Parenting: Enjoy the Ride

Red heart in family hands on bright background


Kids will be kids.


They are going to fight and push the limits. That’s what they are supposed to do. It’s how they learn and grow. Didn’t we do that to our parents? Didn’t we mentally and emotionally ambush them sometimes? That’s life. We go through the emotion commotion because we have expectations. We expect our kids to behave well all the time. But that is our shortcoming, not theirs. For their part, our kids expect only love and happiness from us. If we also put love and happiness first, we will be better equipped to handle the challenges they bring.


Whatever our expectations, we should always recognize that our kids are “perfect” just the way they are. They are perfect because they are ours. If they were not perfect for us, then they wouldn’t be in our lives. Call it fate, God, destiny, or whatever you like. Look around and you will notice that parents and children fit together like pieces of a puzzle. There is a place where they connect. Whether you have one child or ten, each will fit you perfectly.


When our kids make mistakes we need to remind ourselves that this, too, is part of the enjoyable ride. They will learn from them, as did we. That will help us bounce back and return to our positive outlook. Clouds of unhappiness come in to teach us something, and when we have mastered their lesson, they move on, revealing clear blue skies once again. The sooner we start to understand and accept this, the sooner we will start to enjoy this lifetime ride.


As my kids often remind me, “YOLO, Mom.” You only live once! We will only have these children once! Let’s enjoy the ride and our kids as best as we can. If we strive to make this ride enjoyable, it will naturally be a memorable journey for us.


Read more in The “Perfect” Parent.


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Published on March 23, 2015 07:51
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