Do you ever feel like the days are flying by? That one season runs into the next, and, in the blink of an eye, everything has changed?
It’s easy to feel this way as a parent — especially if you’re living on autopilot.
Routines can offer the structure and predictability that children need; however, even in the most supportive routines, it’s possible to miss out on small moments of connection if we aren’t fully present and intentional.
Fortunately, practicing intentional parenting can help us get out of our comfortable cycles and explore more meaningful relationships with our loved ones. Here are 5 strategies to help you be a more intentional parent.
Practicing intentional parenting doesn’t mean abandoning routines — it means approaching them with greater awareness, curiosity, and care. Here are 5 strategies to help you be a more intentional parent.
Intentional Parenting Strategies
Combining years of family counseling and authoritative parenting research, Dr. Daniel P. Huerta, Vice President of Family and Youth at Focus On The Family and a HopeConnectTM strategic partner, outlines seven key traits effective parents should develop in his book, Seven Traits of Effective Parenting,
One of these is intentionality.
Dr. Huerta explains how the Holy Spirit enables us to be intentional in our interactions with our children. We can do this by:
1. Planning
Being an intentional parent doesn’t happen by accident. Set aside some time to prayerfully consider what you want to be true about your family and how you can chart a course to reach your desired outcome. Consider the traditions and rhythms you want to develop with your children and create routines to make them happen.
2. Paying Attention
To truly thrive in Christ, your child needs an attentive parent—someone who doesn’t just pay attention to them, but to God. Notice the ways the Lord is moving in your home and family. The more intentional we are about connecting with God, the more intentional we will be with our own children.
3. Following Through
As parents, it is incredibly important that we do and say what we said we would do. The choices we make show our children what we truly value, and canceling plans with them or allowing our word to fall through communicates to them that they are not as important as other things in our lives. Ask God for consistency to follow through on promises you make to your children.
4. Getting Involved
Another way to practice intentional parenting is to make it a priority to become involved in your child’s world. Show them you care about what’s important to them by prioritizing their interests. Make time to play with your child, show up at their sporting events and steer conversations around what’s happening in their lives.
5. Setting Boundaries
Every child craves boundaries, even if they resist at first. Be intentional about the media you want your child to consume by establishing boundaries around the content you will include in your home.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Intentional parenting requires dedication, vision, humility, and consistency. Mercifully, we can receive all these things from God. The Lord wants us to be intentional in the words we use and the environments we create for our children. If you’re struggling in any of these areas, pray to your Father in heaven for guidance and help. He is faithful to deliver. And always remember — God is ultimately in control.
We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. ~Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)
APPLICATION
When your child has misplaced an item, it can be easy for them to fall into a state of panic. However, you can still use these moments of stress for an opportunity to connect. The next time you’re on a hunt for your child’s missing clothes, toys or school supplies, play Mission: Missing Item. This easy game turns an otherwise chaotic moment into an opportunity for laughter.
Find this game and more now in the Everyday MomentsTM activities collection!
