“There are no perfect parents, but there are many moments when being a parent is perfect.” — Author Unknown
I don’t know who said that, but whoever they were, I’m pretty sure they had toddlers.
This past week in our house was… a lot. There were multiple meltdowns, and one of them was almost mine.
Dog food somehow ended up in the water bowl (again), which honestly raised more questions than I cared to answer. One of our little angels tried using our SpikeBall net as a trampoline and broke the whole thing. And the whining. Oh, the whining. Let’s not even talk about the whining.
But then.
Out of nowhere… an unexpected hug. A little voice saying, “Daddy, up please?” which, if you’ve never had a toddler, is basically the world’s most irresistible three-word question.
There were quiet cuddle moments, the kind where nobody’s asking for anything and time just sort of slows down.
I was requested, almost every single night for “Tickle Time” before bed, which I’m pretty sure is one of the greatest feelings a dad can have.
And the smiles. I don’t have the words for the smiles.
Parenting isn’t perfect. We aren’t perfect. We’re never going to be perfect. But sometimes? Being a parent is absolutely perfect.
I’m sure your home has its own brand of chaos this week, its own version of dog food in the water bowl. But I want to encourage you to slow down long enough to catch those perfect moments.
They’re there. They’re happening right alongside the crazy.
Don’t rush past them or let them get buried under the noise.
Soak them in. Thank God for them. And give a few of those perfect moments back to your kids too.
Because as someone once said, “A moment lasts for seconds, but the memory of it lasts forever.”
Go make some memories this week.
Andrew Linder is a husband, the father of four awesome kids, and a children’s pastor at a thriving church. He is the founder of GodlyParent.com and is passionate about intentional parenting and helping other parents and leaders effectively reach the next generation. He is also the author of the new book, Godly Parenting In An Ungodly World: How to raise not just good but godly kids through heart-driven grace-based parenting.
Featured Image by Brooke Balentine on Unsplash
0 Comments