Transfer of Power

When I look at my little boy and watch him struggle for mobility, excited each time he rolls over, I know that God has only loaned him to me for a season. The goal of parenting is to work yourself out of a job. But how and when does the transfer of power happen?

The mother who grants her toddler freedom too soon, says Dr. Dobson in Parenting Isn't for Cowards, is one of the most miserable people in the world. In Babywise II we are introduced to the concept of "Parenting within the funnel." Both books advocate granting freedoms to a child as he becomes able to handle them.

Dr. Dobson emphasizes the fact that some kids will do battle over any freedom they are not granted. These little ones must be restrained. If they don't learn at age 2 or 3 that someone else is an authority over them, they will have problems all through life.

A less common problem these days is withholding freedoms that the child is ready for. Especially as the teen years come, parents must be ready to let out the string on their child's kite. If we don't, how will he learn to soar? I haven't gotten to this stage yet, but I was blessed with parents who did it well. It was hard to leave the cozy nest of home, but I'm glad my parents helped me do that by granting some of the freedoms for which I pushed and even making me take some responsibilities when I was ready but not eager for them. May God grant you and me wisdom to do the same with our children.

RESOURCES

Babywise II

Parenting Isn't for Cowards