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.
