference in her world.

Lets be honest: as mom's we all have those moments where we wonder if we are really doing a good job ... and if what we are doing is going to help or hinder our children. Scar them for life and send them crawling to a therapist's office, or leave them bragging about their over-the-moon upbringing. We ALL wonder at some point in time.

But just READING this article made me feel better about the ways I deal with S. Made me see the things I was doing weren't helping our situation. And that some of our situations just need to play out, and cannot be helped. That she's just a child ... and sometimes these things happen.. It made me see that its not something I did or didnt do that lead to these actions ... but just the course of growth and change in a three year old.

That article really has been a breath of fresh air. A sigh of relief. A true weight lifted. It has really saved me, so to speak.

What have you read lately that really affected you? Was it a good book you got lost in? Or maybe something you saw in a local newspaper? Anything online? What's been speaking to you these days?