What is our purpose as parents?

I've been thinking a lot about this question. What is our purpose as parents? What are we supposed to be doing for our children? What is our responsibility to society as parents?

There are some people that feel their only responsibility is to feed their child and provide them with clothing and shelter. Some people feel it's to teach their children to 'act right'. Other people have children, do what they can to raise them, with out ever thinking of the end goal, on what raising a child means, on what their responsibilities are.

Personally I think that our responsibility to our child is to raise them with a set of skills to make it in the world. Problem solving, the ability to talk through issues, how to be honest, how to forgive, how to be productive and fair in life, and how to follow God. It's a tall order. I feel we also have a responsibility to society to raise a child to be productive, to have morals and values that will require them to have integrity and a good head on their shoulders, for lack of a better term. Can we be successful all on our own? The saying is 'It takes a village to raise a child.' How true. It takes have a good support team on your side that can help lead your child by example. It requires a good set of teachers, not just in school but in life. It requires leaders in church. It requires the influence of more people than just the mother and the father.

I also feel that it is a parents responsibility to show a child to enjoy life. That's a difficult task. Life is stressful. Bills, work, chores...it all adds up! I think it's important to make time to enjoy life. It doesn't have to cost money, but it will cost you TIME. Time set aside for your family. A day at the park, going to the lake to feed the ducks, a picnic, flying a kite, building a snowman...none of these things require a big bank account. But they will show your child that in the face of stress and hard times it is important to make time for something good.

I know most parents teach their children the bed time prayer "Now I lay me down to sleep....". And it's a powerful prayer that I think we should be really taking in with our children. But what are people doing beyond that? What are we doing to teach our children about God. Are we living by example? Are we going to church, yet cursing on the phone with the phone company? We are all sinners, we aren't expected to be perfect. But we are expected to try. How can we expect something of our children that we are unable to do ourselves?

I am sure I will disappoint my children. I have and will make mistakes. I do what I truly believe is best for them, but I am human. I will make mistakes. I will get worn down, stressed out, tired....I will forget what my purpose is as their Mom. My hope is that my children feel my love, they know that it is unconditional. I hope that they will be able to go into the world one day and be a good, honestly, Godly member of society. I want better for them than I got. I want them to be better than I am.

There are families that I have gotten to know over the years. I look at them and I think "That's the sort of Mom I want to be" or "That's the sort of relationship I want with my kids". I think it's important to surround yourself with good people that will help you reach the goals you've set for yourself, your children and your family.