Kids are honest. They tell us the brutal truth in almost every situation. Like when you wake up with a lovely zit right on your forehead and your kid feels the need to point it out to you at their first waking moment, as if you didn’t already know.
They haven’t formed their filter yet and so children have a way of telling it like it is. Which isn’t a bad thing, you just gotta be ready for it when it comes.
But there are some things our kids don’t always tell us. Things they should but don’t have the capacity to find the words. Or they just have no idea how to tell you. These are things they desperately need us to do for them, that often times go unmet. Tough, right?
These are the things that children wish their parents knew, so we could easily be equipped to meet their unsaid needs.
This is a sticky situation for both the kids who need them and the parents who unknowingly fail to deliver.
That’s why I created this list. To help moms like you and me shift our focus just a bit because parenting is hard and complicated and we all miss it from time to time. Until we watch an inspirational video or read a post online that hits us between the eyes and helps us get where we always wanted to be.
This has happened to me a million times since becoming a mom over a decade ago.
Related: The Secret to Raising Happy and Confident Teens in an Image Focused World
9 Things Your Kid Really Needs
We have the power to meet our children’s deepest felt needs with purpose and intention. When these needs go unmet for long periods in a growing child, it leaves a deep hole that they desperately look to fill with something or someone else.
If you read this list and feel that you’ve been missing one or a few needs, please don’t feel discouraged, judged, or condemned. Just take intentional action to reconnect with your kids in that area. The wonderful thing about children is their resiliency and their ability to forgive without question.
You may also read this list and think, these are no-brainers. Well, congratulations you’re probably a fantastic parent. But take a moment and look around at your kid’s school, at their soccer games, and dance recitals. Talk to many of your children’s friends. You’ll quickly see these aren’t happening for every child as they should.
We need to get it out there and talk about it. Not so we can be finger-pointers and parent shamers, but to shine a light on what’s lacking in this world. And how we as moms can make such a huge difference in this world through the gift and privilege of motherhood.
When we raise happy, resilient, and kind adults… we’ve made a tremendous impact in this world! And that’s what this list is all about.
Now let’s find out where we are…
1 – Love Them Intentionally
What does it mean to love someone intentionally? It means to give thought and purpose to how we actively show love to another person, in this case, our kids. It’s not enough to love them by providing a good home and sending them to a good school. Our kids need much more than that.
Money is the smallest thing our kids need from us… even though it doesn’t always feel that way. Parents, myself included, tend to work our fingers to the bone to give them a better life. In the end, our kids aren’t looking for that alone. Sure, they want their basic needs met and, yes, kids love asking for and spending money. Whew! I know mine do!
But what they really need is for us to lovingly learn who they are and how they need to be loved. That’s where the power and beauty of love languages come in. If you know your child’s love language it can make all the difference.
Simply showing up and taking an interest in what your child loves can go so far… even when their interest is gross, boring to you, or just plain annoying. Because sometimes they just are!
2 – Be Present and Pay Attention
This is a really huge need for children and doesn’t go away as we become adults. There are many adults in marriages where the spouse provides a good home, puts food on the table, but isn’t really there. When your spouse doesn’t make any attempt to connect with you, it hurts deeply. I know because I’ve seen it happen.
It’s the very same with kids. They want you there physically but much more, they want you there emotionally. My daughter played soccer for a couple years and she was really good and it was fun watching my little girl dominate the field with both girls and boys. During this time, I saw a lot of different parents on the sidelines.
One in particular stuck out to me. There was a little boy who obviously played soccer for many years and was very good. He would ferociously kick the ball into the goal again and again like he was in the World Cup. The crowd would cheer and you could see him immediately look where his parents were sitting to catch their approval and instead would repeatedly see his parents walking around talking on their cell phones… never looking at the field.
When I’d look back at that child, every time you could see the disappointment in his eyes. Though we could applaud his parents for both being there physically, we can see that week after week they weren’t really there.
In this amazing article, there was a study done of College athletes that asked them what their parents contributed to making them feel joy during and after their games. The answer will shock you.
