Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
Robert Lewis Stevenson
One reason that parenting is the hardest job on the planet is the fact that progress happens so verrrrrrry sloooowwwwwly. There are days when parenting seems like a lost cause and you wonder if you are doing anything that is actually making a difference. On those days, remember this quote from Robert Lewis Stevenson. If ever there was a job that was a marathon, it’s parenting. You plant, water, fertilize, plant, water, fertilize and water some more–day in and day out.
As parents, you will not see a harvest every day. You may not even see it every week or month or even for a few years–or more! But every day you are planting and watering already-planted seeds and as long as you keep that up, the harvest will come some day.
The harvest is a direct result of what you’ve sown into your kids. So be very intentional about what you are planting and watering. Take some time to think through what those seeds should be. Your list might look something like this:
Kindness and Respect
Compassion
Faith
Honesty
Loyalty
Every one of those seeds is sown when you model it before your kids, when you talk about it with your kids, and when you teach it to your kids as you discipline and guide them.
But remember, this is a long-term commitment. The harvest may take a long time to come. However, you cannot stop planting and watering, no matter how discouraged or tired you get.
Keep sowing those seeds. When you get tired or discouraged, ask for help. When you blow it and sow a seed that’s not so good, give yourself some grace and plant better seeds tomorrow.
If you feel exhausted, frustrated and feel that what you are doing as a parent is not working, let’s talk. Schedule a free intro call here.
