Parenting or Providing?

Sometimes in the effort to make ends meet and support your family, you may lose sight of your parenting responsibilities.

Dr. Bob Barnes says: "Establish daily: 'What's the priority, parenting or providing?' You need to decide to sit at your children's bedside and talk with them tonight and do the laundry later—even though you are exhausted. Then, you need to make the decision to choose parenting first again tomorrow night, or there may be nightmares later on when the kids are out of control because there was no nurturing parent; there was just a provider.'"

Trying to be "supermom" or "superdad" as well as "superworker" can be draining and discouraging. Remember how great and mighty God is. He does not expect you to do this on your own strength.

Pray about ways you can change your day to be less stressful and more parenting-friendly. Perhaps you could go to work earlier in order to be home when the children get off the bus. Consider asking the church for teenage volunteers to come once a week for an hour to do housework or yard work. Perhaps you could share responsibilities with another single parent, such as cooking healthy meals, grocery shopping, or running errands.

"GOD's love is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, making everything right for them and their children" (Psalm 103:17 Msg)