Parenting

What is the purpose of parenting? The normal answers I feel like would be, to watch over them, to teach them, and protect and prepare our children in the unforgiving world. All of these are true to their statements. We are to watch over our children, we are to teach them, and we are to prepare them for the rest of their lives. But how do we do this? How do we make it meaningful so it sticks with them their whole lives? I believe we can start the process by having the goal to raise our child to develop as an engaged person who can work their way through their own experiences while feeling comfortable while doing it. That’s called being an active parent. Someone who understands the investment of being a parent.

            As parents I feel like we want our children to learn and accept responsibility for their own actions. Guess what? The parent teaches that. Take the word responsibility and break it down. Response-ability. As parents we teach our children how to have the ability to respond to situations. We can teach them this as we stop “reacting” to our children, and start “responding” to them. We respond to their feelings. Parents should ask them selves, “what is the intention of their feelings right now?” What are their feelings from the actual experience? As you respond vs to react, it allows the parent to keep their values, ethics, morals, and standards, while allowing the child’s voice to be heard. The child then learns it is in a safe environment that can always be trusted.

            Another thing that is important to remember is that failure from the child is ok. Parents have to embrace that fact, because failure leads to success. With almost everything a child does, it is our job to make sure that they go through those things without the burden of judgement. This all boils down to having respect for your child, and show it so that the child knows that they are respected by their parents. Our role as a parent is not to punish our kids. When parents give their children punishment, they are teaching them wrong. I know that sounds off the wall bonkers because kids will act up and will need to be punished right? Wrong, if a child misbehaves, it needs discipline. The difference between the two is punishment means suffering. Discipline means teaching. If a parent takes the time to see where the problem is, and who actually owns the problem, they can better see who is being affected by it.

            I believe the more we see our roles as a parent being a divine gift, we see the greater importance that we carry being a parent. Being a parent becomes meaningful. We start to be a parent because we want to, it interests us, we are genuine in all of our actions. We don’t say to ourselves “well, I better act this way because that what parents should do.” If we embrace our natural love for being a parent, the child will do, and they will support you in being their parent. Love your kids, and be their teacher. Be their caregiver, provider, coach, and anything else they need you to be. Its called being a parent.