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: My Favorite Parenting Framework, Pt. 2
My Favorite Parenting Framework 🔨
"Knowing your child is leaving someday helps shape how you spend your today with them." Revisit Part 1 (Release) Here
*Content Note... once we reach the end of November, I will take a break from sharing these emails for December to give a little inbox relief for the Holidays.
Win-COACH-Release 🎯Bill Moore. These are the names of 3 of the best coaches I ever had during my junior high and high school days. I played a variety of sports for 15 years and had a lot of coaches, but these men stand head and shoulders above the rest. When I think about all three of those men, they each shared several things in common.
In our sports media culture, we highlight and elevate athletic coaches into their own special category. Usually, this is because of one singular data point... their teams win. But not every coach measured by their win-loss record. Some coaches help with weight loss. Other coaches help students get into specific schools or programs. Some coaches help with writing, speaking, or leadership. What is true about all coaches though is that they experience their success through the success of others. It is a partnership, one born out of proximity and purpose. The two entities come together for a period of time and an exchange takes place. The coach provides:
The participant brings:
It is the coach's job to get the most out of the talent of whomever they are coaching. It is the participant's job to maximize the knowledge and plan of their coach. You Are The Coach at Home 👏🏼The exact same partnership takes place with parents and kids during their middle years, your power-decade of parenting years. The problem is most of the time your kids don't want to be coached, not directly anyway. Certainly not as often as you feel like you need to. But there are so many areas of life that kids need coaching in, especially if they're going to be released from your home one day. Here's a quick list of 10 and it doesn't even come close to summing it up. Grit. Coaching also looks like helping them discover their gifts, their passions, and helping them to identify their place in the world. Your proximity as their parent means that your voice will carry on long past the time they've been released from your home. Both you and your kids can grow weary of the coaching role you play in their life, but don't give up. They have deep identity questions that need to be answered. In the heart of each of your children, they are asking ... How do you help them find these answers? Do what all great coaches do...
Win-Coach-ReleaseThe earliest years are marked by winning their heart. This happens when you physically spend time with them on your knees in their small world. The middle years are shaped by coaching their heart. It happens first by listening with your ears and then by speaking encouragement and correction with your mouth. The final years are determined by releasing their heart. When you place your faith in them and allow them to test their abilities and decisions in the real world. See you next Friday, |
Power-Decade Parenting
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.
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2 min read Season: The Full Fall (6 of 12) Normal My father was a Pediatrician for 38 years. I did the math and by himself, he had over 350,000 sick and well-child appointments in his clinic over the years. Not to mention his other partners, who combined, have seen everything you could imagine. Growing up as the son of a Pediatrician had its big perks (and some decent downsides too). By far the greatest benefit though is having a dad who could help take care of his...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 3 min read Season: The Full Fall (5 of 12) No More Scale How often do you feel guilt as a parent? Somedays I wonder if parents in the 1950s felt guilt in a similar way as parents today or if it's a more modern feeling. They probably did, but still, I wonder. More than any other stage, when you're in the power-decade of parenting, the impulse to compare is unstoppable. For instance ... Do you look at your screen time and compare it to the amount of time you spend...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 3 min read Season: The Full Fall (4 of 12) A Proven Recipe There is nothing families love more than a proven recipe. A dish that has stood the test of time, fed hundreds if not thousands of people, and passes down because it's that good. Do you have recipes like that? Something I learned early on, during the newborn stage when people kept bringing food to our house, was that I needed to collect these recipes. When I would follow up with a thank you text for the food...