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: The Significance of Slow Growth
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β β A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead
The Question: β"What did you guys do to create the lasting connectedness you have with your kids?" β βMy Reply: βWhatever we did, we always did it together. β Truths From TreesSometimes there are great parenting lessons that are hidden inside other family groups. For instance, animal families have their own special names. Lions: A Pride π¦ In the world of arboriculture (ok, that's just a fancy word for trees) we call a group either a Grove or Forest π²π²π²π² There are a surprising number of great lessons that power-decade parents can learn from a family of trees. Slow vs Fast GrowthMost young tree saplings spend the early decades of life under the shade of their mother tree's canopy. Limited sunlight means that they grow slowly. Slow growth, of course, leads to hard, dense, and strong wood. Something entirely different happens if you plant a tree by itself out in an open field. Free from the shade of bigger trees, the sapling gorges itself on sunlight and grows too fast. Fast growth leads to soft, airy wood that doesn't have time to become dense. Soft, airy wood is a breeding ground for fungus, disease, and a much shorter life overall. A tree that grows fast also rots quickly and therefore never has a chance to grow old. Another invaluable effect of the grove for a young sapling is the root system. An old, dense, and sturdy tree has years of roots that run deep into the ground. A slow-growing tree in a grove has the benefit of intertwined roots that will benefit it for decades as it grows taller. An isolated tree, planted by itself, not only grows too quickly but lacks any of the supporting underground structures. 7 Parent Take-AwaysSo what can we learn from a family of trees that can affect your parenting for the next decade? Here are a few things we learned in our home...
Do you consider your home to be a "raise them slowly" kind of family? In what ways have you provided shade or kept your kids from growing up too quickly? I'd love to hear if you'd reply back and let me know! FYI: Mom and Dad, you can always read old newsletters right here! β |
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.
Family Friday Newsletter - 2.5 min read by: Finley Robinson A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead Relax a bit ... There is a w i d e range of normal for your kids. Win-Coach-RELEASE π There is a day in your future that is lurking. It is a day that holds both promise and pain for you as a parent. This day presents a one-way door that once your family walks through it, you'll never turn around and return back to how things used to be. My family arrived on this day recently. For some families,...
Family Friday Newsletter - 2.5 min read by: Finley Robinson A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead Don't leave predictable rhythms & wonder moments to chance in your family. "So, How Was School Today?" You've likely asked your son or daughter that question at least once this week. You may have asked it a lot more. My guess is you got the same response as I always do. In fact, 90% of the time you get a giant eye roll, right? π Somehow, this has become the default parent question when kids first...
Family Friday Newsletter - 3 min read by: Finley Robinson A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead When you get rid of the comparison scale, you become free to pursue meaningful moments instead. 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...