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.
A Single Sentence from a Season AheadKnowing each child individually helps create a beautiful bond between you both.
We Didn't "Cherish Every Season"If there's one emotion that parents don't need while raising a young family, it's shame. It's that feeling of pain or guilt that emerges when mom or dad realizes they don't measure up. I have felt it on many occasions and I reckon you have too. I remember taking my kids to the entrance of certain rides at Disney when they were little. We walked up to the board only to discover they were a few inches short of the required minimum height. The look on their face was impossible to bear. So much disappointment when they were told they couldn't experience the fun of the ride. That same look of disappointment shows up on young parent's faces all the time and it happens when they hear this three-word-phrase... Cherish Every Season. I hated being given those instructions from older parents. Why? Well, because when you are honest about whatever season you're currently in there is plenty of hard that you won't cherish. Teething is hard. Picky eaters are hard. Learning multiplication is hard. Cliques are hard. Dinner every night is hard. Cherish Every Season was consistent parenting advice we received that never sat well with me and I've never passed along to others. What it attempts to communicate is that the older parent misses the best parts of specific seasons. Instead what that phrase does is it minimizes the hard parts of your season. In doing so, a cycle of shame repeats itself over and over. Instead of being honest about the hard and appreciating each season's sweetness, parents are told they don't measure up if they can't cherish every season. Don't Suffer In ShameThere are things I miss about having little kids running around my house. There are also a lot of hard realities that I'm thankful are behind me too. Be as present as you can in each season with your kids and fight against hurrying them along too fast. Why? Because ... Smash cakes are special. After the bath snuggles are wonderful. The first goal scored is beautiful. Campfire s'mores are delicious. The first sleepover is lovely chaos. Doing their own laundry is magnificent. Talent shows are entertaining.
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By Finley Robinson
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 - 2.5 min read by: Finley Robinson A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead When you routinely teach your kids how to initiate helping, they will be better friends, spouses, teammates, and partners. You Have What It Takes When a profound insight affects the course of your parenting for almost two decades, you cannot keep it a secret. Exactly 20 years ago, author John Eldridge published a small 50-page book that changed me as a father forever. His short book You Have What...
Family Friday Newsletter - 3.5 min read by: Finley Robinson A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead As your kids get older, the 20-Foot Rule is a great approach to remaking those early years of family proximity. Tell Them The Truth In an effort to always make this Family Friday newsletter a must-read, I often ask young parent friends for relevant topics or situations. *In fact, if you have a parenting challenge you are currently facing, reply back and I'll see how I can work it into these...
Family Friday Newsletter - 2 min read by: Finley Robinson Happy Anniversary Family Friday 🎉 Today marks 2 years that I have been writing my newsletter for power-decade parents like you every Friday morning! While 2 years is a reasonably long time to keep a writing habit going, it's a much shorter time compared to the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Last weekend I took my dad to Georgia. He turns 70 this month and we have dreamed about visiting Augusta National Golf Club together for at least...