Releasing the Illusion of Control...

Let's face it, life can tired a person out!  Add in jobs, romance, lack of romance, friendship, parenting, being someone's adult child yourself, self-care, sleep, eating, and being "tired out" can just grow and grow.  

For many of us, as we feel more and more tired and thus more and more out of control or busy, we just try to do more in attempt to give the illusion (to ourselves and others) that we totally "have it all together."  However, maybe we should just release that illusion of control and instead, step back, take a deep breath, and decide what REALLY needs to happen right now? Don't put more on the to-do list, put more into deciding what to put on the to-do list and how to do those things in ways that keep us happy but don't drain us completely.  

Parenting means we have to care for ourselves and for our children.  We only have so much energy, so let's stop using that energy to give the illusion of control and rather use that energy to love on ourselves, our families, our passions, our joys, our learning.  

All Good Things,
     Britta 

Parenting with the End in Mind - Theirs Not Yours

This is going to be quick and sweet.  When we parent, in the toughest moments of discomfort, challenge, and testing, we must remember that we are parenting not only the 3 year old in front of us but also the 13 year old in front of us, the 23 year old in front of us, the 33 year old in front of us and … you get the point.  We have to remember to Parent With The End In Mind.  Discipline, love, structure, boundaries, empathy, behavior modification, all have to keep in mind we are trying to help a HUMAN grow up to be an adult, not just a toddler, child, or teen get through a rough moment, remember to take out the trash, or go to bed.   

Adulting is coming for our children and teens and what are we doing to help them adult well?  Are we parenting with the End In Mind or rather with the Moment We are Just Trying to Get Through as the focus of our actions? 

Like all goals, when we focus our strengths and actions around keeping the End in Mind, we react differently, we plan differently, we focus differently.  Next time you are struggling with how to react to a parenting moment, ask yourself, “What can I do here to help my child build skills such as empathy, organization, kindness, discipline, [fill in another quality here] to carry with them to the adult world.”  Perhaps it will change your parenting from survival mode to career planning.  Perhaps it won’t. Either way, it gives a moment for a breath and room for new ideas to help get through perhaps challenging times. 

For more tips on how to Parent with The End In Mind, contact Britta for a one-on-one appointment.