Adventures in Parenting

The New York Times article points out an interesting observation. While spanking is now socially unacceptable, shouting has become the new spanking for some parents.

I posted a series on Controlling Our Anger because I know this is a big issue for us parents. It was for me when my children were young.

The New York Times article made this observation – “Parental yelling today may be partly a releasing of stress for multitasking, overachieving adults, parenting experts say.”

Are you getting stressed with the Christmas holiday season with all its busyness? Are you trying to do too much? Are you being a super parent by doing several things at once?

All the beauty of Christmas is lost if we end up stressed out and unpleasant to our family.

I happen to come across this pastor’s blog talking about his insight about Advent and preparing for Christmas:

As I stood in that slow-moving line at Costco, I was waiting. Waiting! In a way, I was experiencing exactly what Advent is all about. Of course I wasn’t waiting for God to save me or anything momentous like that. I was simply waiting to get out of that store so I could go home. But, nevertheless, I was waiting. I was forced to experience something that’s at the very heart of Advent.

So I decided, right then and there in the line at Costco, that I was going to use the experience of waiting in line while Christmas shopping as an Advent reminder. In that moment, and in similar moments yet to come, I was going to remember what Advent is all about. I was going to put myself back into the shoes of the Jews who were waiting for the Messiah. And I was going to remember that I too am waiting for Christ to return.

I liked that! Instead of being frustrated with waiting, it became a moment to reflect on Christ.

Let’s take those small moments of everyday this Christmas season, and allow them to be reminders for us of the true meaning of Christmas.