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,
|
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 Cold Days (2 of 12) One Piece At A Time One of the biggest challenges of power-decade parenting is that your life is pulled in a thousand different directions. Being intentional to build connection and character with your kids can feel like a losing effort. The ability to focus on one child at a time seems as impossible as wrangling your squirming toddler to get their diaper on. In my early parenting days, I got overwhelmed and in my own head...
500 Fridays Newsletter - 3 min read Season: The Cold Days (1 of 12) Last Name Power Scott.Nolen.Martin.Graves.Hannon.Wiseman.Matthews. These surnames likely mean nothing to you, but they meant everything to me as a young father. Every power-decade parent needs a list like this. These names were pillars for us. They represent families that I looked up to and learned from. I'm now two decades into being a dad and still learning from them. More important than what I took from them is what they...
Family Friday Newsletter - 2 min read by: Finley Robinson A Single Sentence from a Season Ahead "Your children need to see you and your spouse being husband & wife, not just mom & dad." Family Traditions 🎶 It's the most wonderful time of the year 🎅🏽🎄 ... but is it always?? I guess it depends on who you ask, because the holidays are an amplifier for everything. GiftsMealsParties...PressureTraditionsExpectations The most wonderful time of the year does push everything front and center, both...