Can we apply the principles of Stewardship to parenting?
Consider looking at Peter Block’s Stewardship…Choosing Service Over Self Interest for both your work life and home life
In his welcome for this book, Stewardship…Choosing Service Over Self-Interest, Peter Block references our need to integrate and balance our lives. He humorously suggests that we refer to ourselves as cats with compartmentalized lives i.e. the work life, home life, the sporting life, the spiritual life, resulting in us giving parts of ourselves away but fully vesting in each compartment, becoming harried and fragmented. The focus of this book (initially written in 1996) is on re-evaluating our organizational governance (not referenced leadership or management). Hmmm, reflecting on this commentary, I must say this pretty well sums up the perspective of many parents.
So having forged through half of this ‘bible’ for reformation, I highly applying recommend the stewardship model not only to work but home life. You might wonder if children under 18 years of age are capable of engaging in this approach to family life. I believe so. They can be partners in the family. As Peter says, partners do not always get their way or have the absolute equal power ( 49-51 percent) but at least everyone is heard and there is a commitment to working at seeking to understand and win-win solutions and strategies.
So in my ‘connecting the dots kindie style’ here is my family life/parenting take away in point form:
As parents we need to:
- Realize that we are serving those in our family. We are given the grace filled gift to be accountable to our children to help guide, coach and empower, not control or possess.
- We need to first and continually look to our own behaviours evaluating whether we are ‘walking the talk’. Stay humble by being honest, open, flexible and fluid in our own personal growth and evolution.
- Offer our children ownership where appropriate, and engage them in creating our family core values and trusting/expecting that they are capable of living in service and commitment to these values. Are we willing to say kids do have wisdom…. out of the mouths of babes…?
- Accept mistakes, chaos and change… because learning it isn’t always perfect and tidy. We learn more from mistakes than successes.
- Listen, dialogue and discuss continuously and make a point of face to face sharing such as nightly family meals …without the t.v. or devices.
- Celebrate and be grateful for what our kids contribute to the family – the parents aren’t the only providers of happiness.
- Invite and suggest rather than demand or ‘shoulding’ on them.
Peter Block dovetails nicely to Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory. As previously mentioned a friend of mine Sue Kranz has written an excellent PDF booklet, approved by Dr. Glasser, Who’s Driving Your Car for Teens and I have been given permission to forward it to any who contacts me for a copy. BUT better yet contact Sue Kranz at https://www.sanerparenting.ca/.
One of my poems that I think sums up Stewardship:
Dazzle’s Challenge:
- When you are feeling like a control freak with your kids try the mantra, “Let Go Let God”
Quick Take Away Links:
Can we apply the principles of Stewardship to parenting?
Consider looking at Peter Block’s Stewardship…Choosing Service Over Self Interest for both your work life and home life
In his welcome for this book, Stewardship…Choosing Service Over Self-Interest, Peter Block references our need to integrate and balance our lives. He humorously suggests that we refer to ourselves as cats with compartmentalized lives i.e. the work life, home life, the sporting life, the spiritual life, resulting in us giving parts of ourselves away but fully vesting in each compartment, becoming harried and fragmented. The focus of this book (initially written in 1996) is on re-evaluating our organizational governance (not referenced leadership or management). Hmmm, reflecting on this commentary, I must say this pretty well sums up the perspective of many parents.
So having forged through half of this ‘bible’ for reformation, I highly applying recommend the stewardship model not only to work but home life. You might wonder if children under 18 years of age are capable of engaging in this approach to family life. I believe so. They can be partners in the family. As Peter says, partners do not always get their way or have the absolute equal power ( 49-51 percent) but at least everyone is heard and there is a commitment to working at seeking to understand and win-win solutions and strategies.
So in my ‘connecting the dots kindie style’ here is my family life/parenting take away in point form:
As parents we need to:
- Realize that we are serving those in our family. We are given the grace filled gift to be accountable to our children to help guide, coach and empower, not control or possess.
- We need to first and continually look to our own behaviours evaluating whether we are ‘walking the talk’. Stay humble by being honest, open, flexible and fluid in our own personal growth and evolution.
- Offer our children ownership where appropriate, and engage them in creating our family core values and trusting/expecting that they are capable of living in service and commitment to these values. Are we willing to say kids do have wisdom…. out of the mouths of babes…?
- Accept mistakes, chaos and change… because learning it isn’t always perfect and tidy. We learn more from mistakes than successes.
- Listen, dialogue and discuss continuously and make a point of face to face sharing such as nightly family meals …without the t.v. or devices.
- Celebrate and be grateful for what our kids contribute to the family – the parents aren’t the only providers of happiness.
- Invite and suggest rather than demand or ‘shoulding’ on them.
Peter Block dovetails nicely to Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory. As previously mentioned a friend of mine Sue Kranz has written an excellent PDF booklet, approved by Dr. Glasser, Who’s Driving Your Car for Teens and I have been given permission to forward it to any who contacts me for a copy. BUT better yet contact Sue Kranz at https://www.sanerparenting.ca/.
One of my poems that I think sums up Stewardship:
Dazzle’s Challenge:
- When you are feeling like a control freak with your kids try the mantra, “Let Go Let God”
Quick Take Away Links:
