In addition

I have to add a moment of grace to that last post. A verse I read a while ago really struck me in the area of parenting. It is in Genesis 16 where Hagar is running away from Sarah. When Sarah finds out that Hagar is pregnant she is really mean to Hagar so Hagar runs away. An angel finds Hagar and tells her some things. Here is one of them:
11 The angel of the LORD also said to her:

“You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,[a]
for the LORD has heard of your misery.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward[b] all his brothers.”

It says he WILL be a wild donkey of a man. This struck me because it meant that no matter what Hagar did, no matter how she trained him or prayed for him, this man was going to be angry and wild. It's easy to read books and think, 'OK Megan, put your big girl pants on and get these kids trained! They will fall in line!' And I do think we should teach our kids...but the fact is some things are unchangeable. Mary is emotional and cautious. Noah is narcoleptic and a spaz. I'm not sure if those things will change, but I love them and I don't care if those things change. I will love them anyway.

That's it. Just wanted to pepper in a helping of grace.