Last week I made this decision:

I am choosing not to be frustrated by my children. Instead, I will model love, understanding, and patience.

That is quite a decision. I can’t say that I always modeled it perfectly. However, I did have many instances where this decision impacted the way I related to my children. I found myself pausing to remember that my children are precious but not perfect, and that many times I was the cause of the behavior  that I found so frustrating.

Choosing to model love, understanding, and patience instead of becoming frustrated was very freeing also. I was freed from the guilt that my frustration would inevitably bring in its train. This freedom brought peace to our home. My children became more cheerful and contented.

Like I said, I wasn’t perfect. I failed a few times. But I remembered my decision in the midst of failure, and chose to repent and ask forgiveness even of my children, then move on to correct the wrong done.

This is definitely something I want to continue to practice until it becomes a habit!

Here is my decision for next week:

I resolve to make a plan for checking email and being online and to claim victory over wasting time online.

This is a big one for me lately, especially since I have an iPod. I will share with you the plan I formulated and how it worked next Monday.

Now it’s your turn. What decision are you making this week? If you made one last week, share how it affected you and those around you? You can link to a post about it, or just share in the comments below. Here is more information on how the link-up works.