Parenting with Purpose

Parenting With Purpose

Parenting is a journey with many things to discover. As parents, we love our children, and no one knows our kids are better than we do. We know their weaknesses and strengths. We know their gifts and talents. We know them well. However, some things sit outside of our scope of knowledge, and thus it requires that we become inquisitive and learn the ins and outs of a child’s mind. This requires discernment, a learning journey, and strategic guidance. Remember that you cannot see what your eyes have not been trained to see. Let us parent with purpose, wisdom, and discernment.

Discernment

James 1:5, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Think about the struggles that you face with your child. Their behaviours are like mirrors reflecting back at you. Each behaviour reveals something about their emotional world, the environments they navigate, and their interactions with others. As parents, we must become in tune with their thoughts. We must learn to see life through their lens. The best way to do that is to ask God for discernment and embark on a journey of receiving the help we need to understand our children.

Learning Journey

Psalm 32:8, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

When we seek guidance, we will find it. But the one thing that gets in the way of us receiving help throughout our parenting journey is a shame. As parents, when we face our children’s struggles, our first reaction is to try and use our own methods to deal with the problems. And we fail to see it as an opportunity to learn so that we may become empowered by using useful resources and techniques. Parenting is a learning journey where we must learn to develop patience and self-control to help our child decode their own behaviours and teach all kinds of skills that they need to learn to grow into their optimal self. Therefore, we must seek strategic guidance from professionals that can help us guide our own children.

The more we learn, the more our children can grow.

Strategic Guidance

Psalm 25:4, Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.

It is always important to incorporate our faith into our parenting journey. The scriptures tell us that when we seek God, God will show the right path to follow. Thus, faith is a must, but we must also seek practical strategies. For instance, let us say that your child has a behavioural problem. Our instinct is to attack the problem instead of finding what is prompting the behaviour. We must look for the root of the problem linked to his behaviour. And what ends up happening when you help your child with one area, you’ll see improvement in other areas as well.

The child’s mind is ambiguous, and there are many reasons why our children do what they do. It is our responsibility to find the deeper issues that lie beyond their reactions. In other words, we must become emotionally intelligent and equipped to help our child manage their own emotions and reactions. Here at  Santé OT, we can help prepare you throughout your parenting journey so that you and your child can thrive!