A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead
The most comforting advice my pediatrician father ever gave me as a dad was this ... "there is a w-i-d-e range of normal with kids."
The Last DayI originally wrote and shared this when my son was finishing his senior year of high school. Even though that moment has passed, I'm convinced the lessons we learned are as relevant as ever. Today is a significant Friday. To be honest, it only felt real about 48 hours ago. Today is my son's last day of high school. We have plenty of activities ahead with graduation parties and cap and gown pictures. But today is the last time that my son will walk into his public school building as a student. I remember his first day of kindergarten with his spiky blonde hair, new shoes, and a 2XL backpack that hung down to his knees. I remember his mom's tears as we left him with other kids we'd never met. One girl from that exact kindergarten class was his senior prom date. Several boys from that class were in his small group all the way through their senior year as well. But on that first day of kindergarten, we had no idea who he'd meet, what experiences would shape him, and how we'd change as parents too. 13 years of school and today is his last day. So, in an attempt to turn a moment from our family into momentum for yours, I'm going to share what I wish I would've known along the way. It might spark a conversation with your spouse. It could remove some guilt you've been carrying. It may encourage you to reassess some of your priorities. It might help you enjoy your stage instead of looking ahead too quickly. As I thought about my approach, I decided I wanted to answer this question: What I would tell myself at each stage of the past 13 years? So here it is ... Stage 1: Early Elementary
Stage 2: Late Elementary
Stage 3: Middle School
Stage 4: Junior High
Stage 5: High School
No matter where your family currently finds itself, I am another voice who can confirm that it's surprising how quickly we got to this day. If the first decade of parenting felt more like survival, the second has felt like an arrival. A simple goal of ours has been to raise kids who still love home when they leave. So far, we seem to be headed that way. |
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.
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