Words of Wisdom From a Parent's Prayer

 Parents are not perfect. We make mistakes. Look at your yesterday - was it full of mistakes on your part? Did you snap at your child? Were you fair and considerate of your child's feelings?  No matter what kind of day you had yesterday, you can have a beautiful day today.

A Parent's Prayer

Did you ever feel that you, as a parent, needed to apologize to your child or children? I remember when my children were young and tender. At the end of the day I felt that I may have been to harsh with them. Or I may have wrongly judged them. One time in particular I remember my son was in the kitchen when I was baking a carrot cake. I had the peelings in one place and the grated carrots in another pile. He picked up a bowl and dumped it in the garbage. It was the grated carrots. I turned around and gave him a spanking. But it then dawned on me that he thought he was helping me by throwing out the peelings. I grabbed him and pulled him up real close and cried and said "I'm sorry." I was too quick and did not take time to really assess the situation before I acted.

Other times as they grew up I would have to apologize and admit I was wrong and I needed their forgiveness. Oh, how I wish I could go over those days! I sure would wait before I acted. I guess you gain experience as you go along. But they are grown and gone before you know it. Now, I need their love. Just a big hug and I love you means more to me than any gift I could get.

I found this prayer and thought I would post it. It sure has a message to parents if we listen.

A Parents Prayer

Help me to understand my children, To listen patiently to what they have to say and to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them and contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children And to ask of them forgiveness, when I know that I have done them wrong.

May I not vainly hurt the feelings of my children. Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment. Let me not tempt a child to lie and steal. So guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honestly produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. May I cease to nag; and when I am out of sorts,help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue. Blind me to the little errors of my children and help me to see the good things that they do. Give me a ready word for honest praise.

Help me to treat my children as those of their own age, but let me not exact of them the judgments and conventions of adult. Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to wait upon themselves, to think, to choose, and to make decisions.

Forbid that I should ever punish them for my self satisfaction. May I grant them all of their wishes that are reasonable And have the courage always to withhold a privilege that I know will do them harm.

Make me so fair and just, considerate and companionable to my children that they will have a genuine esteem for me. Fit me to be loved and imitated by my children. With all thy gifts, oh God, do give me calm, and poise, and self-control. Amen.   (Gary C. Myers, Co-Founder and Editor of Highlights for Children)