If you missed part 1, you can find it here: https://www.brittanymajorblog.com/post/what-are-some-christian-parenting-tips-for-managing-toddler-tantrums-part-1
YOUTUBE VERSION: https://youtu.be/nra0_W95_bg?si=_ZL4BK2HYGRcUvE3

Not here for hopelessness
I'm pretty sure I'm not alone on this....but I have some questions about motherhood, you know? Lately, my questions for God are how one is to handle screaming and whining all day long, month after month after month? I kinda feel like we went from the easiest baby ever to the wildest toddler ever in a matter of days and I'm a bit confused and would like some answers, or maybe just a little bit of help. ッ
With that being said, I am NOT here to share about how the toddler stage is one to dread, or how everything is just going to get harder and harder. That doom and gloom mentality gets me fired up and I’m not interested in hearing it. I need encouragement and hope, not the opposite. Plus, I always need a good dose of humility to be reminded that everyone’s hard is different and we are not supposed to compare to one another.
What I am HERE for is - sharing about the things that have helped me in a really hard season of parenting. The things God is teaching me. The things people have been generous enough to share with me, and I want to be generous and share with you. And if I write them down, I might remember them better when I forget about them next week ;)
I just have 1 child, so I am obviously no expert. But I believe everyone has value to bring to the table. I am just a new mom that has had a lot of hard days recently and needed a little bit of help and a lot a bit of Jesus.

Prayer
Like I mentioned in part 1, I don’t think I’m going to be able to prevent all the tantrums….I think toddlers are gonna toddle. But there are things I can do to help how I approach each day in this season, which in turn, might help our children out a little bit too.
With that being said, part 2 is all about the power of prayer.
And you may want to roll your eyes and scroll past this tip because it feels like you already know that’s important, but want to get to the nitty gritty practical stuff. I get that. But I also want to remind you what I easily forget....and that’s how powerful prayer is.
It may sound simple, but sometimes I overlook the simple things that are often the most impactful.
Let me give you a strong visual
Let me give you a couple of visuals that have been really helpful in getting me to try and see the power of prayer.
The first one was a reel I saw on Instagram that blew my mind linked here. Here’s the summary:
“I remember when I listened to an ex s@t@n!st speak on spiritual warfare for the first time.
He talked about how young children are targeted to try to influence how they think.
Proverbs 22:6 ‼️‼️ they know scripture, the enemy sure does too!! They know that if you aren’t training them up, they have access to their minds.
But they also know that the power of a praying mother (and father) is 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Quite literally 🔥. He spoke about the children who are prayed for. They seemed to have a “wall of fire” around them that doesn’t let their warfare in 😭🙌🏼”
Isn’t that making you want to pray for that wall of fire right now? Sometimes I get in my head and wonder if God is even listening and meanwhile, He’s over there building up flames around my family to protect them. I know it’s hard to have faith when we can’t see it. But picturing that has been really helpful in reminding me that praying is not just empty words.
Another story in the bible I came across that I had never read before about Elisha was soooo good and I had it summarized by ChatGPT:

“Ah, you're thinking of the dramatic story in 2 Kings 6:8-23, often referred to as Elisha and the Chariots of Fire. Here's a summary:
"The king of Aram was at war with Israel and became frustrated because his plans were repeatedly thwarted. He discovered that Elisha, the prophet of Israel, was supernaturally revealing his plans to the king of Israel. Determined to capture Elisha, the king of Aram sent a large army with horses and chariots to surround the city of Dothan, where Elisha was staying.
Elisha's servant woke up, saw the army, and panicked. He asked Elisha, "What shall we do?" Elisha replied with calm assurance: “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Elisha prayed, and God opened the servant's eyes. The servant then saw the hills full of fiery horses and chariots—God's heavenly army protecting them.”
In case you missed it…..nobody could see that army of angels. Elisha saw because God opened his spiritual eyes so that he could see what had been there the whole time. God doesn’t say, “Do not be afraid for am I with you” and not mean it. But the hardest part for us, is trusting that He is there and that He does hear us. The big and the little things.
Kryptonite to the enemy

My friend Micaela recommended this book in one of her Youtube videos and it's SO good. It’s called, Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer. One passage says, “Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth. It is kryptonite to the enemy and to all his ploys against you.”
That’s what you’re doing when you’re praying. You’re pulling heaven down and isn't that exactly what we need when we're in a hard season of parenting? More heaven on earth please! The enemy is loaded and ready to go to let every tantrum make you feel more guilt, frustration, anger, and isolation. And God is loaded and ready to bring you closer to him. To help you see how this season will grow your spiritual maturity. How your spirits of the fruit are expanding. It’s hard work, but I'd say it's more of just what we NEED on this earth.
Tips for how to pray

I have been feeling the nudge lately to develop my prayer life. I am quick to pray things like “Thank you, Lord” and “Protect my family, Lord”, which are not bad prayers. But I am also understanding that I can be more specific with my prayers as I learn and grow. In Fervent, she writes,
“Strategies? Yes. Becasue as you may have noticed, the battles your enemy wages against you - especially the most acute, consistent ones - possess a personality to them, an intimate knowledge of who you are and the precise pressure points where you can most easily be taken down. Random accident? Lucky guess? I don't think so. These areas of greatest fear and anxiety in your life are clues to some important spiritual information. They reveal, among other things, that a personalized strategy has been insidiously put in place to destroy your vibrancy and render you defeated.
"But what I'm beginning to understand is that I can't just go barreling into this flight blindly. I can't just throw something up against the wall and hope it sticks. I need a plan. Just as you need a plan. A strategy for war."
I don’t think I need to say much more than that! Your prayers are incredibly impactful and the more stategic you are, the more you'll be knocking the enemy down before he can even load his darts.
Here’s some things that I've been doing to help grow my prayer life:
Reading the word. The more you get to know someone, the better you understand how to communicate with them. The Word is how we get to know Lord better. I will read about God’s mercy and grace with complaining people that he just delivered from slavery, and I know that He understands my pain points today in a day of parenting. And I also know that He is near to me just like He was near to them. Lately I have been following The Bible Recap podcast.
The book, Fervent, provides a framework for specific areas of your life and how to pray for them.
Bible verses can be a great way to start. Find a bible verse or some prayer cards with bible verses (like these ones) and use them to help you pray.
31 Prayers for My Son, which gives a different, specific prayer each day. Sometimes I read one a couple times a day. Sometimes I miss a few days and then read 1 each night. You don't need to stick to a plan, but I love having this book help me learn how to get better at praying and give me specific things to pray for.
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by this season of motherhood, you're not alone. You're also not bad mom for feeling like a seaon feels harder than it should be. We can rejoice in the blessings our kids are, and we can also get curious and thank the Lord for the hard seasons that bring up closer to him and bring heaven down on earth.
Much love + I'm rooting for you,
Brittany 🌻
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