Written by Aimee Wheeler

Part of me feels bad even writing that!  Like we don’t have enough on our plates as parents.  Now we’re supposed to have “goals”?  Will it never end?  Perhaps there is a less business like word for them but yes, we need to have parenting goals.  I am not talking about “I want little Suzy to go to Harvard and become a leading medical researcher who cures cancer” but more along the lines of “What type of person do I hope Jimmy grows up to be?”  What characteristics do you hope your child will possess as an adult?  And are your parenting choices fostering or hindering them?

We are all faced with challenging parenting decisions but if you have clear answers to those questions you will be able to sort to the right choice for your family with greater ease.  It will also give you a big picture reason to be patient when your precious little one is wearing on your last nerve.  With my son, it is important to both his father and me that he grow up with a great sense of curiosity.  Because of that we try to let him openly explore his world and only intervene when he is in danger.  More often than not that translates into a little boy who is into everything, which has its obvious challenges, but because we are clear on what type of adult we hope he will be we are willing to deal with the extra parenting work that will hopefully nurture his curiosity.  So take some time to get clear on your goals and use them as the sieve to shake your parenting style through to make sure you are on the right track.