Jimbo's Jots

I saw this on a friend’s Facebook post earlier this week. What a great message it sends us! It kind of reminds me of Paul’s message in Philippians 3:

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (13-14)

It’s also a reminder to parents – let me explain:

1. Parents, sometimes we mess up and fail our kids. We never want to admit it but we do. When I did clinical practice, I would have kids in my office and parents essentially saying, “Fix them!” Much of that coming from the perspective, I believe, of the parenting admitting they had failed as a parent. For the most part, they only knew one way to parent, the way they were parented. So, I began to explore ways to help parents to engage into parenting differently than what they knew. Hopefully, producing better children through engaging parents. Look for ways to grow as a parent and not be fixed in the way you parent.
2. Parents, sometimes our kids mess up. I know this comes as a shock to you, but they do. Their failures can lead to their own levels of frustration and disappointment. Growth mindset parents will challenge our kids to look for opportunities to explore the situation differently.

One other note, by focusing on our past failures, we miss out on the great things God has planned for us! The goal is becoming more like Christ – when we chose to grow in Christ, and parent with this mindset, our children will reap the benefits . . . and maybe, chose to grow in Jesus too.

Be blessed and be a blessing!