20/20 hindsight has to be good for something

Where I Am is turning into Where Am I? It’s not that I have writer’s block, exactly, but that I’m not entirely sure what to say where. My brain’s on overload because I’m thinking of starting a new blog – I know, I know, why start another if I’m not writing for this one! But I’ve found a subject that’s near and dear to my heart, and one I know a fair amount about: parenting.

I'm embracing the fact that I’m in a new stage of life, one that affords me the opportunity to look back a bit. (That’s a nice way to say I’m realizing that I’m old.) With that 20/20 hindsight, I can see the things I should have done better as well as the things we did pretty well. And because I have so many friends who are just starting their parenting journey, I’d like to help light the way a bit. I’m no parenting expert – just ask my children! – but Sean and I have been parents for a while now and we do have a few nuggets of wisdom to share.

(I just realized that pretty soon we can say we’ve been parents for almost 20 years. Two decades. Dang. We are old.)

A main theme I’d like to address is this idea that it’s bad for parents to be in charge. I bet everyone would agree that it’s a good idea for parents to be the ones making the decisions in families, but practically, it’s not played out that way. Parents abdicate to the children, asking if they’d like to help with chores or asking what they’d like to wear or asking if they’d like to clean up. Parents, do not ask! You really do need to instruct your children!

I’m getting carried away already.

This new blog would be about some of my many mistakes. No use pretending to be anything other than a mom who’s trying, by God’s grace, to raise her children and royally screwing up sometimes. But, along these 19+ years I’ve learned a few things that I’d love to pass on to the next generation of moms who are, by God’s grace, striving to raise their children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.

Any questions you’d like me to address? Feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment. And hopefully, I’ll be blogging both places soon.