Parenting children to feel loved, confident, strong and healthy.
Two Farmers
Two farmers inherited plots of land. The first farmer inherited a plot of land that had rich soil that got a good ratio of rain and sun. The second farmer received land that was rocky, muddy and rarely got any sun or rain. The first farmer, confident that his seeds would produce a good crop, planted his seeds and left the land for the season expecting to come back to harvest a beautiful bounty. The second farmer, aware that with the plot of land he was given was going to be difficult to grow on, stayed by his crop daily. He added fertilizer to his land, watered it twice a day and pulled out weeds as they grew.
The season proved to be a difficult one. The land experienced a drought, no water fell upon the land for months on end. The first farmer, still confident that his land would be fruitful, came to check on his crop only once. “It’ll surely rain,” the first farmer said, “I don’t need to do anything for these seeds to grow with them being on such nice land” and left, planning to come back once it was time to harvest. The second farmer, aware that the drought would surely affect his crop growing in a difficult environment, stayed diligently by his crop working endlessly to insure their survival. He poured everything he had into the survival of his crop.
Harvest time came around and the first farmer came back ready to harvest what he anticipated would be a big yield. Instead of finding a bountiful crop like he anticipated, he discovered his crop was small, shriveled up and dried out. Confused and frustrated, he harvested only one bushel and stormed away.
The second farmer, who spent the whole season tending to his crop, began to harvest. His seedlings had grown to be big, juicy and flavorful. He collected 10 bountiful bushels when he finished harvesting. He then stayed and prepared for the next planting season.
Parenting Strong, Healthy and Confident Kids
Our children, like the crop in the story, need to be tended to. Moreover, we need to be pour into them with everything we’ve got, just like the second farmer did. Even if we provide the best environment with the nicest neighborhood, biggest house, expensive toys and gadgets, if we are not present, all those things can only go so far. They will not get the nourishment they need to grow and thrive.
Whereas providing love, positive attention, affirmation and showing a genuine interest in their overall well-being can produce children that turn into strong, confident and successful adults.
Challenge
My challenge for you today is to evaluate what type of farmer you are. Do you pour into their lives? Are you parenting your children for their well-being in an environment to feel loved, confident, strong and healthy? Are you present or do you only show up when you expect a benefit on your behalf?
We must be willing to be present on a daily basis, regardless if it is harvest time. We can help, schedule an appointment today! http://marriagecenter.us/contact/