5-things-we-must-tell-our-children-life-can-be-tough

We parents today are fantastic at telling our babies how wonderful they are at everything they do.

We slap stickers of their sports team logos and the schools they attend on the backs of the cars that we shuttle them around in.

We happily tout their sports victories and weekend wins on social media for all to see.

We parents are proud of our kids.

Perhaps what our kids need from us more than constant pats on the back is a healthier dose of reality. Along with telling Johnny what a gift to the world he is, we need to also make sure he understands these things…

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When-Should-Parents-Deliver-Forgotten-Items

Forgotten homework. Instrument. Water bottle. PE Uniform. Lunch. Cell phone. And the list goes on.

You name it and our kids will forget it. And then they’ll want us to deliver it.

How do we respond, instead of react, to their pleas for help?

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intentional-parenting-tooth-fairy-tips

I’ve been thrown into early retirement. Pushed out before my time.

My kids’ tiny, wiggly teeth have been replaced with mouths full of metal braces.

My role as the Tooth Fairy has come to an end.

Before I pack away my wings, I want to pass along some tips to you parents coming behind me.

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Warning-Parents-your-child-will-launch-soon

As parents our days can belong. Dreadfully long when the kids are young.

It’s not until we catch a glimpse of our teens, like toddlers in an old photo, that the passing of time stops us in our tracks.

At that moment we’re reminded that our children really are racing toward childhood’s finish line and they will soon cross over into adulthood.

Why are we speeding through life so fast that it takes a Facebook reminder from years past to bring us to the realization that our kids really are growing up right before our eyes?

As parents our days can be long, but the years are definitely short.

We wanted babies. We wanted a fun and connected family. But ever since our bundles of joy arrived, we’ve struggled to keep up with their daily demands. We race through life without even putting much thought into what we’re doing or why we’re even doing it in the first place.

We must slow down.

Parents-speed-through-life-without-a-parenting-plan

In Arizona, photo radar cameras wait to catch speeding offenders in my neighborhood. There is a sign to warn us that the camera is ahead, but sometimes our distracted selves only pay attention after the flash goes off in our face and we’ve been caught racing through life again.

It’s only when we get caught that we realize we missed the warning sign and speeding toward our destination will now cost us.

Pretend that this blog post is that yellow warning sign for you. It’s a friendly reminder to slow the heck down because just ahead your child will be turning 18. He will soon head out the door into the real world and parenting as you know it will be over.

And just like I don’t want to see you get that speeding ticket in the mail, I don’t want you to get to your firstborn’s high school graduation and wonder how it all went so fast. Before speeding, even if it’s 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, you should be well aware of the possible consequences of speeding and know your legal options if caught by a local patrol car.

Everyday distractions keep us from focusing on what’s really important in our families. None of us want to get to the end of this full-time parenting gig and say, I should’ve been more present. Or I should’ve made better choices and decisions to create moments with my child while I had the chance.

We only get one opportunity to cultivate a childhood, so we must slow down and make the most of the time we have left. Decide today to plan out what you want for your family this year and then the next and then the one after that. Don’t speed through life without an intentional destination or it may just cost you.

Parents our days are long, but they aren’t long enough.

Warning-Parents-your-child-will-launch-soon

We read about various simple traditions created within a glass jar. We love the ideas and we’re inspired to start, yet regular life gets in the way and somehow we never get around to actually accomplishing one ourselves.

Let’s turn our intentions into action and start that meaningful glass jar tradition now.

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What if you knew you were going to die this year. Would that change the way that you lived?

Would you make different choices and decisions in your family because you knew there was an end?

I stood in the high school gymnasium bleachers, chatting with a friend about our plans for the upcoming winter break. She said their family was booked to go on a cruise but that there was a basketball game scheduled now, so they didn’t think they were going to be able to go.

I asked her, “if you knew you were going to die soon would you go on the cruise?”

Yes. All day long yes.

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Do you allow your children to receive gifts without any expectation of writing thank you notes in return?

Is having your kids write thank you notes optional?

How do I know the practice of writing thank you notes is optional in a lot of homes today? Because I rarely receive them.

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I consciously handed out Christmas cards last month to local friends to see how much I could save by forgoing stamps. It was a little experiment to bring awareness to my personal wasteful spending.

I handed out 26 cards throughout December, saving me just over $12. I purposely cut back to have some extra cash on hand for someone who may need it.

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Design-A-Belief-Board-instead-of-Vision-Board

Vision Boards are all the rage in the new year when people want to creatively visualize their dreams by cutting and pasting pictures and words to represent their goals in a visual collage.

Why not design a Belief Board instead?

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One-Word-For-2017-Contribute

Here we are in the beginning of yet another year full of promise and hope. Have you noticed that you are already falling back into old habits? Have you chosen your One Word to guide you toward more meaning this new year?

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