Parenting With Purpose

Apr 25, 2013 by Jim and Jerolyn Bogear

I’m on a plane heading to meetings that have a side benefit of being near two of our children and our daughter-in-law. So needless to say, I’m looking forward to seeing my kids – especially since they live 2200 miles from us.

The hardest part of being a parent of adult children is when they are called to live far away from you. Which reminds me of why we raised our children the way we did….so they would grow up, move out, and become independent, productive adults. Ironic, isn’t it?

Unfortunately, when our children are little, sometimes the best goal we can come up with is getting through the day without anyone hurting themselves or us losing our minds. Parenting is a very stressful and complex job. You have little ones that are completely dependent on you for everything – home, clothing, food, transportation, etc. And most of the time, your “plans” do not always go smoothly. Someone gets hurt or sick or the car breaks down or….. You fill in the blank.  Life is full of interruptions that just make parenting that more challenging.

Then you have their individual personalities. One is tough as nails and the other is sensitive. One is gentle and the other is rough. One wants to stay close to you and the other is running off seeking adventure. One is a rule follower and the other a daredevil.

And then there are hormones – raging, unpredictable, throwing everything into chaos. Oh, and the kids have them, too.

And somehow we need to raise them all under one roof with the same set of parents and have them all turn out well so they are able to grow up, leave the nest, and soar with the eagles.

Did you really think it would just somehow happen? Did you think that you could simply get up each morning, start them with a good breakfast, and they would turn out all right? I think too often that is exactly what we think.

Parenting must begin with a plan.

We work very hard in our businesses to have a plan. We write it out. We make sure everyone understands the plan. We hold each other accountable to following the plan. And if someone is not following the plan, they are confronted about changing their focus to get on board with the plan.

The same can apply to raising a family. We must begin with a vision for our family. We begin by holding an 8-pound infant in our arms and somehow we need to raise them till they are a full-grown 18-year-old. How are we going to get from point A to point B?

With a plan.

Are you just floundering through parenting or do you have a plan?

~Jerolyn