Handling Tough Parenting Decisions - Part 2

father son talkThe second anchor we want to suggest is your childhood. Now no matter how it went there is so much evidence to prove that a happy childhood is a strong predictor of health and happiness in adulthood. Duh! Now that we are adults it is the memories we carry, talk about and reflect on that matter.

Funny thing is that if you ask someone about their childhood rarely will you see their face light up and speak of the joy of that time. People will start with an historical account or even like this;

“After dad left….”

‘When my parents split up…..”

And it’s often a sad or complicated story. Or just about sport and adventure for blokes...

Now we don't wish to ignore the challenges that you faced as a child but how often do you reflect positively (not as an avoidance strategy) about those days.

Even if there was significant pain and suffering there will also be fond memories you can move up the memory list.

We suggest you can reference these fond memories like the personal story of overcoming adversity in such a way that you can draw warmth and strength from these memories.

Write down your top 5!

If you’re still blaming your parents or circumstance then you will be a walking victim and covertly or not this leaks all over the floor when you're feeling stressed or challenged. You may even feel stressed or challenged most of the time.

When you reflect on these memories what were the values that were important then? Maybe this can inform your core values today? Perhaps you needed honesty and strength to endure a hardship, perhaps it was connection with another person or a group of people that was an anchor in your childhood.

Whatever you come up with write it all down in a place you can reference easily.

When faced with a challenge or confusing scenario, review these and let them guide you. When we make decisions from this place they are often the right thing to do... and something we won't lose sleep over!

and Sleep is important…

We would love to hear your thoughts on this series of blogs... please make a comment or send us an email to admin@powerhouseprograms.com.au.

3 Comments

Join the discussion and tell us your opinion.

  1. You are right, mostly we keep the sad and bad things in mind and YES we have to let go.

    1. Kids Making Change – thanks for your comment. It can be tough to keep a balanced view, or even a positive one, when tired and stressed too! I reckon when the going is good, the positive, fun stories will come more easily too!

  2. Andy, I love your simple, straight forward to the point approach. It helps cut through all the mental clutter that gets in the way of what’s important when we parent.

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