Before I had kids, I never thought of parenting as a job. But I’ve since reconsidered!
Having triplets made me realize that, not only is parenting a job, it’s one of the most important ones we do because we can impact an entire community just by the type of child we raise.
As a former HR leader, I started approaching parenting the way I would a new job.
I wrote out a job description
Set a parenting goal
Started righting a training manual- full of things that work and don’t work!
No matter what your parenting style or child’s personality, setting a parenting goal is really the #1 step on your journey.
After all, how are you going to get there if you don’t know where you’re going?
I started by asking myself, what type of child do I want to raise? What qualities do I want them to have? And what skills do I want them to learn now so they can apply them later?
My parenting goal is to raise children who are physically active, make healthy choices, are emotionally intelligent, and who will make a positive impact on the world now and in the future.
As in any job, it’s always great when I get feedback on my job so that I know I’m on the right path to achieving my goal.
Fast forward about 5 years to this week.
This week my father had a triple bypass. It’s been a rough week. But during his surgery my mom and I found ourselves in the waiting room with Ivy.
The second we walked in, she looked up, flashed a huge smile, and asked “where are the triplets???”
I looked at my mom because I had never met Ivy before. My mom explained.
A few days prior, while my dad and I were getting his presurgery testing done, my mom and the triplets were exploring the hospital. They found themselves in the restroom with a woman in a wheelchair and Ivy, the woman’s daughter.
Without being asked, the triplets held the door open as Ivy tried to maneuver her mom and the wheelchair outside.
Her mom had received some bad news and was pretty depressed, sitting totally slumped down in the wheelchair. At this simple, kind gesture, from three 5 year olds, she totally perked up.
She sat up straight, starting asking questions and smiling, they sang her a few songs, and just really connected with her- human to human.
Sitting in the waiting room while my dad and her mom were both in surgery, Ivy shared how my kids made eye contact, smiled, were warm and caring, and truly made a connection with her mom that got her out of being depressed and back into feeling joy.
In fact, before going into surgery, her mom said “boy, I sure hope I get to see the triplets again!”
Some pretty great feedback for how my job as a parent is going. I love that I know what to do because I know where I’m going, and it all starts with a parenting goal.
What’s your parenting goal?