It showed the power in 6 words a parent can say that can make ALL the difference, ” I love to watch you play.” Wow! That’s it! Parenting can feel complicated and overwhelming at times, but our kids are really as simple as needing us to just show up.
3 – Support Them No Matter Their Choices
I know my Type-A moms are wincing back at this one. Stay with me for a second… please. I didn’t say “accept” all their choices, I said to support them no matter what their choices are. Support your child, not the choices.
Life is hard and we all need a support system. We also all make mistakes and miss the mark from time to time. And it’s really hard to live life feeling like when we make a bad choice or totally screw up, that our support system is always in jeopardy.
Sure, it sucks to have a kid that can’t seem to get it together or a teenager or young adult that looks on the surface like a total disappointment despite how you raised them. I know this because I was that screw-up kid. I was an angry, hurt, and messed up kid for a lot of reasons I can’t get into here. But the one thing my parents did was support me every step of the way. NEVER my awful choices… ME.
How did they do this? By always keeping their loving doors open, never shaming me even when it was justified, and praying incessantly for me. They never gave up on me. And though my parents weren’t perfect, I always knew I was loved. And they taught me about Jesus who loved me unconditionally. And that was what I believe made all the difference in turning my life around.
4 – Say No And Give Them Borders
Yes, I said it. Our kids need us to say no and they need us to give them safe and healthy borders. Kids that have parents that say yes to almost anything, even the questionable things, are telling their kids they don’t care about them.
It’s true. Though your kid may be kicking and screaming because they can’t go to the slumber party at Amy’s house, they know way under the surface that you care. That might not be helpful right at the moment, but it’s the hardest decisions of love that linger the longest.
In this crazy, upside down world we live in, I say NO a lot. I don’t really have a choice because I love my children. And it’s my job to protect and lead them through the tough choices and teach them how to make better decisions. For example, at my daughter’s sixth-grade orientation last year, her teacher mentioned a tip about taking your child’s phone and keeping it in your bedroom at night.
At the time, I’d never thought of this because my daughter never gave me a reason. I’m so glad I heard this tip because it made me see the importance of simple ways I can remove the opportunity for her to be accessed at all hours of the night. It’s unnecessary and has the potential to be dangerous.
I treat social media accounts the same way. Our children don’t need unfettered access to unfiltered content on social media at very young ages. You can read more on why here.
Creating borders helps your child know how to place healthy borders for themselves later on.
5 – Let Them Live Their Purpose
I believe every person born on this planet has a God-given purpose. A purpose that was given to them by their creator. We may have grown them in our wombs, but God gave them life and purpose. We need to honor the gifts they’ve been given and help them grow in them.
Our kids need us to tell them they are special and unique and even when they’re scared and feel totally unqualified. That they need to discover and pursue their purpose with passion and intention.
Too often parents want their kids to pass on the family business, whatever that may be. Or to choose a more “sensible” profession instead of the one in their dreams. And I’m talking about when they’re older and not their dream of becoming a princess or Superman.
We often try to create a life plan for our kids without ever considering they already have one. Our job as parents is to help them find it and to embrace it.
There are millions of depressed, suicidal, and hopeless adults who were pressured to pursue a “sensible” career that was totally outside of their purpose. And though they may have attained success in the world’s eyes… they feel empty. Though we may not understand it, we owe it to our kids to lead them into their purpose instead of away from it.
Related: How to Naturally Lead Your Child to Their Purpose
6 – Discipline Them
Just like our kids need to be told no, they also need and want to be disciplined. The Bible teaches that we discipline those we love. There’s so much truth to that. Discipline isn’t necessarily punishment, it’s the intentional act of shaping and molding into the right behavior. And that takes work and compassion.
It doesn’t require love to want someone who’s done something terrible to face punishment. But it does require love to allow them to face that punishment while teaching and guiding them into the right behavior.
We don’t want to discipline our kids with the “rot in jail and throw away the key” mentality. Yes, punishment and consequences are all a part of the discipline process because that’s what prepares them for real life. But it’s also the compassionate and sometimes time-consuming teaching of the right behavior that makes all the difference and shows how much we love our child.
