What is Your Parenting Focus?

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are making easy adjustments back into your normal routines. It's sad to see the holidays go, but there's something I enjoy about getting back to "normal" as well.

Over the holidays I had a chance to think about my parenting a bit more than normal. Ben didn't have preschool so being with both boys 24-7 will do that to you! I have been reading some articles and books recently that have challenged how I view my role as parent. So many times as I'm parenting I focus on my kids, and what I can do to change THEIR behavior. How I can encourage them to choose healthy behaviors, make wise choices, etc. etc. Not that these are bad goals, but many times I think I've got it all wrong. Because I can't control how they behave, I get angry when they choose a wrong behavior and then sometimes I get angry with myself and my response to them during those times. And the cycle goes on and on.

What if the ultimate goal in parenting is not to transform our children into perfect models of respect and discipline? What if the goal is to honor God in all we do as a parent? 

It's only a slight shift in emphasis, but the consequences of that shift are enormous. Take some time to let that sink in. More to come on this topic later in the week, so stay tuned!