Parenting Series: Raising Kids is Not So Easy

[](http://66.147.244.135/~brenday1/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mp900227797.jpg)**Raising kids is not so easy. Teaching kids to respect each other is a lifelong process**. How siblings treat each other is crucial to the health of a family and a child's individual development. It's tempting to ignore it when siblings hurt one another or don't get along.

**But you can't. **

There's not an easy answer to the problem because children have unique differences. They go through ages and stages. They each have their own perspective on things.

Sometimes I want to just relish in the happy family times and ignore the underlying things that brew. Doing this would be negligent. Isaac {Genesis 25} didn't correctly deal with his sons [Jacob and Esau](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2025&version=NIV) and that didn't turn out so well. **Teaching children how to navigate through sibling relationships is a skill they can use in other relationships in life. **

**Parenting is difficult.** There are times, even as an experienced counselor, I sit on my child's bed thinking, "*I don't know how to help this situation.*" I'm thankful prayer is an ever-present resource as a parent. **I can't always help a situation or change another person's perspective or heart, but God can.**

This week has been one of "those" weeks. **A week full of family highs and lows. ***Do you have weeks like that?* Weeks where you glow in the goodness of family life and then **want to pull your hair out at the reality of it all -** *sibling rivalry, fighting, teenage melt-downs and hormones. *

At least that's how some family days roll at our house.

As a professional writer, speaker, educator and counselor, I interact heavily in social media. ** Sometimes I internally roll[](http://66.147.244.135/~brenday1/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mp900382671.jpg) my eyes at easy "how-to" articles on parenting **even though SEO data says it's the best way to get readers. I've probably written some of those because a social media expert told me to.

I apologize.

**There's nothing "easy" about parenting. **

That statement won't get me invited on the *Today Show*. **But I'm still raising my kids. Some days, *it's exhausting.* **

*How about you? How do you impact your child's relationships with their siblings? What are the stresses you experience and things you've found helpful?* I'd love to hear your thoughts today because **I hope I'm not alone.**

*Father, give each of us wisdom for the journey of parenting. Give us the words and counsel as we minister to our families. Amen.*