Related: How to Get Your Kids to Listen Without Yelling
7 – Give Them One on One Time
Tricia Goyer shared this concept from her book Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom. It was so simple, yet profound. But it does require endurance on your part. And it’s an investment of your time, depending on how many children you have! Yet, it’s time well spent.
If your spouse and your children each have your undivided “eyes only” attention each day, it sends a powerful message to them – YOU Matter. And there’s no revelation more powerful than that. Try carving out small 10 minutes times for each person, each day. And then work your way up as you develop discipline in this habit.
Here are my kids and I playing at the park after a very long day. But our sacrifices go a really long way!
8 – Give Them Independence
Kids need space and independence to grow and learn how to make good choices. This may seem to be in opposition to “be present” but it isn’t. Giving your child independence simply means allowing them to work things out on their own… with your guidance.
This teaches them about how their actions have both positive and negative consequences. And as they get older they need to be able to safely make both good and bad choices. You’ll find that in doing this they learn to self-correct at a much faster rate than us always doing it for them.
Just remember to give large doses of grace as they will make mistakes!
9 – Embrace and Love Their Uniqueness
In this “fit in or get out” world we need to be intentional about embracing our children’s uniqueness. Our kids need us to affirm that though their uniqueness makes them stand out, it’s that uniqueness that makes them special.
As a child’s minister years ago, I taught my kids that it feels uncomfortable to stand out and be different. And we have this desire to blend in with what the world says is beautiful, talented, or cool.
But I asked them to think about the biggest stars and icons in the entertainment industry and describe what makes them more of a star than all the other entertainers. And the majority of the answers were… the biggest stars worked very hard to stand out and be different.
Think of Lady GaGa and Michael Jackson. Their biggest claim to fame is doing what no one else has done before… to produce a sound no one else has heard before. That takes guts, confidence, and the ability to fully embrace their uniqueness.
As parents, this is probably the hardest thing to do. But no matter how many times you tell your daughter her curls are beautiful or that your son’s bright red hair is amazing, and they brush it off… keep saying it. Until they believe it.
I hope this list gives you some inspirations on ways to be more connected with your kids. Let’s face it, we all fall short of hitting these perfectly – especially in busy seasons.
Perfection is the enemy of progress and it’s better to be aware and make changes than to try for perfection any day. What are your thoughts on this list? Did I miss anything? Please add in the comments below!
Hi a am Taylor and I am 13 years old, And I think moms and dads should give us freedom and NOT check our phones or presser us ,and they should let us go to the mall to hang out with friends and not make us do so many chores around the house. my bed time is at 8:00 and it sucks BC I am 13 and i should be able to stay up later and talk to friends and worst of all I cant have a boy friend because “i am to young” but my mom wont tell me… Read more »
It sounds like you have parents that love you very much even when it feels like it’s too much at this age. Try talking to your parents about how you feel and you may be surprised and their responses.
I thank you greatly for this article, I’m learning to avail myself better as a mom!
Well written and very informative. My daughter is turning 2 next month and I just want to be the best thing she could ever have. I am a little impatient and it worries me sometimes.
I really love this article. Especially the part on saying “no” and maintaining boundaries/borders. It’s so important to allow our kids freedom and give them choices, but to keep them safe and know when “no” is the right answer, even if it’s hard to say it. Thank you for this article. ❤️
Yes those boundaries are extremely important! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this post. I am the yelling mom. The guilt is real when you hear how your child start talking to other kids when they do not do what my child want. She is my mirror. I hope by the grace of God it is not to late to change this behavior.
Annemarie, I can promise you that it’s NEVER too late to change. Every day is a new opportunity to start fresh. I am personally a testament to that truth! I walked that path and now it’s one of my greatest pleasures to help other moms find their own peace too. 🙂
I do question my parenting skills and wonder if I’m doing all of this right. It’s reaffirming to know that we are doing some things right. I really appreciated the part about punishment because I’m told by family members sometimes that I don’t punish my daughter enough. But she communicated to me very early on in her life that she responds better to compassion, patience, and room for growth much more than punishment . But certainly there is room for growth. And I loved the family pic!!
