you are the professional.

I cannot enforce this enough and I will continually beat this drum: you are the right mom for your kids.

Whether you are a young mom in her 20's or an older mom in her 50's (that would be me), we have been affected by the culture that has made us think we are somehow not equipped to be the authority for our children. I suppose Dr. Spock from the 1950's gets the flack for being at the forefront of bringing his professionalism to the table. Over the years I have seen unprecedented trends of taking more and more away from the individual and letting the "professionals" do it.

Listen up. No one knows your kids like you. God designed for you to be the final say, the authority. You know how something rises up inside of you when you have felt that line being crossed? There's a reason. It's almost sacred ground.

I'm not talking about yelling at the coach from the stands. I'm not talking about thinking your kids can do nothing wrong and being over-protective. I'm talking about the environment we live in today that has pushed its way into our families. We have to be aware.

There is a place for assistance. Yet, sometimes we may find ourselves second guessing our choices and decisions. Stop. You and your husband have the final say and it does not matter what others think. Establish that now and the "mom stuff" will be much easier.