Giving up my imaginary kid

I found myself very discouraged the other day. Defeated by parenting challenges with one of my kids. The day had been one in a string of frustrating days with this particular kid — in a string of similar weeks. Again. So deflated was I that I actually went online to try drumming up a little insight. I've read dozens of parenting books and posts; too many, probably. But I thought: Just one new perspective-filled tidbit would help. "Strong-willed child discouraged," I told Google. Google failed me. All it turned up were links about strong-willed children who felt discouraged themselves. "No Google," I fumed. "Not the kid, the parent! Moms who feel discouraged in parenting their strong-willed child!" Google's unhelpfulness persisted. I moved on.

A couple weeks later, I chanced upon exactly the kind of post I'd been wishing for that day. It was this one: "It's Not You, Its Him" by the great Kendra Tierney of Catholic All Year (written about her sixth of eight children). This post is perhaps my favorite thing she's ever written; almost everything in it encouraged me.