(This was the moment when we realized we were only halfway through our eight mile hike. The expressions have not been Photoshopped.)
Several years ago while hiking with our kids in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, Rocky Mountain National Park, we realized that our beloved boys were doing a great impression of ungrateful, whiny brats. This perplexed and frustrated us until my husband and I remembered an earlier lesson: When we are not enjoying our children, it often means that we are the problem. Rather than railing against them (my default reaction), it became clear that we needed the parenting equivalent of a chiropractic adjustment.
That night after they went to bed, Christopher and I began processing where we had veered off track. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we carried expectations for who they ought to be and how they should behave that we had never clearly communicated to them. We wondered if we could initiate a conversation that would get us all on the same page.
The next morning over breakfast, Christopher asked, “What are some of the characteristics that we already have as a family and what are a few areas where we could grow?” It became one of the most engaging, dynamic conversations that we’ve ever had! What started as a problem led to a powerful process of solidifying our sense of family identity.
To read the remainder, please click the link to Today’s Christian Woman.