Lately, I've had to have several difficult conversations with our children. Giving them bad news and preparing them for challenges ahead isn't something I enjoy. I also don't believe in lying to them. Even though they are children there are some things they have a right to know. Balancing between what has to be said and what they don't need to hear is sometimes a difficult thing.
I'd like to think that our frequent Just 10 conversations are making the challenging conversations easier. I'm more than just a bearer of discipline and bad news, I'm also an open and responsive parent that is learning to listen as much as talk and to really hear what they have to tell me.
Gradually, the tone set during our Just 10 conversations is spilling over into the rest of the day. I'm more aware of when I am being critical and better able to adjust my attitude and try a better approach. During our Just 10, I experience them as separate and unique individuals and help them celebrate who they are. This is especially important as they enter the ages when conforming means so much.
Now, as the financial pressures threaten our home and future, it's more important than ever to strengthen the bonds we share as a family. We need to remember that what is most important can't be bought or sold. Where ever we are, we have each other and that will always be priceless. Our Just 10 conversations remind me how rich I truly am. I am filled with hope in these difficult times.
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