By Kristin Schumacher, director of Student Leadership & Development at Lewis University and mother of three

My sister and I were recently sharing our parenting stories as we often do. She asked me: “If you had to cite the top 10 things parenting has taught you, what would they be?” It got me thinking and I decided to write it down. I hope some of the information below is as insightful for you as it was for me.

1.) I live by my calendar. Schedules are a GOOD thing! They are concrete and sound.

2.) I’ve learned that teachable moments are actually teaching me. In addition, my kids like me at that particular moment.

3.) Human touch can cure just about anything

4.) Stewardship delegation is so valuable. By teaching up front, I can hold my kids accountable for doing what was asked of them. It also helps me later because I can delegate later with confidence that I: a.) taught them correctly and, b.) they have a clear understanding of what needs to be done.

5.) Battling with kids about clothes or hair really isn’t about clothes or hair at all. It is about them starting to spread their own wings and make choices about themselves. It is about independence.

6.) Comparing things to God, whether you are Christian or not, gives children a sense that there is something bigger than themselves out there.

7.) When you problem solve together, you-as the parent, are miraculously one of the smartest people on earth. (hint: make sure to let them think they came up with the solution, though.)

8.) If I go to bed within an hour of when the kids go to bed, we all function better the next day.

9.) When I center myself and do the opposite of what I feel in a fit of anger/impatience/yelling; I remain in control of the entire situation. So, if I feel anger, I start to somehow laugh. If I feel impatience, I talk calmly and bend down to their level. If I feel like I am about to yell, I whisper.

10.) If my husband and I are not on the same page regarding one issue or another, the kids will sense unstability and take advantage of the situation. Mom & dad vs. kids isn’t always a bad thing. It’s about boundaries and kids will undoubtedly always test them.

Please add your thoughts. What are the things parenting has taught you?

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 29th, 2007 at 5:25 am and is filed under Community Board. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.