Bedtime?

So here is where I stand right now. It is just after 11:00 pm on Sunday night. My 2 year old daughter had been up until 10:30 playing with some friends of the family and I got to thinking, scary I know, do we need a bed time if nothing is happening the next day?

Now I am one that sticks to a strict schedule when it comes to my daughter, she needs the structure to understand fully what is happening. Plus it makes parenting a lot easier when you know when your child gets tired or hungry. But tonight I veered off the schedule to let her play for a long time past her bedtime, and immediately it was evident she was over tired. Hoping that she will sleep in tomorrow, I let it slide tonight. I doubt she will sleep in tomorrow morning, but valid point none the less.

Once in a while is not a bad thing with leaving your child up past their bedtime, they need the interaction just as much as the adults do, I do think it is a bad thing to do it consistently. With that being said, I think it's my bed time.

Remember to be a parent, not a friend, to your kids. Friendship will come from solid parenting, parenting will not come from solid friendship.

Parenting During Stressful Times

With the economy the way it is here in the US, I have recently lost my job. The second job I have lost since September because of the upside down market. What I have experienced this time around is extreme uncertainty of where my next meal will come from as well as how to pay the bills. Now this would not be such an issue if it were just my wife and I, but with a 2 year old and a newborn to take care of it has grown extremely stressful trying to figure this out.

I have been known to have a short fuse to begin with, so when you add unwanted stress to the mix it can really create a tough situation on trying to parent. As I mentioned earlier I have a 2 year old, and we are in the midst of the "Terrible Two's", so I find my patience with her is growing increasingly shorter by the minute.

Is it the unwanted stress of not having a job? Could be, but the key to being a good parent is not letting your fears and stress fall onto your children's shoulders. I do my best to be a good father, not a friend, but a father to both of my kids. I realize it is my responsibility to raise them in a way that they will be able to survive in this world that can be the harshest of places at times. I know this because it has been brutal for me the last couple of months. However I must press on and show them that nothing can defeat a determined person.

Hopefully with this current situation I will be able to help better my children's future by overcoming the bad situations and showing them that anything is possible, even in tough times.

Above all you must remember that parenting is a job. You might make a lot of money in another job, but you will never find one more rewarding.