ruined parenting reputations

So in conversation this evening with some very good girlfriends of mine, a topic came up that I feel the need to share. Probably because I can relate quite well. It has to do with parenting, of course, because parenting is 75% of my life (with 20% sleeping and 5% in conversation with my husband discussing parenting issues.. ) 

So here is the short of it (and maybe the long of it too, but I never really understood that prase: "the long and the short of it," so I'm just going to go with the short of it.) Our kids are who they are. We do our best to shape and to mold and guide them, but sometimes our kids make decisions that are not in line with who we are trying to raise them to be. They are totally ruining our reputation as "parents with good child-raising skills."

Here's an example: my daughter has been told over and over again not to exclude friends from anything. She has had that happen to her and it hurts her feelings. And yet, after numerous conversations about this, she still manages to roll over one of the nieghbor kids (not friends with his parents on facebook...phew) and tell him he cannot climb our tree, which EVERY OTHER KID IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ALLOWED TO DO (with parental permission, of course.) 

Child. 

Seriously. 

His parents probably think we are horrible parents!

So what do we do? We talk to her, teach her how to handle the situation better next time, hope she listens to us and pray that the neighbors don't actually hate us because our kid chose to be unkind. 

This parenting thing is a pain. These kids are ruining our reputations left and right.

But there is hope! I see my nieces and nephews growing into amazing young women and men. It gives me a passion to keep striving with my own kids, hoping that they will grow into amazing young men and women, but that means loads of prayer and guidance. 

Tomorrow is a new day to try and shape those little twerps, but for now I'm off to go get my 20% sleep.

KC