Just a minute...

I am currently reading and studying the book "Ministry of Motherhood" with some of my mommy friends. Last night we had our monthly meeting to discuss the topic of our children modeling our behavior was brought up. Many of the women mentioned things that their children say that they know they picked up from them. Not bad words or anything, just things that are said out of habit. Or maybe, they are bad words in a sense? I can bring up this topic discussed because I have fallen into this habit and have heard the bad words come from my little's mouth. "Just a minute".

"Just a minute" is not a horrible thing to say, it's not a mean thing to say at all. The problem is that we say it so much that our young children have picked up on it. Saying it on occasion, no big deal. We get busy and sometimes it is good for our children, or us, to wait. Saying it enough for a two year old to repeat? Not so harmless.

Let's compare our relationship with our children to our relationship with our Heavenly Father for just a second. I mean, that is who we are to model ourselves after.

What would happen if everyday, you went to the Father and His response was "Just a minute"? Now, I am not talking about waiting for an answer to prayer, He is still listening when He makes us wait. I am talking about the initial "Dear God..." and He responds "Just a minute, I'm on the phone or working or doing the dishes" or whatever it may be. How loved do you feel?

Ouch! Did I just say that? Did I really just think I would feel unloved if my Father told me the simple words "Just a minute"? I did. I would feel so hurt and unloved. Is that how I am making my little ones feel? Possibly. Gut-wrenching, right?

My children are the center of my whole world. Am I making them feel that way? Or am I making them think that sewing up this last thing is worth more to me? Do they even know the difference? I don't know. Do I want to risk it? NO WAY.

"Just a minute" is now a cuss word in my home. I'm not trying to tell you all that if you have told your child to hold on a second, you are surely a horrible mother. That is not my intent at all. I think we all just need to step back for a moment and think of what we make our children feel when we are often putting them off for even just a minute.

One of the women put it best last night when she said she was full of "mommy guilt". Now, it was not that she was doing anything wrong. Or that any of us were. Just simply that we want everything to be perfect for our little ones. Will we ever be perfect? No. Should we strive for it? Yes, let's model Christ. Join me will you?

Let's all boycott "Just a minute"!