Maybe Parenting Doesn't Have to Be This Hard

I've been thinking lately about how easy it is for parenting to become mostly about getting things done.

Get up. Get dressed. Eat breakfast. Find your shoes. Do your homework. Clean up. Stop arguing. Hurry up. Go to bed.

And then there are the bigger things we're trying to deal with—big emotions, sibling conflict, disobedience, all the stuff that comes with actually raising kids.

Of course those things need our attention. And I'm not suggesting we stop learning about parenting or stop trying to do a good job.

But sometimes I think we can get so focused on doing parenting well that we forget what parenting actually is.

It's you, your kid, and the relationship you have with each other.

I was thinking about that as I was working on this week's video, and I ended up talking about something very simple that you can do with your child.

You don't need another parenting technique. In fact, this one isn't really a technique at all.

Sit with Jesus for a few minutes and ask Him to bring something to mind about your child that you appreciate. Maybe it's a gift or talent they've been given. Maybe it's something about their character. Maybe it's just a really good memory you have together.

Then go tell them.

That's it.

I did this myself recently, and it got me thinking about how often we notice the things our kids do wrong because those are the things that require our attention. But we can miss the things they do right simply because we're expecting them to do them.

And I think our kids need to know that we notice those things too.

I talked more about this in this week's video, including why I think the relationship can get pushed into the background without us even realizing it.

If you watch it, I'd love to know what you think. And if you try the little exercise with your child, hit reply and tell me what happened.

B.J.