I really hope you have enjoyed this series of thoughts on parenting my wife & I thought we would share. It is by no means a complete list. I’m sure you have some lessons you have learned too –we’d love to hear about them. Please share them in the comments below. If you missed any of the previous blogs, I would encourage you to check them out (part 1, part 2 & part 3).
SUPPORT YOUR SPOUSE
I thought of putting this under BE CAREFUL LITTLE EARS WHAT YOU HEAR, but there is so much more to it than just speaking well of our spouses. Parenting is HARD (Massive understatement)!!! And having a built in support system is wise. It’s important to be on the same page as parents and to be unified on a decision, as much as possible. Now this is a blog on parenting, not marriage — I don’t want to change direction — so I know there may be some saying, yeah but…
This is the third part in a series My wife & I thought we would share on parenting. Each blog shares a couple parenting realizations we’ve had. I say realizations because sometimes it feels that way. Like you’re stumbling, but hopefully stumbling forward. Some of the “realizations” are born out of mistakes we’ve made and others are lessons we learned from others. If you missed part one or two, I would encourage you to check them out (part 1 & part 2).
TALK ABOUT YOUR FAITH AS A FAMILY
There are a lot of great parents who will say that you need to do family devotions. In fact, Janelle and I used to think we were bad parents because we didn’t do family devotions. It’s probably a very special time for some families who are having wonderful experiences with their own children. When Janelle & I were growing up, both of our families would do a family devotion from time to time and we didn’t enjoy it at all. (Sorry mom and dad!).
So we needed to try to find other ways to disciple our kids that didn’t require a fixed regular time and format. It’s a little more organic. Depending on your personality, it can be more difficult because you have to look for moments…or make them. So, if family devotions are working for you, please continue, but if (like us) you are looking for an alternative way of discipling your children, here are a few suggestions:
My wife & I were recently talking about the lessons we’ve learned since becoming parents, and this is the second in a series of blogs we thought we would share. If you missed part one, I would encourage you to check it out (part 1).
DON’T LET YOUR LIFE REVOLVE AROUND YOUR CHILD
In this age of helicopter parenting, this point may seem counter-culture. When our children see our lives (the parents) revolving around them, it creates a false sense of reality. Obviously, this will look differently during different seasons. When they are younger, children need a lot of attention. But even at a young age it’s important that your child knows you love them to death, but are not going to drop everything for them every time they call.
It’s a great thing kids are resilient. No, seriously. What would parenting be like if kids didn’t bounce back as easily as they do? Parenting may be the most difficult thing you will ever do in life. There are some great books and blogs on parenting and of course mentors are helpful, but in the end nothing can prepare you for what you are about to go through when you see your first child for the first time. The highs are EXTRAORDINARY. And the lows are, well, extraordinarily bad.
My wife & I were recently talking about the lessons we’ve learned since becoming parents and this is the first in a series of blogs we thought we would share. Some of these things we learned from doing the wrong things, while others we learned from people who gave us good advice. The list is by no means exhaustive, and we are in no way perfect, but hopefully there are a few things here that you’ll find helpful. So without further ado:
