Never Give Up!

I once had a three year old student who was struggling with maneuvering his pants when it was time to use the bathroom. I helped him at first, but I saw that he KNEW how to maneuver his bottoms he just didn’t want to put forth all the effort. So, I stopped helping him. I instructed him on what to do while I stood at the bathroom door watching him. He whined in protest. I kept instructing him step by step. I saw his frustration & frankly I got frustrated as well. I wanted to just do it for him, but I knew he wouldn’t learn if I did that. The next instructions I told him were to repeat the words “Never give up!” and he did, but he didn’t believe it. I told him to repeat the sentence again like he really believed it, and after saying it a few times he did! Each day he came to school we worked on this when he needed to use the bathroom. Sometimes a few tears came, but when he got frustrated I reminded him to repeat that sentence, “Never give up!” It seemed to give him so much confidence, especially after seeing that he could maneuver his pants on his own successfully! By mid-year, he was going to the bathroom on his own without the need for me to stand at the door encouraging & monitoring him. In fact, he began to use that sentence during times when he needed to give himself a boost of confidence, like completing a puzzle or putting on his shoe, for example.

This sentiment is how we should approach parenting and educating our kids at home. NEVER GIVE UP. The struggle you are experiencing in your home isn’t meant to be permanent. Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to be weary because we will reap what we harvest if we don’t give up!Be encouraged, Mamas! You ARE a great mom! You CAN teach your children. Look at your struggle, take a deep breath, and NEVER GIVE UP! 💙💚💛