Doug and I just returned from a spectacular camping / riding trip with our horses. The redwoods were breath-taking and the riding so much fun. I'll have more info about this in my next newsletter, but first I want to share another interesting insight with you from my parent survey.
The second survey question read, "On a scale of 1 to 10 (with one being low and 10 being high), how easy and fulfilling is your over-all experience of being a parent?"
Several parents responded by giving two separate numbers: one for fulfilling and one for easy. This is what they said:
"find parenthood itself really fulfilling …I would never say it was easy."
"easy – 1, fulfilling – 10!"
"being a parent is easily the hardest and most fulfilling experience I've ever had"
"I would say it's a 9 for fulfilling and a 3 for easy. I have 2 very active, curious, intelligent children who are often times difficult to parent because of these characteristics which I predict will make them incredible adults but require a lot of my energy and attention; they are definitely NOT easy to parent, even on a good day. Nevertheless, I find parenting them really fulfilling most days."
Does this sound familiar? I completely understand how fulfilling and easy can be two different experiences of being a parent.
Sometimes parents believe parenting is a hard job just by definition. In other words, it's not parenting if it's not difficult.
One mom shared, "I live for my family and sacrifice so much for them. I don't believe you can be truly happy until you have sacrifice in your life. It is not easy to be a parent. Just like a marriage it takes work. You have to put effort into it."
Another mom candidly revealed, "I think for the most part, I wait until I'm really burned out or exhausted to start taking care of myself instead of others, and that doesn't seem like a sustainable approach to our family."
In my experience as a mom, teacher, and family coach, I have found parenting children of all ages can be MUCH EASIER and dramatically more fulfilling than most people experience or believe is possible.
They are two sympatico qualities. When parenting becomes easier, it also becomes more fulfilling. As it becomes for fulfilling, it also becomes easier.
In my F.R.E.E.Book Launch Party call this coming MONDAY, AUGUST 31, I'll discuss why it is essential to have parenting be easy and fun. Believe it or not, being a good parent REQUIRES that it be easy and fulfilling to you.
Note: I'm not saying parenting never has challenging moments. It does. However, it is important that parenting be easy and fun almost all the time with rare moments when it becomes difficult and then quickly passes.
You'll learn all of this and more when I share about — "Beyond Parenting Techniques: The 5 Most Important Understandings that Will Immediately Bring More Joy to Your Child's Eyes and Transform Your Relationship with Your Child"
Register now for this content-rich call in which I'll reveal these essential understandings from my new book "Joyous Child Joyous Parent".
Plus I'll announce an unheard of, limited-time special bonus for early-bird purchasers of my book.
I so look forward to sharing this powerful, transformational information with you!
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