Lessons I Learned as a Parent - Part 1

The next few posts are provided by guest contributors. I asked my friends and family, who have children, to share a few insights into what they have learned as a parent. This first post is contributed by my sister, Wendy Johnson.

Parenting is hard. We’ve all heard that before but what does it really mean?

I’m not a child psychologist by profession. I’m not a teacher by profession. Neither am I a doctor, lawyer, or daycare provider by profession.

What does that have to do with being a parent? I am all of those on any given day. Sometimes it changes from minute to minute. As a parent, I’ve had to learn a lot and really fast.

What’s my parenting style? I can’t really say because it varies from child to child. I have one child that rarely needs help with things. I have another child who always needs help with things. I have yet another child who needs help but doesn’t want it. With six children, there’s bound to be variety, right?

The answer to that question leads right into the most important lesson I’ve learned as a parent: Nothing is ever the same. The only reliable constant is that nothing is reliable or constant.

Just as children change from day-to-day, so does my parenting style. Just as children grow and learn, so does their need for help from me. Just as I learn and grow, so changes my parenting style and my sanity.

Oh yeah, there is one more constant. As they grow and learn, my love for them also grows. (See, even that isn’t constant, it’s ever-changing.) I wouldn’t trade my children for anything in the world. - Wendy J. Johnson