Introduction
Since this topic is too much to cover in one post, this is going going to be the first in a series of five posts. We will cover each phase of your child’s life and your relationship with her as she grows. If you are interested in receiving notifications on these future posts, join the family and I’ll let you know.
It’s no secret that the relationship with your kids must change as time passes and they move from you needing to feed them and change their mustard-stained diapers to adults out on their own (maybe). Each era in a child’s life has its own blessings and curses for both you and your child.
How kids turn out as adults begin with you, the parent, but ends with everything else life throws at them. That’s why you are so important. It’s part of your job to prepare them for the rough seas they will face during their lifetime.
Do you teach your kid that she is God’s gift to humanity, or do you teach her that she is a worthless and unwanted piece of detritus? These lessons are taught by both what you say and what you do. What you say and what you do depends on how you think and what you believe (which, by the way, partly comes from your parents).
The first step to having a good relationship with your kid begins with you and the way you interact with your child throughout his life. To start, check out my post “10 Reasons to Question What You Believe. A Mind Wasted, Belief a Godsend or Curse, and Be Careful What You Think.
There are four phases to your child’s life: infant, childhood, teen, and adult. Next week we’ll look at the infant phase. There’s way more to that than you might think with the latest discoveries in brain development in the human species.
The following week comes childhood which is complex because maturity happens at different times for different kids. Just because your child is six years old doesn’t mean he will be like other six-year-olds. He might be more accomplished at some tasks and less so at others. For instance, he might be able to read better than his peers but still struggles with tying his shoes. This is also the time when social skills begin to play a big part in his life.
After those childhood years come the terrible teens. As difficult as this time is, it’s when your previous good parenting will pay big dividends. It’s time to start letting go which can be the most difficult time for you. At least it was for me. Once again, how much freedom a kid fights for and how much freedom you should allow will depend on the kid.
Finally, you will reach the adult phase. This too will change over time as will your relationships. Many factors will come to play in this phase including the closeness you have nurtured as the child was growing up and the age difference between you and your kids. We’ll get into that in this fifth and final post in this series.
See you all next week. Don’t forget to let me know if you want a notification when I post.
