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Parenting with passion

I put Grayson, 15, on a plane to New Mexico this week. I had a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye as he waved goodbye and boarded the plane to live out his passion. I knew he was headed for an adventure that he has longed for, but I wasn’t quite ready for him to go. Learning to parent with a passion can be challenging.

Did I prepare him for this trip? Did he pack his underwear? Does he have enough warm clothes? Is he going to be polite and helpful to his hosts? Those are the questions I asked myself as I walked away. However, I didn’t ask myself if he finished his algebra. Can he spell Albuquerque? or Does he know the scientific name of the elk he is hunting?

The Journey

When you mix parenting and homeschooling, you can lose sight of the real purpose of our journey. For example, our goal is to nurture their hearts and train their character development. Also, to provide them with the skills and passion to make good choices in the world. However, we can’t predict or control the outcome of our children’s choices. Even with the curriculum we choose or how many math facts, we drill into them. We can prepare them with a good foundation through the relationships we build.

So what is Grayson doing in New Mexico? He is elk hunting with a relative. How awesome is that? If you have been with us for very long, you know Grayson declared he was going to be a professional outdoorsman when he was five and has been pursuing this passion ever since.

Survival

Guess what? He forgot his jammies, most of his pants, and his pricey hiking underwear. Even though I asked him 20 times if they were packed in his suitcase. He will survive. He might get a little chafed but will learn and maybe remember next time. However, he has been calling each day to share his passion, wonder, and excitement with us because he wants us to experience it with him.

Curtis and I didn’t really take the cute little guy at his word all those years ago. Grayson shared his “lifelong” dream with us at age nine. His dream was to learn how to tan a deer hide the Native American way. I knew that wasn’t going to happen at our house. For sure I didn’t see it in any of the curricula we were using. Then a funny thing happened. A new neighbor showed up, literally showed up in our backyard, and was an avid outdoorsman. In time, our neighbor made Grayson’s dream come true and fueled his passion.

Most importantly, Curtis and I realized a higher power was involved in this outdoorsman thing. We decided to go all-in and nurture this passion with him. When we did, Grayson began to have incredible opportunities to learn and grow. Not from us, but from other people brought into his life.

Do The Right Thing

Parenting is a tough gig. It doesn’t get easier. It just changes. And as they get into their teens, fear can set in for parents. Did we do enough? Adding to that, being responsible for their education at home and it can tip the scales of stress. It can also be scary when you dive into activities you are uncomfortable with for the sake of your children. When it is what is right for them, you will learn to step out of your comfort zone and embrace it.

We can’t go wrong when we let go of our own ideas of what our children “should” do and let God be in control. Coming alongside our kids and helping them find what they truly love will give them a greater start in life than any textbook can. Our control of what we thought Grayson should be wasn’t working out. We are definitely out of our comfort zone in many of his activities but WE are learning as parents. Our concepts of happiness are changing and we are learning to love opportunities we could not have considered before.

Parenting with passion in mind for our children actually teaches us to develop passions of our own. What a great way to live life together. Encouraging each other to follow God’s specific path for each of us. Some of us, like me, don’t even find our passion until later in life, if ever. Wouldn’t it be great if we could go against the world’s current and help our children find their passion early?

I share more stories and inspiration in my book on motherhood.