What is your mission?

Written by contributor Rachel Wolf of Clean and LuSa Organics

There are as many different ways to parent as there are kids.

And while some of us hit our groove on day-one, others struggle to find that just-right fit for years.

Many find a turning point in the act of simply putting pen to paper and jotting down the answer to one simple (yet challenging) question: “What is my parenting mission?”

My business has a mission statement. Why not my home?

Because sometimes we forget our goals. Or we lose our way.

When we do our mission statement can help put us back on track.

I shared my parenting mission statement here.

And simply jotting down those words helped my direct my parenting (and yes, homeschooling) path. I make choices each day with these goals in mind.

I think of it this way: If I have a basket of apples, how I work with those apples will be different depending on my culinary vision. Do I want juice? Sauce? Pie? Dried apples? Hard cider?

Depending on my goal I will follow a different path in how I prepare my fruit.

And while our children are certainly not produce, how we parent them shapes who they become almost as much as that apple-turned-pie.

Crafting your own mission statement can help you hone in on the path that’s just right for you and your children.

Here’s how:

1. Make a list

Make a list of the skills and traits that you want your home and homeschool to nurture in your child. Curiosity, self-confidence, patience, compassion, determination, service… jot down anything that comes to mind.

2. Transform those life-skills into a mission statement

For example, “Determination: I will provide my child with challenging activities that are of interest to her. I will stay close and and guide her towards completion, even when she is feeling discouraged.”

3. Live it

Take your goals to heart and strive to live your mission each day. Hang it on your fridge. Keep it on your desk. Read it every morning. Whatever it takes to remember your goals.

4. Revise it

As your children grow, undoubtedly your list will change. Edit it as needed through the years to breathe new life into your mission statement.

Personally, my mission is most helpful on the days when I’ve lost my way.

When I’m not the parent I strive to be.

On those days I remember my mission and get back on track.

Because no one is perfect. But knowing what kind of adults you are growing can be just the thing to keep you on moving in the right direction.

Further Reading:

* More peaceful parenting – your mission statement

What about you? What gifts do you want your children to carry into adulthood and how do you help them learn these skills?