What is happening in your child’s life?

What is happening in your child’s life?

“I told my wife I was flying out with the children.” These were his opening lines before he went outside to play aeroplane and football with the children.

I watched the little clip and could not help but smile. In his caption, the father wrote, intentionality. What a powerful word! There is something about being purposing to be something or to do something. There is a grace, energy and enthusiasm that accompanies the decision to do or be something.

Over the years, I have discovered that being an intentional parent is not only rewarding and fulfilling, it eases the journey bumps and helps to multiply the joy in raising and nurturing children. The thing is life is a fast moving game. Look at how the year which feels like it only began the other day has taken a twist for the latter part. Soon, we will be looking back and seeing its tail end.

In the vastness, fastness and dynamics of life, if you are not keen to stop and breathe, to stop and take count, a lot of things will seem like they are flying past you. Only the other day, my little child would look at me when telling me something. Today, if we are both standing up, he will be looking down at me. The same children that I carried on my laps can now carry me in theirs. All in a matter of time.

If I do not deliberately and intentionally make the time to have conversations with the children, if I do not get home early to be in their space for bonding, a time is coming, not too far from now, when they will have moved on into different spaces, to do this thing called life, away from your wings.

What is your child’s favourite colour? What is their best friend’s name and where do they stay? Are their parents still alive and active in their lives? Can you confidently say you have a relatively good idea of what is happening in the life of your child? Do they know you and do you know them? Would they refer to you as their friend or it does not matter to you?

While having a conversation with one of my children the other day, I asked him how he wished I would support him at school. He said that there are times I need to take his word and not necessarily that of his teacher over him. Then he said, mommy, sometimes the teachers lie about some things.

May God teach us to be deliberate and intentional in the things we do, how we do them and what we give our time and priority to. May we have the wisdom of majoring in the major issues while minoring in the minor.