Hey Rana! The hallmark of any great parent is questioning whether we’re doing this parenting thing right! When you know your child and they are responding well, it’s best to trust what you know best. I’m sure you’re doing an awesome job as a mom!
Deep, profound and spot on! Being a Christian psychologist, this is everything I try to give parents.
Oh, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for your kind words and support Shirley!
Wow! Thank you for this beautiful piece of advice. Very informative parenting tips. The part of regulating emotions is so key. I just realise that if you are not in control of your emotions as a parent, it has a very big toll on your kids. Wow! We need to work on ourselves to impact positevely on our kids. I notice i yell alot at the kids. Now my kids yell too. So am learning to tone down. I jave learnt alot. And the part where you mentioned that your parents did not give up on you despite the fact… Read more »
Thank you Bella! That means so much that you took the time to say that. 🙂
Wow! What an incredibly well written post. Very insightful, has given me plenty to think about – thank you! The ideas are non patronising, balanced and reasoned very well.
I will be re-reading regularly and taking on the learnings.
It is very kind of you to say that! This post was truly written from the heart so it means a lot that you were impacted in a positive way.
It would be helpful if you would have an article that is directed to Fathers being better parents, as all too often they are at work as providers and aren’t around for a lot of the good and bad times of child rearing, and so aren’t aware of the ups and downs and all that he’s missed by not being around all the time.
That’s a fantastic idea for an article. Dads are awesome and are so needed in our families! Thanks for the inspiration Jay!
That is a wonderful idea and I would love to see that as well! Thank you so much for this list Brandi! It helped inspire me to take action in something that I wasn’t sure how to handle.
I’m so glad to hear it Christina!! Thanks for taking the time to share that with me. 🙂
I felt like this article works for any parent regardless of their role or gender. I am a mom that works full time outside the home so I have similar feelings like Jay in term of not knowing exactly what’s going on with my kid on a daily basis. Frankly the kid isn’t very informative about her day and neither is the school. So we play a game of what was your favorite thing and least favorite thing that happened today. When I start to share she’s more prone to engaging. Sometimes we do it at dinner so Dad and… Read more »
You didn’t say much on how to discipline without yelling or spanking.
Hey Jay, discipline wasn’t the real focus of this post so it would hard to dive in deep on this topic but I have a post here that goes into great detail. And I have a book being released soon that is all about that topic! Thanks for asking! If you sign up for my email list, you’ll get all the updates.
Thanks so awesome! Thanks for sharing with your daughter and being a supportive mom!
I love this tutorial. Will share with my daughter for her kids.
Thanks!
Thanks so awesome! Thanks for sharing with your daughter and being a supportive mom!
I almost love this! It’s well written and accurate. I hesitate to re-pin it, though, with the mentions of discipline AS punishment. Discipline is teaching and doesn’t have to be punishment. As a Jesus lover, I look at how He treated others as my model. (“Spare the rod” doesn’t come from the Bible.) Happy to discuss or potentially collaborate with you on this. – Sarah of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting
Thank you, Sarah, for taking the time to open this dialog. I agree totally with your point. Here’s a quote from my post, “Discipline isn’t necessarily punishment, it’s the intentional act of shaping and molding into the right behavior. And that takes work and compassion.” Discipline is designed for us to help our children learn healthy lessons and consequences. When done right, this helps so much in reducing undesirable behaviors and reinforcing positive ones. There are times, however, when an appropriate punishment is necessary when a child disobeys beyond the discipline process. This might look like losing a privilege. For… Read more »
Proverbs 13:24
Hi Sarah. It does, actually. Proverbs 13:24
so i’m a 16 year old boy and not to be rude but the only thing on this list that is correct is give them independence, sure you may be worried but thats the joy of being my age, you can stay out a bit and catch late night public transport, it feels great, giving us independence is preparing us for the real world big time, if you’re always on our back that’s just being clingy and annoying ngl.
