What Type of Grownup do You Want Your Child to Become?
I was asked this question several years ago and it was a very powerful question for me.
- Life Balance Wheel
Like you, I was already an engaged and connected parent; however, taking a few minutes to actually write down my vision for my kids enabled me to see areas where I was spending a lot of time and areas where I wanted to focus more.
Although we can’t guarantee how our kids will “turn out”, every interaction we have with them does shape their lives – especially when they are young and their core thoughts and belief systems are being formed.
I would like to invite you to spend about 10 minutes today thinking about this question and creating a vision for your parenting if you don’t already have one.
As part of the exercise, you may want to use the “Balance Wheel”. The Balance Wheel is a coaching tool that is used to assess various areas of your life for balance – emotional, social/community, spiritual, occupational/school/financial, mental, physical, family, and recreational.
Depending on your children’s ages you may even want to share your vision with them — sharing your vision can help them understand why you make the decisions you make (such as why you don’t buy them a toy every time you take them to the grocery store, why they have household responsibilities, or why you don’t serve cookies for dinner).
Have fun with this exercise. I would love to hear your experience with it.
P.S. Invite your spouse to go through the exercise as well. You may be surprised!