They Grow Up So Fast...or do they?

When I was in my teens and walking the half hour home from school, I would sometimes spot my mum up ahead, carrying far too much shopping up the hill! She would be weighed down with it and occasionally stop, swap bags around, then carry on walking. Other times, I would be cycling and catch-up with her more easily. Either way, we would share the load and get home with a little more 'left in the tank' than we might otherwise have done.

Why do I mention this?

Because it makes for a useful analogy when thinking about what, as parents, our children can manage. Consider the almost invisible changes from the child needing to be carried, to the day when they can help us carry the load. One of the most common blind spots that coaching reveals is the idea that things are set in stone. These are the facts. They are non-negotiable and difficult. And so they might be; but when did we last put them down and swap things around?

I don't know the actual day when my mum realised that we could carry some of the 'stuff' ourselves, but I do know that it made everyone feel better when we did.

COACHING QUESTION: are you still carrying some of the things that your children could, or should, be learning how to carry for themselves? Is it a matter of how quickly, or should it be how well they are growing up?

If you are unsure of how to go about making the changes that fit your family’s changing profile, then find out more about the value of coaching that is part of my kaleidoscope vision.

Here’s to all the amazing parents out there, on their different journeys.

Claire

Kaleidoscope: because a simple shift creates a whole new vision

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