What do you want for your child?

“Learning to walk by pushing wheeled toy” by Shaun MItchem – Diggy starts to learn to walk. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Dr Dan Siegel talks about intentionality in parenting:

“Take a moment and ask yourself:  What do you really want for your children?  What qualities do you hope they develop and take into their adult lives?

Most likely, you want them to be happy, independent, and successful.   You want them to enjoy fulfilling relationships and live a life full of meaning and purpose.

Now think about what percentage of your time you spend intentionally developing these qualities in your children.  If you’re like most parents, you worry that you spend too much time just trying to get through the day (and sometimes the next five minutes!), and not enough time creating experiences that help your children thrive, both today and in the future. ”