“You can’t go passive as a parent or your kid becomes a stranger.”
Jon Acuff
“I just need a few minutes to wind down. Let me just watch some TV or scroll through my social. You are so loud will you knock it off or go outside?”
Another week goes by and you realize that’s one less week you get with your kids. Eighteen years really isn’t much time after you factor in school, activities, hanging out with friends, and sleeping.
I definitely struggle to be intentional with my kids, more specifically, to give them one-on-one time. I want to go and do an activity with them outside of the house, but that isn’t always possible, so I make do with what I have.
I might join them in an activity or ask them to play a game or help with a project.
Why work so hard now to connect with them? Because I want to build a foundation of trust and love that way my kid wants to come to me later when life is hard.
Many parents dread the teenage years because it can be a difficult time. Kids are going through so many changes but it can go a little smoother if they know they can turn to you.
They may rebel and push away but that is usually just the kid testing to see if you will stick with them. To see if you are that foundation that they can lean against. This only happens if you don’t go passive as a parent.