Less Teaching and Fixing. More Learning

Parenting can be hard. For some reason we tend to see the flaws, mistakes, and problems of our children – and accordingly, our natural inclination is to “fix” them. Sadly, in our attempt to do this, we often miss out on the gifts they possess, as well as the teachable moments they afford us. Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal of lessons from my sons.

My oldest taught me to slow down. My second born helped master the virtue of being patient. My third child continuously modeled for me the value in talking less and listening more. My youngest son helped me find joy and wonder in the smallest of things. And collectively, all four of them taught me to lighten up and not sweat the small stuff – thanks to some extremely strong genes passed down by their mother.

Although I believe it is important to have teachable moments with our children, I also think we need to let our kids be who they were created to be. I find it ironic that the more I slow down, listen, and observe, the more I discover that perhaps I need more “fixing” than do my children.