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: Together But Not Forever
A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead
Choosing the with you principle as a family will unlock great qualities and memorable moments for your kids.
Together"What was the big thing that drew you together most as a family?" I was asked this question by a dad with elementary-aged kids not long ago. My wife and I were invited by him and his wife to join them last minute at a local concert. As we sat on the lawn, listening to the music, he fired off this question and it caused me to really stop and think. "What did you guys do to create the lasting connectedness you have with your kids?" At first, I thought to answer adventure. Then I wanted to say it was shared meals. After that, I thought maybe it was our love for sports, or movies, or making fun of each other. I've always wished that we told amazing stories in our home but we aren't great storytellers, so that wasn't it. I did pause and think maybe it was our faith that drew us together, but that didn't capture it fully either. Finally, I settled on this ... whatever we did, we always did it together. We read together. We churched together. We got sick together. For the Robinsons ... this was how we did family, together. It was often harder. It was inefficient for sure. It left the car dirty and twice as many dishes in the kitchen sink. When our kids got older, we did less together. We couldn't be together in Dallas for soccer and also together at home for volleyball. This is what happens to families as kids grow up. The circumstances for together begin to creep away. This is why I believe your "power-decade" is so critical and valuable as a parent. Together is only possible for a time. Together is what makes a family a family. The time spent with your children peaks in your 30s and begins a sharp decline in your 40s. To say it another way, we adopted the "With You" Principle of Parenting and it was always more in every way. More time. More energy. More planning. More tears. More complaining. More stories. More growth. More money. More questions. More opportunity... but it also created more together. That is what I told my friend and that is what I would do all over again if I had the chance. See you next Friday,
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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 - 4 min read Season: The Cold Days (12 of 12) The Dilemma "Discipline" is a complicated subject for power-decade parents. I was texting a friend the other day about the gentle parenting movement that has landed in our culture today. So many of today’s ideas are a reaction to what was broken about yesterday’s approach. While disciplining children is a polarizing topic, it is a critical part of raising kids. My wife and I were young parents and both came from families...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2 min read Season: The Cold Days (11 of 12) A "Figure It Out" Family Our kids heard me say it in our home more times than I can count…. you go figure it out. It was used less when they were little, but with each year they grew older, they heard it more and more. I know they grew tired of it, and I'm certain I said it with the wrong tone many, many times. That doesn't mean it wasn't one of the most important and staple phrases in our family, though. Have you ever...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2 min read Season: The Cold Days (10 of 12) If there's one emotion that parents don't need more of while in their power-decade season, it's shame. The feeling of pain or guilt that emerges when mom or dad realizes their family isn't measuring up. I 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...