If not now – when? If not me – who? You might be thinking that parenting goes on for a very long time. Though parenting in one form or another never stops, I assure you that your window of opportunity to create a huge positive difference in your child’s life is very small and soon narrows and may even close. Your child is most easily influenced by you when they are pre-teenagers, which is a short part of their lifespan. Looking back with regret when they are older that you were too busy with important urgent tasks, too tired at the end of the day, too stressed because of upsetting life events, or too comfortable that others were looking after your child’s learning when they were young is to be avoided at all costs. It is much better to act before it is too late to help your child develop the qualities you want for them when they are adults.
You may have already experienced that strong sense of urgency when you knew that it was up to you and only you to acquire skills and strengths for your own future wellbeing, and that the window of opportunity was closing so the time to act was now. For example, many of us have experienced ‘wake-up calls’ that led us to develop fitness, finish a qualification, or save hard for a trip for example. When we’ve believed that it was urgent now and up to us to make important changes in our lives, we have acted decisively. Perhaps your child urgently needs your support to master their reading, writing, and maths skills. If so, it is now up to you to coach them.
What I personally have found is that you don’t have to make major changes in you and your family’s lives when you want to better support your child as they develop and learn. You just have to begin with one or two small changes. Like a tugboat turning a massive liner around, those small but important changes are the ones that matter. Which ones are they for your family?
Check out my other posts for tips on how to work with your child and help them thrive with their learning.
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Families as Coaches 