About Me
- life answers
- Long Beach, CA, United States
- Maisha is a registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern with Turning Point Counseling. She has a passion for helping people achieve wholeness through acceptance and loving themselves as they are understanding that God created us all with awesome potential. Growth and change can be very difficult, but “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians4:13. She believes that the foundation of achieving and maintaining healthy relationships is congruent communication. Maisha has worked with a culturally and clinically diverse client base that includes: couples, substance abuse, intimacy issues, and domestic violence. She also worked with problems such as anger management, parenting, depression, anxiety, assertiveness/self esteem, grief and loss, self harm, divorce, family, illness, and disabilities.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Art of Parenting?
The more I work with parents as well as parent my own children I have come to the revelation that parenting is not a science but rather an art. You see in science, chemistry specifically, you can use a certain formula and get the exact same outcome every time. You can control the input and outcome of the scientific process. But as a parent you can "pour in" the same amount of love, discipline, and morals into each one of your children and get different outcomes. Each child as God's own unique creation has their own gifts, talents, and personalities that are unlike those of even their closest relatives. In this sense our children are like works of art. God has provided us a very precious "canvas" in our children. As parents we are the "medium". But unlike science we cannot control how the canvas receives the medium. For example oil will be received much differently on burlap than it will on glass, but the outcome is equally as beautiful in it's own way! the same with our children. The scientist views same process-different outcome as a failure or mistake. The artist views same process-different outcome as an extension of their talent. So instead of asking "why can't he/she be more like their brother or sister"? or "they were raised in the same home, why did they come out so differnt". We should view parenting as our God given opportunity to compose priceless works of art, trusting the "Master Crftsman" to preserve the art as well as the artist!
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You have struck an excellent chord my sister because art goes much deeper than mere science (or even process). It is vital to get beyond the comparisons and the pettiness so common in our relationships to see the true beauty of whom God has given us and how that is expressed in the gifts he has placed in our home (i.e. our children). It is so important to remember that our Father God is not only interested in the beauty of His Big Picture but is also vitally connected to the people who are actively involved in the details of it. I'm glad He's chosen us to play our part.
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