Character training

Well, if anyone in our house needs to practice and implement good habits, its me. I am looking at using Notebooking Pages' Sowing Seeds of Character system. It is no doubt a great idea. The problem is with my current state of permissive parenting. Sure the girls must clean up in the kitchen their own dishes, and they can each cook a signature dish (if you count fried eggs and macaroni and cheese). But their room reminds me of a landfill! (And I believe that's where most of the stuff in it belongs.) I am allowing them to keep a messy room by not removing privileges for it, thus preventing them from wanting to clean up.

Something else that I would like to change is my relaxed attitude about computer and TV time. In my heart I want to limit them both, but I am so tired, and they are so easy... I let my better judgement fall by the wayside for the sake of convenience.

This Character teaching system is a plan to help me regulate the girls' rewards in life, and encourage good habits and character at the same time. I seems like a perfect fit. The truth is that I am not sure I have the self-discipline to make it happen. As a loving mom, I know I must sometimes withhold things from my children to teach them , and yet it is so hard to stop my precious babies from having the thing they want sometimes.

The biggest issue is my stick-to-it-iveness. I know myself, and I need help from God to keep up good habits. Spurgeon says in his devotinal that "You may force your way through anything with the leverage of prayer." Here is my answer. I can't, but my Lord can and He will through me. I must step aside and let Him teach my darling daughters. Time for prayer.