Key One: Parent with Purpose

So, back to the Seven Keys of Respectful Parenting.

Key 1: Parent with Purpose
• choose your purpose
• choose to think in alignment with your purpose
• choose to act in alignment with our purpose
• choose to listen and talk in alignment with your purpose
• choose to encourage your kids’ choices

Seems to me to be a lot of choosing and thinking. Which means that flying off the handle is probably not going to fit in with my "purpose." * he he* As well as giving into impatience.

Off-hand, I'd have to say that my purpose is to raise kids who can make good choices, and want to make good choices, including having a family,being kind to others, and staying close to God.

So, thinking in alignment with that purpose means that I keep these ideas near the front of my mind as I interact with and think about my kids.

Acting in alignment with that purpose means that I not violate the very standards I want for them, to the best I can, and apologize when necessary, because I'm a real human being.

Listening and talking in alignment with that purpose (like everything else) has many layers. Firstly, it reflects the work already done in thinking and acting. But, you know what, that's already a lot of work! Now I have to make sure I *listen* and *speak* "in alignment?"


It takes time, work, experiences good and bad, but it is possible to bend those ever-binding life-long habits of communication that we all carry with us. They were learned after all, weren't they?

In my experience, after I've already made efforts to be mindful of purpose and think, act, listen and speak according to it, it is actually easiest to encourage my kids' choices. Especially since nurturing and respecting their ability to choose is part of my purpose!

Forgive the rambling nature of my thoughts. I'm just going to plow through them, because if I spend any time at all trying to polish my thoughts, they will never get posted!

Next, Key 2: See the Needs behind Every Action.