Thoughts : Trust and Respect are Built over Time
Recently I had a chat with a few friends, … and as we talked, some thoughts crossed my mind.
Here’s sharing them with you …
Nearly everything today is about being ‘instant’.
Instant messaging.
Instant noodles.
Instant printing.
The reality is, many things in life are NOT and CANNOT be achieved in a short timeGenerally, the world aims to let people ‘achieve what they want within a very, VERY short time’.
But.
The reality is, many things in life are NOT and CANNOT be achieved in a short time.
Say, when we plant apple seeds, we need to wait for them to grow and bear fruits.
The same thing goes with parenting.
Relationship, open communication, trust and respect are built over time.
There’s nothing instant about it.
If we had not built a habit of open communication with our children since they’re little, then we could not expect them to open up and share their struggles and lives with us when they are in their teenage years.
If we had not set clear boundaries and limits based on love, trust and respect since they’re little, they would most probably find it hard to respect and follow the boundaries we start to introduce when they’re already teenagers.
If we had not consistently addressed misbehaviours with disciplinary actions based on love since they’re little, they would most likely find it hard to accept and understand our ‘disapproval’ of their misbehaviours when they’re teenagers.
If we had not been lovingly and actively involved in their lives much since they’re little, we could not expect them to let us into their lives when they are teenagers.
Parenting is hard.
(And many parents say, parenting teenagers is even harder!)
Without consistent effort, our time, sacrifice and God’s help… parenting is just not possible.
If you ask me, I really don’t know how things will be later a few years from today.
It may be very tough, super tough.
I probably feel – again and again – that I’ve failed big time as a parent.
Plus, I know how my choice to be a stay-at-home mom does NOT guarantee ‘good children’ and ‘easy-to-deal-with teenagers’.
I only pray that my husband and I are given the wisdom to be the kind of parents God wants us to be.
Because being parents today is not easy.
May God help me, and all of us, and give us the joy, wisdom and patience we need, everyday.
