Mommy Make-Over Challenge

I read THIS ARTICLE in Yahoo News the other day and found it amusing as well as interesting. I have many of my own opinions on the article, but the general idea of initiating self-improvement for the benefit of another struck me.

At first I thought that I would do a wife challenge, but hubby doesn't find me in need of much improvement....at least nothing drastic enough for a 30 day challenge. (Isn't that sweet?!) So, I figured I'd do an area of my life that needs improvement for the benefit of others. Motherhood. Yep, I admit it. I could really use some improvement there.

Like the author of the article, I'm going to pick 3 areas within motherhood where I could improve:

Pray

Play

Don't fray

The kiddos and I pray. We pray at each meal. We pray before bedtime. We have impromptu prayers when needed or requested. But I don't really pray FOR my children. I pray about them, but not FOR them.

Mommy doesn't do playtime too well. I still have it in my head that playtime is wasting time for me. I should be cleaning something, instead. I also get frustrated with my kiddos, say if we're playing a certain game, because they don't like following the rules. Someone ends up a sore loser. The other a sore winner, even if there aren't necessarily winners or losers! I give up too easily because it does fray me.

Don't fray. Here's the definitions of fray:

Archaic verb: To Frighten Away

Noun: a usually disorderly or protracted fight, struggle or dispute

Transitive verb: to wear (as an edge of a cloth) by or as if by rubbing; to separate the threads at the edge of; to strain or irritate

Intransitive verb: to wear out or into shreds; to show signs of wear (fraying nerves)

Noun: A raveled place or worn spot

Yep, this works. Sometimes my duty as a parent can seem so challenging, it shy away from it. That must stop. The disorderly fights, struggles and disputes with my children must stop, too. I'm easily irritated. My nerves fray easily, especially when my daughter's screaming AGAIN or my 5 year old won't stop talking and talking and talking and making comments about every little thing. And when he runs out of things to say, he makes loud, obnoxious, sudden truck or tractor noises that startle me and raise my blood pressure through the roof. Not to mention, they ALL have a knack for getting right under my feet, especially when I'm doing something dangerous like opening the oven door or carrying hot food to the dining room. They're children. They're young children. They're supposed to have an incredible lack of common sense! Unfortunately, instead of cultivating common sense with patience, I tend to lose all my senses! LOL!

So, this is my challenge. God got me up bright and early before 5am to start preparing. My kiddos should be climbing out of their little beds in 5 minutes, so I better get my Mommy Challenge Combat Boots on!