Some things are so routine, you don’t even have to think about them.
Like . . .
eating a sandwich.
watching the news.
brushing your teeth.
driving a car.
But in less time than it takes to do any of these, a parent can. . .touch the heart of a child forever!
Be careful how you measure success.
It’s not what you learn about your kids.
Our culture is saturated with parenting resources that educate us about family issues. Most books and materials end up in a box or on a shelf. Every parent struggles with how to assimilate what they know into daily practice. Just knowing more doesn’t make you a better parent.
It’s not what you give to your kids.
Most parents will pay any price to provide what they think their kids need physically. It is easy to become so preoccupied striving for a better lifestyle, education, or neighborhood that you miss what really matters.
What is real success?
It’s what you do with your kids.
It has more to do with how you spend your time than how you spend your money. Children need a relationship more than they need things. But when parents come home at the end of the day, there’s not a lot of energy or creativity left over for relationships. The fact is there is no substitute for time. Parents need to rethink and reprioritize how they spend it.
It’s what you leave in your kids.
An inheritance is what you leave TO your children. A legacy is what you leave IN your children. One is temporary while the other is forever. Most parents plan, work, and strategize to leave an inheritance, but few have any systematic plan to leave a legacy. Issues like faith and values cannot be simply taught. They have to be transferred from one heart to the next through a special kind of relationship.
It’s more than quantity time.
Spending a large amount of time with your children doesn’t automatically establish the right kind of relationship. It usually takes something more deliberate or more intentional if you want to leave something significant in your children.
It’s more than quality time.
Sometimes there is a tendency to think you can make up for missed time. Planning a special vacation or weekend can never substitute for the lack of routine time together. You can’t cram for relationships any more than you can get physically fit in a weekend or a week.
It’s the quantity of quality times.
Having a successful relationship with children requires consistent planned effort. Moses gave a farewell speech to Israel in the book of Deuteronomy. In Deut. 6:7, he gave specific instructions for the parents to know how to pass their values along to their children. He said, “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
It’s as simple as a routine.
Significant relationships need a practical routine. By rethinking and reprioritizing the routine, a parent can establish healthier relationships with their children. Why don’t you start a new routine by simply marking a few opportune times during the week or the day when you can intentionally invest in your kids.
What are some of the most significant things you do as a parent each week to establish a routine? Any ideas that other parents can borrow?
Also check out the Parent Cue App. This app is designed to help remind parents to pause and make the most of everyday moments—with prompts for videos, activities, and discussion starters.
Source: The Parent Cue
