Have you ever been a boss? Have you ever been an employee?
If you were a boss, how did you get your employees to do good work? I bet if you were a good boss, your employees liked you because you were encouraging. Sure, you would point out what needed fixing, but you would also point out the good and wonderful things your employees were doing.
If you were ever an employee, what made you want to do a good job? Was it a boss who was demeaning, was it a boss whom you could never please no matter what you did, was it when you felt small and stupid and like you couldn’t do anything right? Chances are if you had a job like that you eventually left the company, and if you had a day like that you just wanted to go home and hide in your bed with the sheet pulled up!
So how is parenting any different?
Will you see the very best side of your children if you constantly are finding flaws, expecting them to be a person they are not, and never telling them the things they do are enough, that they are enough, that they are loved and you wouldn’t ever be without them?
If parenting is about being an authentic leader, what kind of leader are you? Are you kind, encouraging, and holding up realistic standards for your children as you guide them and teach them and help them unfold into the beautiful adult they will become?
In this Thanksgiving week, let us have gratitude for our children and who they are.
Carrie, this is a great post! I’m both a mom and a manager at my day job. I see so many parallels between managing a team of employees and parenting. Especially when I manage younger employees (right out of college), I find myself wanting to parent them the same way I parent my own kids. And with my children, I try to instill in them to same kind of work ethic and pride of work I communicate to my office team.
A good manager is one who inspires, leads, challenges and empowers. I try to also carry those traits over to my parenting – although, admittedly, I feel I fall short more times than not (enter: Mommy Guilt).
Thanks for reminding me to have gratitude for our children and who they are as people. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!