Thanks, Andrew for your honest perspective! I appreciate your comment. 🙂
This was so refreshing to read! Very well said, thank you for this and I hope to read more from you. I don’t ever leave comments but felt led to let you know this really spoke to me. I’m a mom who has always felt I was a super mom. Parenting my babies up to 5th grade was a breeze but as my kids grew older I didn’t know how to exactly shape tweens and teens! And in this social media world .. Yicks! So I sort of began to feel inadequate to say the least because I wasn’t being… Read more »
Aw, thank you Ty for leaving such a heartfelt comment! You are not alone in parents feeling the shift as their sweet little kids transform into moody teens. Lol It takes a lot of work but it is absolutely possible to raise happy kids in this very crazy world. 🙂
This was a GREAT READ!! Sometimes I want to tell my 9 year old daughter that she can’t wear a certain piece of clothing because it will look silly but then I quickly realize that she’s her own little person and I should let her make some of these decisions on her own. If she’s comfortable wearing it then why not?! It’s not hurting anyone 🙂
That’s the balance in parenting… letting our kids freely express themselves but with certain limits. 🙂
I’m so thankfull to hear this, I’m sharing it with my young family and my perfectly imperfect son who is going to be a daddy!
That’s great! Thanks for sharing and congrats to you and your son!
Beautiful article! Very thought-provoking. Thank you!
Thank you Shanell!! 🙂
Great article for grandparents too. It’s always a good reminder in this tech savvy world what’s really important to our kids!
You must be an amazing grandparent Debbie! Thanks so much 🙂
Wonderful insight! Thank you for taking the time to put this list together. I also love how you give due glory to God and recognize his role in parenting. He is the ultimate role model of a parent after all, right? And honestly Im not capable of being a perfect parent though I try my best, so our kids need to know there is someone who perfectly knows and loves them. Thanks again for simplifying what we overcomplicate as parents so we can get back on track!
Oh this is such wonderful feedback, Joelle. Thanks so much, I’m so thrilled you found it helpful. I just received a comment from a reader to called me satan for writing this post. Lol I accidentally hit delete, though. We’re all entitled to our own ways of parenting. 🙂
This is a great list and something to try to accomplish every day.
Great ideas and reminders! I really need this SO much, I’ve gotten more distracted than ever recently, but thank you for the great encouragement!
This is a really nice article! There are things that I do and some things that I felt I could work on. My husband works a crazy job and he’s not around as much as we’d all like, so I try to make up for it by being there for our kiddo. Thanks for some really nice insight, I enjoyed reading this a lot! ❤️
Wow Kritty! Thanks so much for the kind words. I’m sure you’re an amazing mom!!
This was such an amazing list. Thank you!
Thanks a bunch Jen!!
Wonderfully articulated! I loved the last point you make on “Embracing the Uniqueness of your child and Loving them for that”. As parents, we tend to wish the best for our kids. Along with that thought, we also set expectations on how they need to be at each stage in their life. These expectations arise from what our dealings with society have taught us. At times, when reality does not match with expectations, we PANIC! We forget for a moment that each child is unique and need not fit into what the society and we parents define as ‘Normal’ Need… Read more »
Yes, this is so important. Our kids need support and encouragement to be confident with who they are because they might not get it from anyone else!
Thanks for sharing! Kids love to feel independent and have ownership! Plus is frees you up for other things!
It totally does, Vanessa!! Independence is your friend as a mom. 🙂
This was a good read! It is hard to let kids live and make their own choices , but they thrive with the respect!
They really do thrive with respect! Thanks Suzanne!
Thank you so much for this list! I rarely leave a comment but after reading some of the comments you have received I felt the need to. I see some people here have a lot of judgement to pass and religion bashing. I would like to point out how graceful you are in your responses! I can truly see Gods work through you- keep up the great work and continue to do what’s right by him;-) thanks again;-)
Thank you so much Robin! That truly means the world. 🙂
I love the reminders in this article on how to refocus our energy as parents, great advice. What I do not like is all the religious references, which make it impossible for many to connect to and creates a sort of language barrier. Advice on parenting is one thing, but leave religion out of if.
