Who's Your Daddy?

I've been consumed lately with my parenting skills. Are they good enough? What impression am I leaving on my child when my discipline is complete? Am I a lazy parent and too laid back? Sometimes it's "What am I doing?" I ask myself all of these questions whenever I have a discussion or have to discipline Annabelle. Often times we correct our kids out of anger. Our thoughts often follow our words. Totally backwards. I find that I find my words come out to correct her and not her actions. I need to focus on the issue, not how angry I am at what she has done. Danielle and I agree that it's important to discuss how we should discipline her and not let her manipulate either of us to take sides. We are in this together. That is most important above anything we could ever say or do. So in the end, I can never blame our parenting decisions on Danielle. We have to be each other's back-up, like Starsky and Hutch. Bonnie and Clyde. Cagney and Lacey. Thelma and Louise. Ok, maybe not Thelma and Louise. But you get the picture.

Annabelle is a really good kid. She is very mature and responsible. She cleans, cooks, takes care of her dogs, folds laundry, irons (sometimes her dollar bills), and even takes out the trash. She is adapting well to homeschooling for the first time this year. She is an awesome singer and dancer and she can entertain us for hours. On the other hand, Annabelle has a very strong opinion. She takes the strong-willed child approach to the limit. She is not afraid to share her opinion either. When she sees that I am getting angry or upset she uses that to her advantage and goes in for the kill. It usually ends up in argument and she walks away and says "Whatever." I am not fooled because she walks aways to reload her ammunition. And it doesn't end there! Thank God this does not happen often, but it is difficult to handle once words start flying. I like to have the last word and that isn't always wise. I am learning how to be the father of a 9 year old girl and it isn't easy. It's a two edged sword---pre-teen and a girl. Double whammy!

I am trying very hard to imagine how it feels to be her, but I just can't do it. I'm a guy. Guys don't understand girls. I just try to let her know I love her and that's all I can do. I don't know what is going on in her young mind. Her brain must be in overload with so much information, hormones, and stuff going on. There are days that seem to be filled with love, joy, and peace and everything else Disney, then there are days that I say one wrong word or phrase and there are tears for hours and we sink like the Titanic. And I'm not sure what it is I've said or how I said it that made her cry. "What a good parent...", I think.

At the end of the day, I know that I love my child with everything I have in me, I want only the best for her, I will protect her whatever the cost, and have taught her to rely on God for all things and everything will work out. After all, He is who I look to for all my parenting advice. Thank God for His parenting skills!