The Value of Reading and Listening

Several weeks ago, when I was first coming out of my first trimester fog, I saw everything that I had missed for the 3 previous months and started feeling very overwhelmed. My house was not organized, my kids were running wild, and my personal growth even felt like it was on hold for that period of time. It all settled back on my shoulders at once and I knew things had to change. With a new living space, a new family routine, and growing children, I was at a loss as to what I should do next. Usually in these situations, I turn to the internet--with its wealth of information--for ideas and education. This time, however, I remembered a conversation I had with my mom a while back. She explained that, as a parent, she didn't have all of the resources that I have today. There was no information conveniently at her fingertips, so she often turned to the greatest source of knowledge she knows--prayer. I decided that instead of looking first and then asking later, I would turn the situation around and ask first, then look later.

I prayed for guidance and inspiration, then read my scriptures. A flood of ideas washed over me. Do this, organize this way, try this...I made a list of several items that I needed to accomplish and how it could be done. The blessing of this method was that I immediately felt much less overwhelmed with the challenges before me. The drawback was now that I had written them all down, I wasn't as concerned as I had been before. Within a week or so, I was sick again--and none of the items on my list had been accomplished. Another week or two later, I found myself once again frustrated by the exact same issues I had prayed about and received solutions for earlier.

This time, I turned to my inspired list and determined to make progress, since my health and energy had finally returned for real. I started with the issue that was most frustrating for me at the time--which was Kallie's potty training regression. While I had received guidance on what needed to happen, (making a potty chart), I wasn't quite sure what the specifics should be. I knew she didn't need 3 m&m's with each potty success, as we had done at the very beginning, and I knew that she needed support that was more immediate--but should she get a reward daily? Weekly? etc. Armed with the knowledge of what the overall goal was, I turned to the wealth of information in cyberspace.

Within a few taps on the keyboard and a few clicks of the mouse, I discovered one parent's story that I felt would work for my child. Feeling inspired once again, I made a simple chart with four squares on each row. If Kallie kept her panties clean and pooped in the potty each day, she would get a sticker before bedtime. Once the row of four squares was filled, she would earn a reward.

I am absolutely amazed by the change this chart has brought about for me and my daughter. From the moment I showed her the chart, I have been able to completely turn her potty issues over to her, (something I have had a challenge doing). I no longer require her to use the bathroom when she needs to go, because I know that if she wants her reward, she'll go. I do remind her that she gets a sticker for staying clean and dry, but whether or not she earns her sticker is completely up to her. The first four stickers took a little over a week to earn, the second set took a day or two less, and she's already half way through her third set. (A pair of "Hello Kitty" panties are apparently a better motivator than even strawberry ice cream!) I haven't had to clean dirty panties in a couple of weeks now and we're all very pleased with how this is working for Kallie.

What's amazing to me is that in the month between receiving the inspiration and actually doing what I was inspired to do, I was still getting SO frustrated by these issues. All it took was a few minutes of my time to just do what I knew I should--and the change has been honestly miraculous. I am grateful for an eternally patient Heavenly Father who still blesses me--even though it sometimes takes a while for me to actually get it. Now, I look forward to accomplishing the other 20 things on the list because I know the change will be just as great.