“Why do I have to do my homework now? I am in the middle of a game.”
“WHY am I in trouble? HE’s the one who started it!”
“None of my friends have THESE rules. This makes NO sense! Why are you SO UNFAIR?!”

Comment “🙋” if comments like these sound familiar. Now, comment “🙋🙋” if you ever responded with “Because I SAID SO!” and how that worked out for you.

Often, we respond with frustration when our children question and protest our efforts at teaching responsibility and other values-grounded behaviors.

Underlying their questions, however, children seek direction and leadership from us.

To be an effective leader, we must be driven by a positive vision and NOT our ego.

When driven by a positive vision, we can better provide meaningful and positive answers to the litany of “why” and “how come” questions that often test our patience.

As you develop your vision, it’s important to remember that effective leaders are by no means perfect. Parenting involves on-the-job learning, and you will likely make “mistakes.” A strong vision is there to help you establish a positive standard to strive for and adjust as you go.