Preparing Our Kids 5/21/13

Parenting is so fun, and one thing that keeps it fun is planning and looking ahead so pitfalls can be avoided. Often parents do not think ahead feeling as though they are rushing things if they do. They fly by the seat of their pants, but in doing this, is it possible to miss the ages where key values training should occur? A dangerous place to be as a parent is being in a position of fearing your children and what they might do if you hold the line. Compromising as a mom or dad, when it comes to life altering decisions, is a recipe for disaster and disappointment.

A particular area where I think parents need to be mindful of their parenting role and what they value is in what is expected of their kids as they enter adulthood.  I know some very conservative Christians who do not promote college for daughters, others who believe strongly in only Christian colleges or perhaps, others who believe secular college is better because at least then you know anything worldview related is false.  Whatever the case, we can't leave these conversations to chance or wait until 10th grade to start talking with our kids.

If we have strong values about the years following graduation, we need to talk about it 

when the kids are in middle school. More than just the 'plan', we should take time to flesh out our thoughts  and share the reasons behind them. For example, we believe whatever our son does as a vocation, he must be able to provide for his family so his wife can stay home and raise the children. This follows with a biblical worldview, which we are raising our children with. He can do whatever he wants as long as he meets these criteria, and that idea has been discussed from the outset. He is a young man who wants to please God, so we are helping him plan to make decisions that will ultimately give him the life he wants.

Let's have high standards for our kids and model our expectations with what we allow in their lives.