Enough Already!

My daughter just turned 9 in April. She is smart, beautiful, strong-willed, independent & overly dramatic. I know that God is going to use her talents & personality to do mighty things but sometimes I just cannot get a handle on how to be the Mom she needs me to be. She is resistant to advise yet very much needs to be loved and held and very defiant all at the same time. Did I mention she's 9? I shutter to think about the teen years.

Given these traits, she is extremely anxious about our upcoming End-Of-Grade (EOG) testing that takes place in 2 weeks at school. I am so fortunate that the Lord has given me my work at my children's school and so I can help know more about the ins & outs of testing and curriculum and really know and be a part of their schooling while fulfilling the calling the Lord has given me. Had the Lord not guided me in my work, then I believe I would be a homeschool Mom. However, that's not where I have been led to this point.

Anyway, my daughter is aware that she is in no way at risk for retention given her hard work and dedication to her school studies and she has done quite well academically this year. She just refuses to accept that these tests are not the end all be all and the closer it gets to test time, the more anxiety she displays and she is now demonstrating classroom behaviors that are distracting to the teacher and students around her. It's not fun having a parent conference with your co-worker especially when it's not the best of news. I don't feel equipped enough to properly guide her to decrease her behaviors especially when it may be outward displays of anxiety. I' m trying to use scripture to help her relieve this level of stress but I would definitey welcome any and all advise/counsel to help me help her relax. I think it's a shame that so many of our kids endure this kind of stress at such a young age and wonder what the effects will be years down the line. Is seems that so much more is now expected of our children than we ever encountered in our schooling.

I am so fortunate and blessed that the teachers I work with are mostly Christian. We as a collective school personnel body say pray before our school lunches and after school meetings. We support other personnel in prayer in school and I thank God for allowing me to be in this place and to do His will among so many believers but sometimes I just don't fell like I can be all I need to be for my children when so much of my time is spent with other children.

Please keep my family in prayer and please send all advise...I welcome the counsel of the godly!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's reading this!!