Parental Blind Spots
Every parent has blind spots. Here are a few blind spots I have seen in myself or in other parents.
1. We want to be liked more than we want to parent: This does not mean being a jerk. It means we parent and make decisions led by the Holy Spirit even when they are not popular with our children. It means our children may not understand or like every decision that we need to make, but we are still willing to do what is best for them and for the family in spite of not being popular.
2. We do not see potential problems quickly: Many of us end up in a jam and solving a problem that could have been avoided. Molehills can turn into mountains if left unchecked. Often times we think the problems will just disappear on their own, so we choose to ignore the problems and the potential confrontation with our children. If you want to waste a lot of time, constantly let potential problems turn into big problems by doing nothing.
3. We do not parent strong on the front end: If as a parent I am weak in my parenting on the front end (especially when my children are young), there is always a mess to clean up on the back end. I have learned that I would rather start a little more firm and loosen up later on rather than starting loose and then have to get tough later on. With most children, if you give them an inch, they will take mile, and then we have a dilemma on our hands.
This article was adapted from an article “Leadership Blind Spots” by Herbert Cooper lead pastor of People’s Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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