PARENTING April 6, 2009 Issue

'YOU'RE A GOOD MOM'

MELANIE WAHLBERG

PARENTING AND SELF-DOUBT seem to go hand-in-hand. It might be concerns about a baby's sleep schedule or a teen's Internet use, but it surfaces so often when you're making decisions that affect your kids.

"I just don't know!" I've heard that plea from young moms at the park to couples who invested years in successful careers before starting families. We seem to be navigating new waters, without obvious models to look to. But in these moments of second-guessing, I've found that prayer in Christian Science has become my natural resource for answers and reassurance.

At one point, a few years ago, I felt I wasn't up to the task of guiding our children effectively. They often didn't behave as I'd expected they would (or the way I was certain other kids their age were acting). I felt stuck in my own indecision; baffled and just plain embarrassed that I didn't know what to do. Then I experienced a lingering bout of illness that made it difficult to keep up with the physical demands of parenting young children, let alone the mental ones.

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