On Growing Responsible Adults

How to grow a responsible adult:

1) Obtain child
2) Teach him/her stuff
3) Provide opportunity
4) BE DISAPPOINTED!!!
5) Realize you've done what you can
6) Patiently endure the years
7) Hope for the best

It's very hard sometimes not to feel like a complete and utter failure as a parent. I spent some time today considering my expectations for my children and do not believe that I am an unrealistic parent.

I want the very best for my children. I tell them this all the time. Hubby Guy and I are forever trying to teach them how to be successful. BUT... It seems all that good wisdom stuff goes in one ear and out the other.

When I was 10 and 14 I remember feeling like I knew everything. I also know that I got in trouble for decisions I made that made no sense to my parents. With all these many years of perspective I'm able to see that more times than they would like to hear about I was right and they were wrong. I did plenty of stuff that made my parents scratch their heads and I turned out great. Even knowing that, I have a hard time extending grace to my own children when they stand by their decisions.

My inner control freak has a terrible time with the notion that things I tell my children go seemingly ignored. I consider myself a pretty patient individual. This parenting stuff, however, is brutal. I want to be able to tell right now that they are gonna turn out ok. I want to know right now that they'll be able to hold a job. I want to know that they will have some integrity and strength of character. I want to know that they will live according to the Bible. And.... I can't know any of those things right now. And they show few signs of any of that coming to fruition.

In the meantime, we continue to scroll messages through their stubborn little ears. Hopefully, some of the messages are imprinting on their memory banks. Also, I'm trying to learn to dial back freakazoid uber mom who preaches first and asks questions second. I'm trying to remember that they are people too. They have brains of their own and they should be allowed enough rope to work with. And sometimes... I'm very chincy with the rope.