Mum And Dad We Salute You! Parents Do Make A Difference
By Donovan Grant
It's about time parents get recognised for what we do right for our kids instead of emphasising everything we're doing wrong.
Parenting is hard enough without having to spend your time trying to figure out the latest rules of being a parent. Sometimes all you need is to exhale and count to 10.
Have you ever felt let you down by your children?
When a child messes up or goes off the rails, nine times out of ten the finger will get pointed at You the parent…
“They should raise their kid properly”
“It doesn’t surprise me from that family”
“Those children have been spoilt rotten!”
FACT: There are always two sides to every story. And no matter how you try to explain people will always have their opinion, so let them be.
There is no such thing as a perfect parent. I tried this myself for a long time and I found that it doesn’t work. No two days are the same. On one day you can be super-mum and by tomorrow, it could be “mum why don’t you trust me anymore?”
We all need to remember that Parents do make a difference!
The thing is- it's so easy to get down on ourselves when we feel as though we have not done everything perfectly. It’s interesting to me how many parents carry wishes around in their heart when really they just need a nudge of self-belief. Just one person who can help them to be aware and alert them to their own gifts and purpose in life!
One of the biggest things parents need is a boost of confidence.
Let’s pretend for a moment that we are in the office and you are having an annual appraisal with your line manager. But in this case it’s an appraisal of a parent’s work over the past year.
Here are some of the top daily skills that we’d see on the report card:
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1. Giving love and affection. |
With a track record like this, you need to be holding your head up high. You always do the very best that you can and you deserve to celebrate. If you were in a office environment you would probably be put forward for a promotion right now. So my message is “it’s time to promote and be proud of what you do for your families”.
Remember this mum and dad- when you are a parent the buck stops with you.
No parent can compete with another. And we don’t need to compete with our self either. We need to free ourselves from the thought that we are not doing enough.
We have to believe and be joyful in the positive spirit that we sprinkle around our homes.
Suppose someone asked you “what do you do as a parent?” You might say we are just trying to "raise kids with solid character, strong minds, and caring hearts"; we are doing more than that. The truth is that you do far more than that; you are creating a generation successful leaders.
If we are to be really honest, parenting can feel like a lonely past-time every now and then.
But, here’s a secret to be aware of: Your children may not always tell you…. to them you are a precious gem – just like a diamond in the rough.
So are you a parent who needs to boost your own self-esteem, confidence and well being?
Keep the faith. Faith is the golden nugget that will keep you strong in times of stress, keep you motivated to build the lives you dreams for yourself and your family and bring you joy whenever your heart needs to smile.
Parenting prepares you well for being a leader. So let’s keep on doing what you do best. And let’s keep topping up our own spirit by reading, listening and connecting with messages of inspiration.
Your family and your community will be all the happier for having a parent like you in the world.
Please leave a comment below to let us know how you enjoyed this article. Also, if you have a fellow parent who could do with a boost feel free to share it with your friend too!
We are here to serve you believe in you!!
Donovan Grant is a coach, mentor, blogger, speaker and IT professional who brings his wisdom of parenting for the last 21 years and coaching clients through the stages of raising youth and empowering leaders with life lessons that are changing generations. He is a passionate and committed leader who believes that we all have the ability to help to change someone else’s life. Actively doing so as a catalyst for many years he teaches how to live a life of success, balance, integrity and fun, whether at work or at play.
