Not long after my son was born, I overheard two young mothers from my church discussing another woman with a toddler. The conversation centered around potty training and how this woman had done it all wrong; she regularly took her son to the bathroom rather than letting him make the decision on his own. Here's what I gleaned from that discussion: I'd best do everything right as a mom because all the ladies in church would bad-mouth me behind my back if I didn't, and I wanted them to approve of me. Isn't this a struggle for most moms? Although at my bridal shower the pastor's wife warned me to never compare myself to other women, I didn't listen. I tried to live up to the standard of the "perfect Christian mom" I created in my head. I studied a lot of parenting resources provided by Christian organizations because I was determined to raise my kids right. And sadly, I judged other moms who failed to parent their kids the way I thought was best. Gradually, God showed me that my … [Read more...]