Parenting Goals for the New Millennium

It is time to set some goals for the new millennium. Parenting without a plan is dangerous and pointless. If you don't know where you are headed, you are unlikely to get there.

What do you want to have happen in the lives of your children? This is what we are constantly being asked at our church when we set out to plan, and it's a good question. Decide what type of adults you are trying to create, and then make a plan for getting there.

Your goals may include:

I want my children to have good memories of their childhood.
I want my children to love the other members of the family.
I want my children to be well-educated.
I want my children to be able to set and achieve goals.
I want my children to choose a spouse wisely.
I want my children to have some control over their lives, rather than just letting things happen to them.

Having made these kinds of general goals, you then have to decide how to make them happen. For example, if you want your children to have good memories of their childhood, you have to give them memories. Should you plan more family outings? Do you need some new traditions? Do you want to spend more time listening and talking? People who are happy with their childhoods generally comment on having parents who made tough decisions, even though the children didn't appreciate them at the time. They remember time spent with family members. They remember people who cared about them. Make a plan for the coming year. If you have specific memories in mind, calendar them in right now. Having them written down on paper and on a calendar will make them more likely to happen.

What skills and qualities do children need in order to choose a spouse wisely? It helps, of course, to have good examples in their parents. If this was not the case, however, you can still help your children strive to do better than their parents did. You will need to expose them to good marriages and tell them what is involved. They will need good self-esteem and self-care skills. You don't want them "settling" with less than they deserve just to get married. They should know, of course, that the perfect mate does not exist, but they shouldn't compromise on the important issues. They will need good relationship skills, and those can be developed within the family. It goes without saying that if they want to have good mates, they will also have to be good mates. Raise nice children.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic