Simple Parenting in Rough Times

The Simple Life
By Sheryl Simons

“The happier you are with the simple things, the easier it is to be happy.”

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Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy. ~~Richard Halloway

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Simple Parenting

Being a parent isn’t easy. Why does the most important job we do not come with an instruction manual? And none of us have a perfect example to learn by. Our kids see our strengths and weaknesses up close and way too personally, sometimes. Being a parent often means being a good actor. When we have a rough day, it’s our job to keep on going and not fall apart. Don’t worry about kids not seeing real life. They see it. But they need to see us being strong. That’s what gives them strength. That’s what we have friends for. When everything goes wrong, the dog bites the cat, and the car gets a flat, and we are late for work, they need to see us handling our troubles with the dignity of an adult, not the tantrums of a child.
Through the worst of times, it’s hard to show our kids we are strong on the outside, when we are falling apart on the inside. My friend Kate was a single mom, raising two kids alone. Then there were layoffs. She didn’t know how she was going to pay her mortgage, or put the next meal on the table. But you know what? Every time I saw her with the kids, she was as chipper as could be. I realized she was determined to get by and not let the kids know how she was suffering. She decided they didn’t need reminding of how rough things were.
Her kids were there, so she could have dumped all her awful feelings on them, but she realized it wouldn’t make her feel better, or make any of her problems go away. When she needed to talk, she found an adult friend or counselor. Not that we have to lock all our feelings inside, but finding healthy outlets, like running, or punching a pillow works.
They moved, she worked wherever she could until she found a good position again. The kids never seemed to let it faze them. They grew into strong people because they learned from her example, not from seeing her fall apart. She also showed that she had faith in God to see them through. She said it often - “We have faith. What kind of faith is it, when you only trust God in the easy times?” They survived, and eventually, things got easier. Then Kate was often heard to say, “See how things worked out? Things are better than before, and I love my new job.” She actually had a better house, too, because the payments were lower and it was more affordable.
During the worst of times, Kate could still let her kids have friends over, she could still bake cookies, she could let her kids live a normal life, and that’s exactly what she did. Instead of buying pizza, they had homemade pizza night, and had fun making it together. She learned where all the thrift stores were, and found what she needed there. “Never let ‘em see you sweat”, doesn’t just apply to Hollywood, does it?

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One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.

If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much.~~ Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. ~~ James Baldwin



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Greasy Stains For greasy spots on clothing from something spilled while eating, simply apply baby powder or cornstarch to the grease spot, and let it sit over night. Launder it the next day and the grease is gone. The powder or cornstarch absorbs the grease spot and takes it out.

SIMPLE APPLE BREADIngredients:2 c sugar1 c canola oil4 eggs2 t vanilla1/4 c sour milk (add 1 teaspoon vinegar/lemon juice in milk)1 teaspoon soda4 cups flour1 teaspoon salt4 cups chopped apples1 cup walnuts (optional) Mix together all ingredients. Divide batter between two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (You might have to bake theloaves for 10 or 15 minutes more until they feel set when tapped). Note: Batter will be stiff.

Keeping it Simple,
Sheryl

Please share recipes, questions, comments and simple living ideas that work for you. Email: thesimple_life@yahoo.com Join the online newsletter to print recipes and look up previous columns: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thesimple_life/