Stand Firm Despite Unhappy Goats (or Children)

We normally milk our goats twice a day, but around breeding season, we often drop them down to once a day milking.  We usually don’t need the extra milk and since the holiday season is the busiest time of the year for Goat Milk Stuff, it makes my boys (who do the milking) very happy.

But it doesn’t make the goats very happy.  They like being milked and they like getting their oats on the milk stand.  Since we just dropped them to once a day milking, they’ve been standing just outside the milk room door instead of having fun in the woods.  Every time somebody walks past them, they loudly complain to let us know that they think we’ve forgotten them and are not doing our duty.

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I try to be nice and commiserate with them, but mostly I just tell them they’re being babies and they should go play in the woods.  They don’t listen to me, though.  Stubborn goats.

But listening to the goats voice their displeasure reminded me of how the children sometimes respond to decisions I make.

As the mom, I’m regularly making decisions for the family.  Decisions such as what to make for dinner, what time to wake up in the morning, and what cleaning chores need to be accomplished are regularly made.  These decisions are not always popular with every individual in the family.  Sometimes the children will be vocal with their complaints, sometimes they may quietly grumble, and sometimes they may shrug it off and move on.

As the mom, it’s my job to listen to any (appropriately expressed) complaints and decide whether or not that complaint is valid.  Quite often, the child has a good point, but the decision that I made is still what’s best for the family.  I have to stand firm in my decisions and not crumble under the pressure.  While I want my children to be happy, I want what is best for them even more.

And sometimes a decision that is best is not always what makes them happy.

So I stay strong and know that in the end, doing the right thing for everyone is more important than making decisions that please everyone.  It’s a part of what parenthood is all about.

What about you?  Are you able to stand by your decisions?  Or are your children able to coax you to change your mind?

PJ

 

 

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15 thoughts on “Stand Firm Despite Unhappy Goats (or Children)”

  1. Our Kids are grown, but we have a dog. HE runs the house. HE tells us what to do LOL and thats just the way it is 🙂

  2. Sometimes they will try every now and then but in the end it goes how me & husband decide.But we do let them express themselves in a respectable manner.

  3. LOL………love the analogy;the two go do go hand in hand! I remember a verse but at the moment can’t remember what the ‘address’ is: “Be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might….”….:D
    I do have a question about your goats…:D We are blessed with Toggenbergs. This is our first year of having diary goats. She is a first time mom. We are also blessed to have one of her babies. So, no, baby is not weaned. Mom is still milking 2 times a day…:D. They eat hay all day. Nothing to graze on. Question: how much oats should we be feeding them. When we milk her, sometimes we have to take out there at least 6 or more carrots. She snacks on peanuts. Or a watermellon from the garden. She still “complains”….:D Is this girl getting enough to eat or is she just being a goat?

    • We judge based on weight. Not their attitude. You want to be able to feel ribs, but not see them. Hope that helps!
      PJ

      • Yep, it does! She is just being a big baby. And a very LOUD one at that….:D. In the morning, she will bless us with a 1/2 gallon of milk. But no matter what time we milk; in the afternoon/evening, we are fortunate if we get anywhere from a pint to a quart…..:).
        Have a blessed day! Janet Kiessling…:D

        • And I am with you on the cuteness of baby rabbits. Raised them in highschool. Raising one right now….she picked a fight with a rodent & almost lost. Baby rabbits & baby goats are cute!

  4. One of the hardest but most important “disciplines” for parents, sometimes especially when the child emotionally and insistently disagrees. Making a thoughtful decision and then following through is so important and builds on itself. I found the more I did that, the more it shortened the future arguements as my child understood that a decision made was generally not worth fighting against.

    • Exactly! I want them to think through things, but there is also a place for just accepting the decision that Mom and Dad made, even if you don’t particularly agree with it. PJ

  5. Thanks for this article. I really needed to hear it. It can be tough as a Mom to stand firm, when you hear complaints or disagreements. But, I needed a reminder that I need to obey God no matter what my children may think. It is the BEST for them.

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