Celebrating CharacterSample

Sometimes, the perfectionism we cling to as moms shades the perspective of our children. Just like I tended to be hyper-focused on all my faults, I had the same hyper-focus when it came to my kids' character traits. As my kids grew older, I started to wonder if I was subtly pushing them to ask themselves, "Am I great-enough for Mom?"

That pesky spirit of perfectionism has a way of directing my attention to the things that I need to fix in my kids. And my general mindset with all things that need fixing is that it needs to happen yesterday. That list I have for myself—the one that is both exhaustive and endless—I have for my kids, too.

The journey from believing your children are extraordinary to accepting they are great-enough requires grieving the gap between infinite potential and finite reality. This process isn't about diminishing your dreams for them, but rather entrusting their future to a God who knows their innermost being.

Reflection Question: What expectations for your child might be creating negative pressure rather than positive encouragement toward growth?