Parents do lots of planning – how big should their family be, where should they live, what kind of car should they drive. Financial planning, school planning, vacation planning. But many parents neglect to make the most important plan of all – a plan for managing the time they have with their kids. A blueprint to follow while their kids are still tucked into their beds at night, while bath time is still a family ritual. I’m not talking about a typical time management plan; those are based on the need for efficiency. But, how to get everything done is not the same as how to make the time spent with kids more meaningful and memorable, while still getting everything done! Parents need a plan for making the most of every minute they have with their kids, no matter how scarce those minutes are. A plan for turning minutes into moments so when the kids are ready to leave for college and beyond, parents are also ready for this next wonderful step in the life of a family. Nostalgia? Of course. Some sadness? Certainly. But no regrets.
No Regrets Parenting is one of the most important plans parents will ever make for their families. You can’t do it over again, at least with these same kids, so we should do it right the first time.
Follow this blog, read the No Regrets Parenting book (in stores Feb 12, 2012), and please share your thoughts – and your plan for making the most of your time with your kids – in the interactive space provided below. I’ll try to respond to as many of you as possible.