Thanks Katie for your feedback. I’m glad you found it helpful! 🙂 I am, however, a Christian and I raise my children through this way of living and so many of my readers do as well. It’s not something I’ll remove or apologize for sharing. But I hope I always do it in love and with respect to others who don’t share my beliefs.
These are all great tips and very true. As a mother of 3 girls and an educator/school counselor who sees these things all too often; I can Totally relate! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much Sarah!!
I sense some confusion regarding your bible beliefs. I am not able to even take the rest of your list serious. Born again believers, who have not grieved the Holy Spirit, are not listening to Lady Gaga every day. Have your heard the lyrics in Lady Gagas music? Do you think that those lyrics are from God? The body of Christ has become so accepting. Calling good, evil and evil good. Do you really wish for your children to grow up to be like Michael Jackson or Lady Gaga? I am sorry if this upsets you. There are so many… Read more »
Thanks so much Randi for your honest feedback. Simply making an example of secular artists like Lady Gaga (those the world would consider icons) to draw a correlation that we as Christians are called by God to stand out with our message doesn’t seem to warrant being labeled as a lukewarm Christian. Jesus is OK with Christians talking about people who don’t believe in Him. 🙂 It is having that close relationship and not a religion that allows us to step outside “religious boxes” and see the bigger picture. We are called to be a Light in this World… not… Read more »
Brandi… You go girl!! Pure inspiration to me esp in this reply! So graceful, yet right on the money! God is the only one who can pass judgement. You definitely found God’s plan for you and you are surely rocking it!! Keep shining God’s light!
Thank you!!!!
Aw thank you Sophia! That literally means the world to me! 😉
thanks Brand your such an inspiration, i love the way you replied to above comment ,keep moving forward, and thanks for sharing these wonderful tips,. be blessed.
Thanks Ruth for your loving support and encouragement!!
Thanks so much for this it is an EYE-OPENER for me! I must admit that I’m guilty of some of the things listed above.🤔
Thanks Rosemary! I think the true is, we all are but knowing is have the battle as they say. 😉
These are some great tips every parent should read. We practice these things but this post was timely as I needed a reminder to step up my parenting game. Btw, love the IG pic
Thanks so much Alicia!! Parenting isn’t easy… we all need to be thinking of how to step up our parenting game every day! 😉
Awesome list! Having raised one & working on my second, I agree with most of what you said! 😊
Thanks Kim! I’m so happy you found this post helpful!
I know I need to be a better parent. Its just so hard and I can get so discouraged and not know what to do. I’m very grateful for this post. I need to work on many of these and now I understand how, I just have to put it on my to do list. “To do: Buy bread. Spend 10 mins of alone time with son”. It sounds weird but putting it literally on my To do list is what will help me to be intentional. Thank you for helping me be a better parent. I’m so scared my… Read more »
I love your tip about adding your plan to your to-do list. We do that for so many other things. Why not the most important things? I’m sure you’re an amazing mom! Motherhood is so hard and can be so discouraging for all of us… know you’re never alone in this! 🙂
Loved it. Thanks for writing. Will definitely be implementing these in the very near future!
Thank you for taking the time to comment Jean!
THis post is beautifully put together. I am also a little emotional after reading this. Thank you for writing this and reminding us how to be really there for our kids
I’m so happy you were moved by this post! This was such a joy to write and share. Thank you for sharing with me Tamanna!
This is an amazing article Brandi. It is really credible how much pains you have taken to be a good mom and shared that experience with others. I am sure you are the best mom in the world for your lucky kids. Keep up the good work, I think this is “your purpose’” in your life. You have “found” it indeed.
God Bless.
Wow Gayatri! Such kind and powerful words! Thank you so much. I really do try to be the best mom I can be. I’m far from perfect but I love sharing my experiences with other moms, so we can all grow together!
