How Can I Stop Fighting with My Mom?

I 70-697 practice test hurried into the local department store to grab1 some last minute Chirsmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled2 to myself. I would be in here forever Cisco 300-320 vce and I just had so EX200 exam exam much to do. Chirsmas was beginning to become such CCNA 200-125 PDF a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep EX200 exam exam through Chirsmas. But I Itcertpasses hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. CCNA 200-125 PDF Examprepwell Once again I 70-697 practice test kind of Examprepwell mumbled3 to myself at the Examprepwell prices of Itcertpasses all these toys, and wondered if the grandkids EX200 exam exam would even play Cisco 300-320 vce whit4 them. EX200 exam exam I found Examprepwell myself in the doll aisle5. Out of the EX200 exam exam corner 70-462 Exam Examprepwell of my eye Itcertpasses I saw a little boy 70-462 Exam about 5 holding a lovely doll.He kept touching6 her hair and he held her so Examprepwell gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept Itcertpasses loking over at the 70-462 Exam little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman Itcertpasses and he called his aunt by name and CCNA 200-125 PDF said, "Are you 70-462 Exam sure I don't have CCNA 200-125 PDF enough money?" 70-697 practice test She CCNA 200-125 PDF replied a bit impatiently, "You EX200 exam exam know that you don't have enough money for it." Examprepwell The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go and Examprepwell get some other things EX200 exam exam and would be back in 70-697 practice test a 70-697 practice test few minutes. And then she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll. Cisco 300-320 vce After a CCNA 200-125 PDF bit I asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, "It is the doll Cisco 300-320 vce my sister wanted so badly for Chirsmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it. "I 70-462 Exam told him that maybe Santa Cisco 300-320 vce was going to bring 70-462 Exam it . He said, "No, Santa can't Examprepwell go where my sister is.... I have to give the doll to my Mama to take to her. "I asked him where his siter was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, "She was gone to be with Jesus. My Daddy says that Mamma CCNA 200-125 PDF is going to have Cisco 300-320 vce 70-462 Exam EX200 exam exam to go be with her." My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at EX200 exam exam me Itcertpasses again and said, "I told my Daddy to tell Cisco 300-320 vce my Mama not to go yet. I Examprepwell told him to Examprepwell tell CCNA 200-125 PDF her to CCNA 200-125 PDF wait till I got back from the store." Then he asked me if i wanted to see his picture. I told him I'd love to. He pulled EX200 exam exam out some picture he'd had taken at the front of the store. He said, "I want my Mama to take this with her Cisco 300-320 vce so Cisco 300-320 vce the dosen't ever forget me. I love my EX200 exam exam Mama so very much and I wish she dind not have to leave me.But Daddy says she will Cisco 300-320 vce need to be with my sister." I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so qiuet. While he was not looking I reached into 70-697 practice test my purse 70-697 practice test and pilled out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, "Shall we count that miney Itcertpasses one more time?" He grew excited and Examprepwell said, "Yes,I just know it has to be enough." So I Cisco 300-320 vce slipped my Examprepwell money in with 70-697 practice test his and we began to Itcertpasses count it . Of course Cisco 300-320 vce Cisco 300-320 vce it 70-697 practice test was plenty for the doll. He Itcertpasses Cisco 300-320 vce softly said, CCNA 200-125 PDF "Thank you Jesus for giving 70-462 Exam me 70-697 practice test enough money." Then CCNA 200-125 PDF the boy said, "I just asked Jesus to give 70-462 Exam me enough 70-697 practice test money to 70-462 Exam buy this doll so Mama can Itcertpasses take it with her to give my sister. And he heard my prayer. I wanted 70-697 practice test to ask him give for enough to buy my Mama a white rose, but I didn't ask him, but 70-697 practice test he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose EX200 exam exam EX200 exam exam for my Mama. She loves white rose 70-462 Exam so much. "In 70-462 Exam a 70-697 practice test few minutes the Itcertpasses CCNA 200-125 PDF aunt came EX200 exam exam back and CCNA 200-125 PDF I wheeled my cart CCNA 200-125 PDF away. I could not keep from Examprepwell thinking about 70-462 Exam the little boy as I finished my shoppong in a ttally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I 70-697 practice test had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car 70-462 Exam and killing7 a little girl and the Examprepwell Mother was in serious condition. The family was Examprepwell deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story.Two 70-697 practice test days Itcertpasses later I read EX200 exam exam in the Itcertpasses paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the 70-462 Exam young EX200 exam exam woman had died. Cisco 300-320 vce I CCNA 200-125 PDF could not forget the little Cisco 300-320 vce 70-462 Exam boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I Itcertpasses could not help myself and I Itcertpasses went out and CCNA 200-125 PDF bought aome white roses and took them to the funeral home where the Itcertpasses yough woman was .And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store. I left there in tears, thier life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sisiter and his mother was overwhel. And in a split8 second a drunk driver had ripped9 the life of that little boy to pieces.

