I could just kick myself for allowing my children more responsibility then what they are ready for. I forget that there are certain skills they must learn before moving to bigger things.

I made the mistake of allowing my kids to have too many toys at once and way too much space to play in.

After five years of parenting I decided that I want my floor, couch, coffee table, kitchen and basement free from kid’s clutter.

I just had it on one tiresome day. And we all know what those days feel like, don’t we?

I had to make some changes.

No more kids allowed or toys in basement. I boxed up 80% of all their things and put it in storage.

My six year old and five year old beg me to let them play downstairs.   Angry eyes stare me down when I don’t let them.

I tell them that when they show me that they can pick up their toys in their room and put them where they belong, we will talk about having a play room in the basement.

My kids rooms are disasters, nothing is in its place, toys under bed, and clothes stuffed under dressers.

A matter of fact, my six year old son is mad at me, because I will not let him make a tent in our kitchen. He can make a tent in his room, but he has no place to set up chairs.

It’s hard to put my foot down on such silly matters. Picking up toys is so trivial in comparison to what they will want to do when they get older. Like spend a night at a friend’s, own a cell phone, go on a date, and drive the car to the store.

Our kids need to learn to be trustworthy and responsible with age appropriate responsibilities before allowing them more.. I’m reminded of this scripture.

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.     Luke 16:10 (NLT)

My five year old Kaylee girl loves working with Mommy in the Kitchen. We wash dishes together, make peanut a butter sandwiches and cookies. She sets up our table for family meal time. She is wonderful to work with.

But sometimes she wants more things to do that she is not ready for. Like make pancakes on the grill without moms help, take cookies out of hot stove, cut with meat knife instead of butter knife.   I say no and she says, “Mommy I Can Do It.”

Yes Kaylee you can do it someday, but first you get to…..

Mix the batter and pour it in the muffin pan. Mix the milk into the pudding. Pick apples for apple pie. When you have success over these things Kaylee, I will allow you, to mix butter in a hot pot of noodles or mash butter in hot potatoes with my help.

Justin at age six is ready to shoot a bear. He asks Daddy to take him hunting all the time. Daddy explains, first let’s learn to fish and follow directions. He takes him on little hikes to hunt for animal tracks. Together they sneak quietly through the woods looking at tree marks and discovering bones from dead deer’s. Eventually his Daddy will teach him how to hold a gun that is unloaded. But for now he is learning how to hold and aim a toy bow and arrow.

Our children need to be reminded from time to time to slow down and do well with what is right in front of them.

Even I need to be reminded as a writer to take one step at a time and enjoy the process. There are many things I need to learn about writing before my work is good enough to be published.

Maybe today you want to be promoted to something more challenging and interesting and nothing is changing for you. Let me encourage you to be faithful with where you are at now. God is teaching you and He wants to prepare you.

As moms it’s important that we encourage our children to do well with what they have. Teach them to do well in school, to do well in taking care of their things, do well by being obedient, and do well by loving God.

We can’t give them what they want when they want it. God doesn’t give us what we want until He trusts us with more. We all need to show ourselves to be approved before we can expect to move on to bigger and better things.