How much time do you have to influence your child? This isn't a question any new parent takes the time to think about, generally speaking. I'm not sure many seasoned parents take the time to consider this question either, but it's an extremely important one though. As the old adage goes: "The days are long, but the years are short." Time is definitely a commodity, a precious resource, and what you do with it will determine your quality of life at home.
If you consider the fact that your ability to shape your child's cognitive brain and character of heart starts at about 2 yrs. old, and social pressures and ideas begin to battle for your child's loyalty around the age of 12 yrs. old, your window of opportunity is shorter than you may have anticipated!
How will you use this limited window of time? Do you have your parenting goals and strategies mapped out? Raising a family at home is a lot like running a small business. In this same manner, it's valuable to look ahead toward the end game - the final destination - of your parenting journey. Let's face it, if you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you've arrived?!! You need to have an image in your mind of the finished work even as you begin to mold and shape the lives within your family.
Begin to think in terms of establishing your priorities. Once the big, monumental ideals are identified and acknowledged, it's time to start goal setting and accumulating your strategies for implementation. Have your plan of action in place before relationships get tested, rather than after.
Craft a family blueprint that includes a vision, a mission, and strategic goals that align with your value system so you can weather the storms of life that will test the quality of everything you are trying to build.
Clear steps that have goal-driven direction provide the mold for those precious few years that you have to shape your children - while the clay is wet!
While the Clay is Wet...