You love your mom, but sometimes getting along with her feels impossible. What can you do about it? I know firsthand how trouble at home can creep into every area of life! I wish I could sit down with you and your mom together. When there’s friction between a daughter and her mom (or dad, for that matter), usually both sides need to make some adjustments. But since it’s just you and me, we’ll have to focus on what you can do on your end to keep the tension in perspective and spread peace at home. Hopefully as you make adjustments, she will, too. You can’t control how your mom responds, but Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” If you do everything in your power to live at peace with your family, God will bless you for it, even if things at home are never peachy. Family fights can be hard to untangle because each of you brings your own set of ideas, perceptions, expectations, and baggage to the table. Then you throw in 1) teenage hormones (and sometimes menopause for moms, which is like the reverse of teenage hormones but just as intense), 2) spending a LOT of time together, and 3) you becoming an independent person. When you throw all those volatile things together, it’s not surprising that a whole lot of misunderstandings go on within the walls of a house! Because there are so many factors that go into family drama, I don’t have a simple three-step, one-size-fits-all “fix” to offer. But here are five tips that will get you started in a positive direction:

1. Keep the goal in mind.

God wants to use your family—whether it’s close-to-perfect or completely messed up—to make you more like Jesus. Romans 8:29 says, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son” (nlt). I can’t think of any better place than family life to practice the super hard-to-learn characteristics of selflessness, forgiveness, patience, and genuine love.

2. Remember your parents are people, too.

Sometimes we forget that the people living under our roof are actual people, too—men and women with likes, dislikes, dreams, strengths, and expectations. And they are people who have sacrificed a lot to love us and take care of us! It can be so hard to see past how things affect us, but we gain a whole new appreciation for them when we take the time to really get to know our parents—who they are now and who they were before we came into the picture.

3. Remember your parents have weaknesses, too.

Newsflash: Your parents aren’t perfect. I know—that’s hardly news. But sometimes we act like they should be. We forget that they have feelings (which can get hurt), a limited supply of patience (which we love to test), and baggage from their past (their parents weren’t perfect either). If we want them to be patient with our less-than-stellar moments, we need to offer them the same grace.

4. Communicate like an adult.

It’s okay to disagree with your parents, but you’ll get a lot farther with them if you communicate your frustrations with a level head and calm voice. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” As a teen, I was usually a master at the eye-roll, shoulder-slump, edgy reply, and huff and stuff. My dad recently told me about a time he remembered I earned his respect during a fight we had. Guess what he was so proud of? I had kept my emotions in check even when he did not. It made a lasting impression!

5. Check your attitude.

Parents sense disrespect like a girl senses a cute guy is flirting with her—it only takes a little for some big emotions to come into play! So take an honest look at your attitude toward your parents. If you disrespect them in your heart, the truth will leak out one way or another. Ask God to help you truly change your heart toward them so that what flows out of your lips and body language will promote peace and show love. One last encouragement. Don’t give up! This would be a good verse to write somewhere you’ll see it often:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:9–10).

Be sure to hop back on the blog tomorrow for more on your relationships with your own family.

Do you struggle in your relationship with your mom or dad?
How can we pray for you specifically in this area?