May 26, 2024
Dear Grandchildren:
First of all, Grandma and I really appreciate the respect you give us for allowing us to meet with you about your marriage and family. You are blessing us more than you will ever know. Based on your suggestion, we have set April 26th for next year’s weekend retreat.
During the weekend, we hope you realized some wonderful things about your relationship with each other and your family. In other words, we trust you have “new glasses” to see the tremendous potential represented in one another and especially in your kids. Hopefully, we will motivate each other to “take action” to be a better person, to be a better husband, to be a better wife, and to be a better parent.
When we take action, we are taking steps to be successful as parents and spouses. As I mentioned, the world doesn’t pay you for what you know; they pay you for what you do with what you know. They pay you for taking action!
During the weekend, I used a word to define the weekend. The word is intentional, which means to believe or to do something with a strong desire. It’s to do something above the ordinary or above just average. For example, if you start a new business, you must be intentional in doing things that will bring you success. If you are an athlete, you must practice your sport, so it becomes second nature.
Likewise, if you want a successful marriage, you must be intentional to take action or practice habits that will help make you successful.
If you want to be successful parents, you must do things that will help your children to become amazing kids. You must be intentional. Amazing kids usually are developed from amazing parents who have amazing marriage relationships. You don’t usually get one without the other. There are usually certain principles that define a successful marriage and successful families. Keywords that define or describe these relationships are love, honor, respect, communication, resolving conflicts, forgiveness, teamwork, unity, faith and trust.
During the weekend, we described what makes a strong marriage and how it affects parenting. To be winners in the game of life, parents and children must learn to survive in a tough world and that requires learning to be self-disciplined. Developing self-control is very intentional and often learned through painful experiences. For instance, if you don’t study for finals but just have fun with friends, and you flunk the class, you might have to take the class again. Hopefully, you practice self-control the next time because you want to graduate.
So the results of practicing self-control are well worth the effort. That’s why it’s important for parents to train their children at an early age to practice self-control. Success doesn’t come easy, so you must be very intentional, to help your kids to become successful.
A study in Wisconsin, revealed that kids who entered the first grade, 80% of them felt pretty good about themselves. But, by the time they got to the 6th grade, only 10% of them had a good self-image of themselves.
Applause and praise are always a great encourager, especially if it’s affirming input from their parents. As we discussed during the weekend, we want to be “good finders” with our children and with each other. We encourage one another by looking for the good instead of the bad.
So, I hope you’re using your “I appreciate pads” on one another especially your children.
Again, Grandma and I love and appreciate each one of you.
Always remember how much I love you,
Grandpa
Featured Image by Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov on Unsplash