Purposeful Parent Tip: Throw away the checklists and join the marathon adventure called Parenting!
In my previous life as a corporate career woman, I was known for my project management skills. I could plan out a project, determine the tasks needed to be done, assign the right people, and nurture it along the way to completion on time and on budget. In fact, I was so good at it, that some of the parting words from my former
manager when I got laid off were, “You should find a project management job.
You’re good at that.”
Well, I already had a project management job I thought. I’m a parent! I planned the birth of the project, monitored all of the progress, and am awaiting its completion (when that is, I’m not exactly sure!). I went through the baby books and saw when each milestone and event was to occur and celebrated its success when it was achieved.
But what happens when there are no more milestones or goals to achieve? What happens when there are no more “checklists” or charts to keep track of? Yikes! What to do?
My children are a bit older now and other than the occasional growth spurt or hormonal challenge, there are no more big events to project manage or check off as being accomplished.
I’m learning (perhaps slower than most) that my children’s development and growth are not line items on a Gantt chart. And I am not here to click the ‘done’ box in any way, shape, or form as I parent them through their journeys here with me.
What I am here to do is to go along on the journey with them. To be and learn and grow right alongside them. That’s one of the reasons I started this blog. To share my own parenting journey and the lessons I’m learning as I go along.
The fact is, I would win not one award for the project management of my children. I am over-budget, late, have the wrong people assigned to the job, and sometimes, off task. but it doesn’t matter really. Because the checklists are gone and the only award I hope to get one day is that they know who they are and stand firm in that confidence.
If I can teach them or show them this while I have the title of “Mom”, that’s all the award I need.