After I wrote my Post about parenting being “Inconvenient,” I turned to my buddy Elisabeth Stitt for some expert thoughts on the subject. Here is part of that conversation:
Mary Jane:
For someone who deals with parenting issues all the time, meet parenting coach Elisabeth Stitt of Joyful Parenting Coaching. Elisabeth, how do the parents you deal with describe parenting as inconvenient?
Elisabeth:
Boy, Mary Jane, the parents I deal with love their kids to pieces but it sure doesn’t take long for a parent to realize that a kid is inconvenient before the kid even gets here! From building the crib to setting up the room, it becomes real very fast. By the time a child hits preschool, parents will have cleaned poop from behind the couch, wiped crayon masterpieces off the walls and cleaned up messes they never even imagined. But like your friend Betty’s mom, the difference is in how parents respond.
Mary Jane:
I imagine, Elisabeth, inconvenience is just one of the many problems you deal with.
Elisabeth:
That’s for sure, Mary Jane. And today’s parenting challenges are greater than ever. In your Boomer and Halley books, I know that at first, Harold and Edna Sanders weren’t sure know what to do as parents, but that’s okay because parenting is a skill: It can be taught, learned and practiced. The great thing about Shady Pines Story Town is that Harold and Edna have a whole community of people ready to support and teach them.
Mary Jane:
That’s right, Elisabeth, and I know that is the kind of help you give parents. For more information on what Elisabeth does go to www.elisabethstitt.com or find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/