β β A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead
"Is there anything I can do to help" is one of the greatest phrases you can teach your kids to ask as they grow up.
β A Future Look πThe power-decade of parenting has some crazy time-warp realities built into it. Here are a few that we picked up on...
When the house is full of bodies and the calendar is even fuller with activities, there are a lot of daily tensions that you feel as a parent. Sometimes you just need someone to talk you off the ledge. Thankfully, I had a lot of people do that for me. When we were parents of young kids and got together with our friends, there was a lot of griping and complaining that we all did. Don't get me wrong, parents need a good vent session from time to time. But from my vantage point, now that we are through our power-decade, I can tell you something about your kids that you don't know yet.
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of watching my 14-year-old daughter command a room full of adults. She and I were asked to come and share about teenage cell phone culture with some parents of pre-teens she'd never met. Of course she was nervous at first, but by the end of the night, she had stolen the show. They were hanging on her every word and taking notes. They complimented her poise and ability to articulate a clear thought. She came across as real & authentic. She was able to help those parents understand what it's like to wrestle with social media and smartphones as a teenager today. I knew she had it in her, but to be able to witness it from the chair sitting next to her was nothing less than a father's greatest joy. She was only 14 years old and had a lot of messes ahead of her BUT was able to do that at 14! At the time, I couldn't believe my little girl was that mature already. So, how would I encourage you to be a brave mom or dad, investing in your kids & to keep moving forward? These three things should help: 1. The current state of your kids is completely unfinished. Not seeing the finish line (not that there ever really is one) in your season is ok. You might be just starting with your first child or have several kids daily crammed into the minivan. Being brave to stay in the regular rhythms of your life will produce good outcomes, I promise. 2. The reality of your stage of parenting can be defeating. I was talking to a friend with 3 young boys recently and she mentioned how many times a day she says the word "no" vs "yes." I'm sure it feels like it's 100:1 for you most of the time too. That's normal but it's also not your forever reality. As your kids mature, saying yes is so satisfying and you will get more opportunities someday. Be brave to discern when to say both no and yes as often as it takes. 3. The future is better (but probably harder) than you think. The truth is, I miss the smell of my kids after a bath. If I were to find one of their favorite board books somewhere on the shelf, I might stop and read it so I could remember those days. I miss feeding our family for $16 at Chick-Fil-A instead of the $50+ it costs now. But I also love knowing more of who they are and watching the friendship they have together. Parenting is the ultimate "grass is always greener" endeavor, so don't ignore tending to your own yard on a regular basis. Being Brave πͺπΌOne of my favorite authors and podcasters (who also has similar age kids as me) shared these ideas about bravery that I adopted...
This Friday, I want to give you some hope and strength as a mom or dad to be brave. Why? Because I know you need it. Being brave and engaged now shows that you believe in the future of who your kids will become. You possess in your hands the most impactful years you will ever have in the lives of your children. Stay the course because someday, in the not-to-distance future, they will blow your minds with who they turn out to be. Question for you: In what part of parenting are you most struggling to be brave right now? If you want to write me back and share or if you even need a little vent session, I'd love to hear about it. See you next Friday, β |
Helping propel moms & dads of 3 to 13 year-olds to invest in their power-decade of parenting. Father of 3 teenagers and pastor of 20 years turned digital writer.
Family Friday Newsletter - 2 min read by: Finley Robinson A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead Repeated powerful words carry enormous weight during the power-decade of parenting. The Habit of Helping There is a very specific noise that I hear occasionally in my house. Imagine what a tornado would sound like, except it comes from inside the house instead of outside. The sound combination is part human and part industrial. It is a mixture of grunting and slight-slamming. We call it...
Family Friday Newsletter - 3.5 min read by: Finley Robinson A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead Showing up as a parent, even for half-credit, secretly gets the whole effect you were hoping for. Build Their Confidence At various times during our power-decade of parenting, my wife or I said one of the following statements to our kids. Somewhere between 3-13, our kids heard us say these and dozens of other statements a lot like it... "Hey, sweetie, I want you to go to the window and order the...
Family Friday Newsletter - 3.5 min read by: Finley Robinson A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead Administering discipline to our kids in a protective and corrective way should also be done in a connective way. πΆπΌ Wait, You're Pregnant? It was exactly 21 years ago this week when my wife and I found out some surprising news. It was the summer of 2004 and our oldest daughter was 6 months old at the time. My wife walked in with a baby in one hand and a positive pregnancy test in the other. I...