I think this was a great article. Gave me a lot to think about. And a lot of encouragement. However, i am curious as to how my troubled and failed childhood is keeping me from my fullest potential with my kids. Mental illness is a strong influence and struggle for me. Are there any pieces on how to over come that? Or how to cope with it and still be the best possible for your kids?
Thank you for sharing a piece of your story here Jessica! I too have had a struggle with a difficult upbringing and had a very hard time in my teen years and after. I have also struggled with depression and anxiety over the years… a lot. Please know you are not alone! Though it sounds like things are better for you now, I know how things can feel like they are slipping some days. I don’t have any posts up right now, but I am working on a few things that are in the works that I can’t reveal now.… Read more »
Have you revealed any posts or info on encouraging women in total healing?
Hi Sheri! Healing is very much a process and one that takes time, faith, and a lot of grace. I have several posts on faith and healing in my faith section. You can read through those here. Let me know if you have any specific questions or even post ideas. I am creating new content every week! https://www.familyfelicity.com/mom-life/faith/
This is great! Just the other day my son asked me if he could eat his M&Ms while we were in the car, and I said yes because I was too tired to take them away to listen to him whine the whole way home. The next day he saw his M&Ms crushed up in his carseat. He told me, “Next time, tell me no I can’t have the M&Ms in the car.” See, they do want borders and for us to show our love, even when it isn’t easy.
Oh wow! That’s a good one! I always love it when my kids point out my parenting mistakes! Lol I really do believe, though. When we say no in love, they know we care even when it’s hard for them in the moment. Thanks Jennifer!
Thank you for posting this! Great reminders of just how important being present and actively loving our kids is – even more in our screen society!
Shannon thank you! I’m so happy you loved the post! I’m getting ready to post a follow-up post today on Present Parenting. 🙂
I enjoyed this blog post something many parents should consider in reading great tips.
You hit the nail right on the head with this blog. Parents should really read and consider these tips.
I love this! As a new mom, it’s important to be reminded of these things. I find myself wanting to guide and protect her every move, but also know I need to let her explore and gain her independence. Thank you for sharing!
Parenting is never perfect and always a work in progress. These are simply reminders to keep us on track. 🙂 I’m so glad you found this helpful, Cayla!
Yes to all of these, especially acceptance and support of their choices!
Thank you Jasmine!
Love this!! Yes! All of these are things our children need. One that really irks me is seeing other parents trying to live vicariously through their children. I resolved a long time ago to let God lead my children to their own purpose. It’s not about what I want for their lives. Of course I believe in planning, and there is nothing wrong with family businesses, but we have to be able to let go if the Lord is leading them down a different path. And knowing their love language is so crucial to having a strong relationship, and to… Read more »
Yes, I agree that family businesses are wonderful (we have one!) but we should allow them to find their place in that business if they choose to work in it. It’s lovely when we can see our kids flourish in their gifts!
The movie Coco is a great example of that, since we’ve probably all watched it 100 times. His family wanted him to join the family business, but he had another passion.
Yes! I loved that movie. Perfect example! We all have a unique purpose. Sometimes it is working in the family business and sometimes it’s not. 🙂
This was a well thought out and written blog that many parents should read.
Thanks so much for the kind words!
Wouldn’t we all be awesome parents if we did all of these things every day with our children no matter what their age. We tried our best to do all of these things with our children when they were growing up. They are all wonderful people with loving and caring hearts that give back service to others.
When my daughter was growing up I didn’t spend as much time with her as I should have. And some of the issues she is dealing with now is because of that and now I’m raising her daughter. I’m doing better with my granddaughter but I feel guilty for things in the past, what I should of done and that was being there with her and for her. Thank you for the post it hit home for me.
Thanks for sharing your personal story Sharon. No parent is perfect and most of the time we do what we think is best at the time, so guilt is something you should let go and focus on how to mend those relationships going forward. Our time given is our best relationship builder. All the things on this list still apply even to our grown children. I’ll be praying for you. 🙂