How to Overcome Doubt and Confidently Parent Your Kids

There were many nights after a long day with my kids that I wished that things had gone a bit smoother. I wished that I had known the right way to respond in this situation. I also wished that I had the wisdom to help one of my kids navigate a situation with her friends.

Yes there was internet and yes we had a laptop at home but I didn’t yet have the skills to use it. There were not the myriad of websites that there is today, with tips and advice about everything under the sun.

It was frustrating because, at the time, I lived far away from home in a foreign country. I would grab one of my parenting books and look for answers to my dilemma. Searching through the pages, I would continue to look until I found some interesting information. It wasn’t always the answer I needed, but I received temporary solace to the longing that I felt inside. The longing to simply be able to find someone to talk to. I needed someone to talk to about the many issues that I faced each day with my kids.

We love Our Kids but Sometimes Need Answers

Having a large family was wonderful but it wasn’t always easy and there were so many needs to deal with. Being an only child, I didn’t really see parenting on anyone else except myself. And I wasn’t really watching myself being parented!

It was frustrating but I remember being determined to find the answers that I needed. One day I heard about some women that were giving parenting classes in the center of the city. A light went off in my head!

I was so excited and really felt that this opportunity had been heaven sent. I researched both of the instructors and chose the one that I thought I would be able to relate to the most.

After I started going to these classes, a whole world opened up for me. It was as if a weight lifted from my shoulders when I found a like-minded group of women that were really looking to grow in their parenting and help their kids.

Our instructor had a lot to say about parenting and the stages of child development. At the time I was dealing with my young toddler son who wanted to do everything for himself. My older children were girls and although they had gone through this stage they never seemed quite so intent on being as independent as my young son.

Many Things That Our Kids Do Are Developmentally Appropriate

When I learned that this was developmentally appropriate, I became much more patient with my son. I suddenly understood that this was completely natural for him. He wanted to learn about the world around him and could only do that by trying things for himself!

It may seem like a small revelation, but for me, it was very important. How could I be impatient with him when I understood that this was the only way that he could actually grow. This is only one small example of the many things that I learned in these parenting classes.

I started to feel much more confident and looked forward to my weekly class. I became more relaxed when dealing with my kids and slowly acquired the wisdom to parent with confidence. It doesn’t mean that I never had a bad day or that my kids were always perfect. Not by any means! But I did start to feel like I knew what I was doing and had some understanding of the many aspects of parenting.

I attended the class for a couple of years and one day my instructor told me about a special institute in the city that trained women to become parenting instructors. The idea of classes was very interesting for me and she encouraged me to learn more about parenting and become an instructor.

Being a teacher by profession, it was a natural progression for me to become a parenting instructor. Although I was sad to leave my group and the special women that I knew, I began a new journey.

After I had learned in the Institute for about two years, my family moved back to America. I began giving classes in the town that I lived in and I saw that the mothers were benefiting from the classes.

It amazed that there were very few parenting classes at the time in America. Later I started teaching full-time and eventually went back to school to get a Masters Degree in Education. I stopped giving parenting classes and started working and raising my growing family.

Parenting Kids is Complex

Why am I writing all about my parenting journey? Because I think it’s really important for parents today to know that, parenting kids is complex and often is not natural. It is not easy to parent our children and to know everything there is to know without education.

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the challenges of parenting (and the hundreds of obligations that this brings), don’t feel discouraged! The challenges are real and the solutions are not easy. In parenting our children, we grow as individuals! It takes determination and perseverance to parent with patience and understanding.

And it is a difficult road to travel alone! Of course, our spouses help but very often the majority of the responsibility falls on us moms. And often we don’t learn how to prepare for the challenge.

Good Parents Can Feel the Weight of the Challenge

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by this tremendous responsibility of parenting, you are not alone. There is no reason to suffer alone. It is because you want to be a good parent, that you feel the greatness of the challenge.

It is amazing that women can join together and get the answers that they need online to the many personal questions that they have about parenting. They can get the support of a group like I did in my parenting group when my kids were small.

I am hoping in the coming months to create that same experience for my readers and to have them gain the same confidence that I did with my group. I feel that in many ways parenting is even more challenging today than it was when my kids were small.

Watch out over the next weeks for my next posts when I announce the opening of my online parenting group. I will be bringing women together from all over the United States and other English speaking countries. Together we will explore the many aspects of parenting our kids today.

It will be a safe place where we can talk about challenging situations with our kids. It will be a place where a small group of women can come together and grow. I hope that in some way this will be a small repayment of the many wonderful things that I received in my parenting group and hoping that it will also benefit you!

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