Preparing your kids to launch into their next stage is one of the most exciting parts of being a parent. Kids transition to their next phase typically faster than their parents are ready for. That's why parents must be intentional to think through what is coming next in their kid's life so that they can both be ready.
“If something is changing in my kid’s worlds, I need to personally connect with them and lead them to the next phase.” (Mike Hurt, The House Always Wins, October 28, 2020)
As our kids grow up, they will move from preschool to kindergarten and then from elementary school to middle school and high school in the blink of an eye. As parents, we must create and mark some moments to help them flourish through all of the change in their world.
Some conversations are character based. As they age, you need to talk to them about responsibility and give them more responsibility. As their relationships change, you need to talk to them talk to them about healthy boundaries and how they can stand out from the crowd. Since they live in an online world, they need to be reminded that purity of heart, mind, and action, is possible.
Some conversations can also center around significant birthdays. Some of the more significant birthdays are 10, 13, 16, 18 and 21:
Some milestone moments are also celebrations of accomplishments. Perhaps that is the accomplishment of their first job, graduation from high school, acceptance into college or even marriage, no matter the accomplishment, don't just celebrate what your child has accomplished, use this as an opportunity to launch them into the future.
Some conversations are character based. As they age, you need to talk to them about responsibility and give them more responsibility. As their relationships change, you need to talk to them talk to them about healthy boundaries and how they can stand out from the crowd. Since they live in an online world, they need to be reminded that purity of heart, mind, and action, is possible.
Some conversations can also center around significant birthdays. Some of the more significant birthdays are 10, 13, 16, 18 and 21:
- 10 because you are now double digits and entering into preteen challenges
- 13 because you are now a teenager and trying to figure out where you fit in the world
- 16 because you can legally drive and are accountable for how you use your freedom
- 18 because you are now able to vote and have some adult privileges and responsibilities
- 21 because you are an adult who can live for Jesus
Some milestone moments are also celebrations of accomplishments. Perhaps that is the accomplishment of their first job, graduation from high school, acceptance into college or even marriage, no matter the accomplishment, don't just celebrate what your child has accomplished, use this as an opportunity to launch them into the future.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 1 Corinthians 13:11