do I need a swimsuit for this?

I once made the statement that "parenting is more like lifeguarding." And when I think about it, I really do believe that is true. We get these little people in our lives and our focus then becomes keeping them healthy, happy, and safe. It starts at birth. God gives you this precious little baby to love. And they are amazing. They’re tiny, they are adorable and they are totally dependent on you. You have to feed them to keep them alive. You have to maintain their hygiene to keep them free from infections and filth, and you have to maintain a body temperature that makes them comfortable and content. They literally can’t live without someone to care and protect them - And you guard them with your life.
As they become toddlers and preschoolers not only can they do some things for themselves, they want to try and do much more for themselves. Some of those things are dangerous and we have to step in and teach them why they can’t do those things. Climbing on unsafe places, putting things in their mouth that shouldn’t go in their mouths, and taking on activities that they aren’t quite ready for, all become your job to provide that protection and guard their life from these hazards.
Our elementary age children become even more independent, but still need us for their basic needs and we have to become more vigilant in guarding what they hear, see and are exposed to. The world can be a scary and dangerous place and yet as parents we need to let them dip their toes into deeper waters and experiences while keeping a close eye that they don’t go out farther than what they are ready for physically, emotionally and mentally.
Finally, our teenagers and young adults come and we should be able to sit back on the lounge chair with a good book, but instead we continue to sit in the lifeguard chair pretending we’re not watching, when in actually we now are trying to protect them more from themselves than others. We want to guard their hearts from hurts, their bodies from dumb decisions and their minds from the evils of this world. But this protection now comes more through wise counsel, consequential punishments, and deep soul wrenching prayers.
The truth is you never stop lifeguarding your kids. My 83 year-old mother still tries to tell her 60 year-old daughter, what to be aware of, what she thinks I should do, or how I should protect my body or my health. Can it irritate me? Oh yes, but I know it comes from a place of love and wanting to guard me with her life if she could.

Always with hope,
Jean

Thoughtful questions:

Are you a lifeguard parent?

The Eagle Parent is the ideal lifeguard. What can you learn from the Eagles in your life?