A Parent’s Job: Be the Grit
We need to introduce challenge and conflict into our kids’ lives so they can learn how to overcome challenges and manage conflict
I made a new friend this winter. There are plenty of traits I appreciate: He’s a fantastic chef, and super handy, and says “yes” to every adventure. But the thing I most admire about Ryan is his parenting.
His boys (ages 10 and 12 when I met them) are polite. They can survive a six-hour road trip without an electronic device. The eldest makes bacon-and-egg breakfasts for the family. I know a superhero when I see one, and Ryan is a super dad. Sure, he has his off days, but in general, it’s easy to see that he’s rocking this parenting thing.
So I asked him to teach me his secrets. Here are the things he told me.
Parenting is a choice
At some point, you have to choose to parent. Not just to procreate, but to accept your role as a parent whose job it is to prepare your kid(s) for their own adult lives.
It’s hard to make this choice, partly because many people don’t realize that it’s a choice in the first place. You might think, “Of course I’m parenting. I’ve been ‘parenting’ since that first diaper.” But no. There’s a point when you switch tracks…
