Last Updated on March 20, 2018

Lately, I’ve been waist deep in a book I’m writing about child-loss. It’s a memoir and the full intent is to share hope and encouragement for women who have experienced pregnancy or infant child-loss. The story grips me. In fact, as I’m writing it, many times I find myself pulling back a bit to really carefully examine my experiences– what I felt and what I’ve gained. I’ve had multiple miscarriages and after each time, something different happened to me. A different feeling. A different lesson. Most importantly, God has taught me the beauty of who he is in my life, even in the midst of my pain. But one other lesson he’s sharing with me right now, is how blessed I am to have three beautiful children right here, how they are a gift and how I should treat them that way.

You see, sometimes parenting is…er, hard. And because my children are all under five years old, many days I can scratch my eyes out, go outside and kick rocks, run around in circles, and fly to the moon and back. Yep. All of that. And if I’m not careful, I can find myself feeling more frustration and stress than simply enjoying the beautiful blessings that I prayed for. So, I’d like to share with you some fun things I do to engage with my children and enjoy them.

  1. Laugh: My four year old says and does interesting things. And his two year old sister follows right behind him. Today, he decided to pour baby powder all over his sister while she slept. And the really funny part is that she was sleeping on my bed and our bedding is black. (smile). But instead of screaming like I wanted to, I laughed. Kids do funny things, especially when they sneak off from our line of sight. I’m learning to just laugh a lot.
  2. Be animated: Kids respond well to animated people. Ever notice how the lady at the library who hosts story time is SO animated? I wish I had her energy with story-telling. But really, when I think about it, I do. Being animated is simply really engaging in the story. Be the characters! They believe the story so much more then!
  3. Dancing: We recently rented “Smurfs Dance Party” and I tell you the truth– I have not laughed that hard in a long time. My husband looked so funny. But beyond that, the kids really enjoyed themselves. I did too. We also listen to a lot of music in our house. So, they see mommy and daddy dancing quite a bit here. Music easily lightens up the atmosphere. And plus, it’s great exercise!
  4. Cooking: Cooking is a fun time in our house. I really enjoy being “Chef Kennisha” at times. And my son especially loves to watch me cook. In fact, he pulls up a chair and stands on it to see me work. I love it too, because it creates a great bonding time for us. I let him help a little too.

There are so many more things we can and should do to enjoy our blessings. As I write this memoir, I’m really learning more of the value of family and how important they are to us. Children are a gift and an inheritance of the Lord. We should always treat them as such.

How do you enjoy your children?

 

is the author of eight inspirational books and has served the writing community for over 15 years as a mentor and literary coach. As a writer, her mission is to tell family and faith-focused stories that provide hope and healing. Kennisha and her family live in Central Texas where she is a mom to seven adorable, spunky kids. She’s the founder and CEO of Create and Blossom Literary Studios - a book writing, publishing, and publicity firm that helps authors write their books and establish their new careers. You can learn more about Create and Blossom Literary Studios at www.createandblossomstudios.com. Visit Kennisha's author website at www.kennishagriffin.com.

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2 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for this post! I completely relate to the whole thing as I have two babies in heaven and a 4 year old, twin 18 month olds and a 4 month old at home with me. I love the practical ideas and the reminder to find the joy and laughter in every situation and I especially loved the baby powder story! Thank you for sharing!

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  2. Not everyone wants kids. Too bad expressing this is so unacceptable in our society. People look at child-free couples like something is wrong with them–there isn’t. For one thing, we’re not trying to live vicariously through other beings. Thats what I see many parents doing, as well as showing off their kids like prizes, thinking that everyone else find them equally interesting. Example: having holiday cards and Facebook pages with only their children. I want to say to those friends & relatives that send us cards and FB photo updates like these: “I don’t know your children, I know you. Show me YOU.” And those photos are usually not saved. At least not the ones w/o the parents anyway.

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