Human Development Specialists

Dear Kids,

Tonight at a family dinner I had a flashback of a situation I had a few weeks ago with all of you.

Your Aunt Colleen was over. I can't even remember exactly what happened... but I remember vaguely it was an attack of various behaviors. Talia hit Gabe. Gabe hit her back. You both came running and sobbing at the same time. While you came running you tripped over Elijah. He started to cry. All three of you were having a melt down at the same time. After getting it solved it was lunch time. Lots of messes, teaching how to clean it up, being bugged by Elijah grabbing your feet from under the table. Kicking him down. Having to explain why that isn't okay. Reading books, teaching how to hold the book, going to the bathroom, making sure hands are washed, cuddling...

So after getting all of you down for some quiet time, I came out and just sunk down into a chair. Colleen is always really good about helping, so she came and sunk down in a chair by me. She looked at me and said, "NO ONE should EVER say 'I am just a mom'! You are a Human Development Specialist. That is what you are. This parenting thing is hard work!"

It is true! I am a Human Development Specialist.

So now let's go back to tonight at dinner. There was a situation with the cousins that came up and had to be solved, and parents needed to be involved. When they were talking to their son about what happened, this title came back to my mind. They are Human Development Specialists! That is what EVERY parent is... and what every parent should hope to be.

Being a Human Development Specialist is so hard though because it doesn't come with a handbook, you don't go through and get a masters in this degree. No one says, "Okay, you are now ready to handle anything a child can throw at you!" Anyone can be a parent. And being an active and involved parent is hard. There are so many times when I think, "What am I doing?".

BUT - here is the key. What I believe is the key. The Lord. He is the ultimate Human Development Specialist. When we get into situations with our kids that we just have no idea how to handle it, that is why we have The Lord to consult with. He knows the answers! Parenting is NOT just a one-sided deal. The Lord is always there to lead us, to guide us and to give us the answers that we so desperately need when we get into hard situations with our kids.

Remember, as you become Human Development Specialists yourselves, to please look at the 'Manual'. Read the scriptures and pray your guts out. How did the Savior handle situations? What tactics did He use? What words did He use? How did He treat people? What does the Lord do? How does the Lord encourage? How does He discipline? Doing a specific scripture study with JUST parenting tactics in mind is the best parenting class that anyone can ever take.

I love you all... my little human beings. :-) With all the crazy and hard involved.

Your Mom