Encouraging Others

After having a few different conversations today with different people I decided I wanted to blog! I'm so glad our computer is temporarily working so that I'm able to do this.


So, basically I am disappointed by the discouragement I hear/witness people giving to others. Mainly mothers. I see a lot of other mothers being judgmental or discouraging to other mothers. It's disappointing to see. Why do some people feel the need to press upon others their beliefs. It's different to state what you think is right. But are you doing it in an encouraging, loving manor? Or are you attacking them? How would they perceive that? Not all people receive things the same. Obviously God made us all different. That means you can respond to someone the same as another person. We each have our own individual needs. When you approach someone are you considering how they might need to hear things? Are you even considering that they may not even need to hear it?! It's possible! I've heard stories and even had other mothers say things that need not be said! Just because you as a parent deem something right and a must, doesn't mean someone else does! We all have different goals for our children. Not to mention we all have different children and we as mother's know them best. Why aren't other mom's more encouraging. Why are there so many Facebook posts and blogs basically telling a parent what they should and shouldn't do?! You never know where a person might be. For example, when I had Collin, I was in a new place. We had just moved to Michigan. I had a 17mo boy who would hardly sit still. My husband also worked a ton and was hardly ever home. I was suffering with postpartum depression only I hadn't identified it quite yet. It was near impossible for me to nurse Collin. It was THE hardest decision I've ever made to stop nursing Collin. I had someone tell me that I should suck it up and keep going because nursing wasn't easy. This person had never been in my situation. Had NO idea my personal struggles and made a judgment that did not need to be said. Made me feel like the worst Mother in the world because I made the decision to stop nursing. Thankfully, on the flip side, I had a few encouraging Mother's who encouraged me to do what was best for me AND my baby! Smart! It was one of the best parenting advice I've ever heard. It gave me the strength to hold my head high and do what I needed to do! With not the greatest confidence....but I still did it. And looking back, I would've made the same decision. All that was to say, why would another mother say something so harsh and negative knowing how hard motherhood can be?! Why?! Knowing I had special circumstances. Why not encourage me? So basically, I wanted to write this post to encourage us, as mothers, as wives, as people in general, why not take a step back and realize you may not know everything. What you may think is right, might not be the answer for everyone. Why not take a second to think about what is best to say. Evaluate whether it's wise and whether it will actually help this person out. I am a Christian woman and I've just been convicted lately, to not speak so quickly. To have compassion for a situation I might not understand. To respect another human being. So let us all be encouraged to be careful what we say. Let's all think about how someone might receive something. I just thought I'd blog this cause it was on my heart today! :-)