Parents, this might sting a little. The fact is, it’s very difficult to teach our children how to be reliable and the importance that this valuable life skill is if we ourselves are not reliable. I know that you and I already know this, however allow me to ask you a few questions.
If I were to ask your children today, “When your mom/dad tells you that they are going to do something with you, what’s the chances of that happening? For instance, if your mom/dad tells you that you all are going to do something fun, later today or perhaps on Saturday, will you go? How likely is it that something will come up and prevent you all from keeping that commitment?”
A few more questions: do you often tell a friend or associate that you will call them soon or email them soon and then you never do? Have you committed to helping a friend move, meeting your mom for lunch or a myriad of other obligations that for one reason or another, have been forgotten or not followed through with?
I know we want to raise children who keep their commitments and know that when they give their word to others, it means something. Parents, this will rarely happen if our children do not watch you and I be commitment keepers. They must learn to trust and understand that trust comes through keeping our word.
May I suggest that we each ponder if there is room in our lives for improvement in this area. If we identify that there is room, commit today to not only yourself, but to your family that from this day forward, you are going to do better. It’s difficult to make changes when we do not tell anyone else about our commitment. We each need accountability.
If you’re not sure that you will be able to follow through with something, do not commit. If you do however, make sure that your priority each day is to keep the commitments you have already made to others. If and when things come up, important things that prevent you from keeping your previous commitments, be completely honest and inform the individual counting on you promptly, so that they may make necessary changes.
May we do what we say so that our children can follow our example.
Very best,
Monica Irvine
