As I think of my role as a parent of young adults, I am thinking about what take priority at this bend in the parenting road.
Welcoming Home
I keep coming back to this as a most important ingredient of happy families. It's integral that our homes are welcoming. This is more important than the size or style of our homes. A welcoming home is clean, inviting, nonjudgemental and comfortable. For me this means a continued effort to get rid of items we don't use thus making space for family get togethers. It also means accepting my children for whom they are and what they love without judgement.
Good Educations
Supporting my children's good educations helps to set them up well for the future. Supporting their educations cost some money and takes time too. Internships, jobs, and youth development programs are also good ways to help children learn important knowledge, concept, and skill.
Financial Security
Though most of us can't predict our financial futures, we can try to make money to support our families, and then use that money wisely in that regard. There is a balance here however because once children become teenagers, it's important that they start earning money and working to support themselves somewhat too. Having a job as a young adult is a good way to learn responsibility, become educated about people and the world, and develop important work skills. Working too much is not a good thing for young adults, but working some is positive.
Positive Endeavor
How you spend your time as a family matters. We all have to re-look at the activities we use to escape and determine if those activities are positive for family life. As much as possible the endeavors we engage in with and for families should be positive. Positive activities include shared athletic events, family dinners, adventures near and far, reading same books, visiting places or interest, gardening, storytelling, and more.
Once a parent, always a parent, and the way we parent at each stage helps to secure a more positive future for ourselves and our children.
Welcoming Home
I keep coming back to this as a most important ingredient of happy families. It's integral that our homes are welcoming. This is more important than the size or style of our homes. A welcoming home is clean, inviting, nonjudgemental and comfortable. For me this means a continued effort to get rid of items we don't use thus making space for family get togethers. It also means accepting my children for whom they are and what they love without judgement.
Good Educations
Supporting my children's good educations helps to set them up well for the future. Supporting their educations cost some money and takes time too. Internships, jobs, and youth development programs are also good ways to help children learn important knowledge, concept, and skill.
Financial Security
Though most of us can't predict our financial futures, we can try to make money to support our families, and then use that money wisely in that regard. There is a balance here however because once children become teenagers, it's important that they start earning money and working to support themselves somewhat too. Having a job as a young adult is a good way to learn responsibility, become educated about people and the world, and develop important work skills. Working too much is not a good thing for young adults, but working some is positive.
Positive Endeavor
How you spend your time as a family matters. We all have to re-look at the activities we use to escape and determine if those activities are positive for family life. As much as possible the endeavors we engage in with and for families should be positive. Positive activities include shared athletic events, family dinners, adventures near and far, reading same books, visiting places or interest, gardening, storytelling, and more.
Once a parent, always a parent, and the way we parent at each stage helps to secure a more positive future for ourselves and our children.