Being a parent allows you to hang out with other parents. I see so many parents trying hard to script their kids life. I even find myself wanting my girls to follow my scripted path of growing up. I want them to play certain sports, excel at certain subjects in school, and of course eat what I think they need to eat (and like it! ha!). The danger of the scripting method of parenting is that as our kids get older the scripts get harder to write and control. As parents we end up pushing to control our kids college choice, career path, and sometimes even who they date. Scripting our child’s choices means we constantly fight for our way and in the end children walk away from this kind of controlling relationship. Our desire to script leads us to a lack of influence and many times a fractured relationship.
As a parent I have to continually remind myself…I am not in control. Instead of fighting for my self written script for my child’s life maybe I need to pray for God’s perfect plan. God gives us our children as a gift but they are not ours…they are made for a purpose. Their hearts are crafted for adventure and sometimes adventure gets messy. Sure my girls are 4 and 7 right now and they need firm direction from me. I am their protector and guide. I have to make many choices for them now, but as they age my relationship has to move from parent/authority to parent/mentor. (yep this is a process and takes time)
When it comes to parenting just remember to spend as much time praying for God to fulfill His plans for our kids as we spend crafting our own scripts for them.