It is easy to think of things that happen with our kids–behavior issues, events, developmental stages–as isolated events. We can get lured into thinking of them as something to deal with in the moment or something to check off the list. But, in reality, childhood and parenthood both are long journeys. Keeping an eye on the long-term can help keep us from getting bogged down in short-term difficulties and challenges.
I know that most of us know we are in this parenting thing for the long haul and that we have committed to our child for a life time. But when it comes to the daily grind, it can be easy to lose sight of this. We want our child to move out of an unsavory behavior, or move on to the next developmental step; we wonder why we cannot get rid of some trait we don’t like and start to worry that if our child doesn’t know how to walk or talk or read or say “thank you” by a certain time table, she won’t ever learn it and will be “backward” forever.
The reality is that childhood is a long journey, and our children’s lives are a long journey or path which we parents really cannot control. Sure, we have influence and we do have responsibility for raising our children as best we can–but they have a whole path and life time that we don’t get to control. And, our role and lessons of parenting are evolving as well. We, too, are on a journey where we cannot necessarily see the end. Some of us delight in knowing we are on a journey that is unpredictable and surprising–while others of us would like a little more insurance that everything is going to turn out all right. Regardless of what type of person you are, try to keep in mind that we are on a long journey with our children and we don’t have to take care of everything in the short term.
Also: It’s Okay to Say Things Out Loud (In Fact, It Helps)
Using Your Kids to Live Out Your Dreams
Letting Our Kids Live Their Own Lives