I want to take a quick break on the discipline topic to share something that happened tonight. We were wrapping up a board game a few minutes before Luke’s bedtime. I told him to get ready and we would go on a quick walk.
You never know what kiddos are going to get talking about. But tonight, almost immediately and out of nowhere he said, “Dad, sometimes recently the thought of my tablet comes into my mind and I just REALLY want to play it. Is that normal?”. Man, what a cool parenting moment. And who knows what an important moment in his development that is. That chance to speak into his life right when temptation is starting to rear its ugly head. The chance to tell him how normal this all is and give him tips and be on his side… and all because we went on a short walk. All because we prioritize family and one-on-one time. So good. (side note: we focus on limiting screen time each day. More on that in another post). He then went on to thank us for setting boundaries and helping ensure that they don’t get lost in video games and so many other things. He was being totally genuine. It was cool to see God working in his heart.
Now earlier, just Ben and I went to the store to get everyone a special treat. He got to bring up the awesome, amazing feeling he had earlier when he helped a younger kiddo in the neighborhood score the game winning goal at the last minute. Here I just got to listen and reinforce. To agree with him and God that this is good. To plant the seed of continuing to seek this type of thing in the future.
God is good. Life is good. Parenting is so good and so important.
Be encouraged. You are changing the world.