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 - 3 min read Season: The Springtime (2 of 11) Big Expectations When we were raising young kids, I'll admit that I had unrealistic expectations when we spent time together as a full family of 5. It happened in small doses when we ate dinner or worked on projects around the house together. But if I had abnormal sized dreams on a regular Thursday night, they were exponentially higher when we went on family vacations. I have been accused by my wife of being too much like...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 3.5 min read Season: The Springtime (1 of 11) Tell Them The Truth As I’ve written about the power-decade over the past few years, I often ask young parent friends for relevant topics or situations. A while ago, my neighbor asked me to write about how we responded when our kids asked hard questions. It had me stumped at first, but I know that we did it. When I stopped to think about it, I realized our kids never seemed hesitant to bring hard questions. I am thankful...
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