Skip to main content

Walking the line

As a parent I feel like I'm walking a line...a very narrow line that isn't always clear and has so many sharp turns and crossings that I find myself turning in circles, getting dizzy, and wondering if I can manage to stay upright. If I'm able to stay on the line, then my kids may grow up to be the next Einstein, Mother Teresa, or Ghandi.  If I can't stay on the line...well, I don't even want to think about what could happen.

Every day I walk the line but I'm doing it blindfolded.  I don't know if my choices, my actions, and my words will positively or negatively impact my kids.  Am I spending enough time with my kids?  Did I give them an appropriate explanation when they asked where babies came from or did I just scar them for life?  Will I get my kids' hopes up when talking about Santa Claus or am I setting them up for disappointment?  When is it really, truly important that I be the bad guy (or mean mom) instead of the fun mom and friend?  And so much more.

Walking the line is something that every parent must do.  Each moment of every day, we are - whether we know it or not - impacting our children's lives.  We could take a look at families we consider to be upstanding and well-functioning and try to follow what they do, but then we find ourselves comparing our own lives and decisions to those of someone else, often through hearsay or "Facebook goggles.

So, what can we do?  We continue walking the line, making the best decisions that we can with the information and situations we have.  We learn.  We grow.  Then, as we look at the world around us, we remember that the grass may appear to be greener on the other side of the fence, but it still has to be watered, weeded, fertilized and mowed to maintain that greenness.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I'm no longer telling my kids to have fun

Today, I've made an important realization that is changing the way that I talk to my children.  I am no longer going to tell them to have fun. Don't get me wrong, I desperately desire that my children find joy, happiness and laughter through numerous experiences and adventures.  But, my children's definition of fun and mine have two VERY different meanings. I'll give you an example. My almost four-year-old son loves to destroy things.  He's like his dad - a man who just wants to learn how things work, as well as cause and effect.  So, he takes apart toys, sister's dolls, kitchen appliances, and more.  He tears books because "the story was in the wrong order."  He pushes buttons - both literally and figuratively.  He colors on walls, floors, computer monitors, furniture, carpet and more because he wants to create maps and "building plans" for his Duplos.  This is his idea of fun . Do you see my dilemma?  His idea of fun is so completel
Post a Comment
Read more

Leadership Mom: SWOT Analysis

In business, leaders often analyze our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats through a SWOT analysis.  So, if we are going to look at our role as moms as being the greatest leadership opportunity to us, let's start with analyzing ourselves and our kids.  Here's the SWOT I developed for my family: Family SWOT Analysis As a doting mother, there are hundreds of strengths that I could put up here for my kids.  Their hugs, kisses, bedtime stories and prayers, the fact that they come to me when they're seeking healing from an injury (physical or emotional), the notes and drawings they make for me, their precious hearts when they try to help me or that they've learned how to use the Keurig to bring me coffee in the morning...I could go on and on. Now, here's the part where we get honest with ourselves.  Yes, we love our kids and we love our family (or, hopefully, most of the time), but we are not perfect.  Nor should we be perfect.  As we analyze oursel
3 comments
Read more

Where has the Golden Rule gone?

You would have to be living in a cave or some extremely remote location with no access to satellite or wireless reception in order to not hear or read about American politics and the upcoming elections.  It's everywhere...and it's an all out war.  Or, at least that's what it seems like to me.  I usually try not to say too much about politics because I was taught that talking about politics in polite conversation was rude and uncivil.  Today's state of social media and 24-hour news has proven to me that this lesson is, sadly, true.  As a parent, I am trying to instill a sense of respect in my children.  Yet, how am I to do this in a world where everyone is out to get anyone who thinks, speaks, looks, or acts differently than they do?  No, this isn't always about politics.  But, let's face it, we've politicized everything.  There has been no subject left untouched in this year's political race.  There's no topic deemed to be out of bounds.  So, where
Post a Comment
Read more